Brief
Gangadhar Meher University launches programme to preserve and digitise rare palm‑leaf manuscripts
The university’s Heritage Club, led by Prof Byomakesh Tripathy and Atul Kumar Pradhan, has documented nearly 1,000 manuscripts dating back 70‑80 years.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Sambalpur – Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) in western Odisha has stepped up a scientific effort to preserve and digitise rare palm‑leaf manuscripts, according to a report by the New Indian Express.
What happened
The university’s Heritage Club, under Vice‑Chancellor Prof Byomakesh Tripathy, surveyed remote villages in Bargarh, Sonepur and Rairakhol over the past year. Assistant Professor Atul Kumar Pradhan, heading the club and the School of History, together with research scholars Sambit Mesua and Chudamani Rana, visited these areas, collecting and documenting manuscripts that are 70‑80 years old.
What the reports add
Pradhan said the team has gathered nearly 1,000 palm‑leaf manuscripts, which contain information on literature, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, agriculture and traditional rituals. He noted that while copper‑plate (Tamra Patra) manuscripts are durable, palm‑leaf (Tal Patra) ones are extremely fragile and need urgent conservation.
What was said
"During the period of exploration, we have collected nearly 1,000 such manuscripts which are around 70‑80 years old and have started work on preserving them," Pradhan told the New Indian Express.
How it came about
The Heritage Club’s systematic survey aims to safeguard western Odisha’s traditional knowledge heritage and raise local awareness of the manuscripts’ scholarly significance.
Key facts
- Gangadhar Meher University is conducting a survey of rare palm‑leaf manuscripts in western Odisha. (newindianexpress.com)
- The Heritage Club has documented about 1,000 manuscripts that are 70‑80 years old. (newindianexpress.com)
- The university plans scientific conservation and digitisation of the collected manuscripts. (newindianexpress.com)
Sources
- [1] newindianexpress.com — originally reported as “Odisha's Gangadhar Meher University steps up efforts to preserve rare manuscripts”
