Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat declared that India is currently experiencing an “era of cultural renaissance” during an international conference on manuscript heritage held at Vigyan Bhawan on Thursday. The minister emphasised the vital role of the newly launched Gyan Bharatam Mission in preserving the country’s vast manuscript legacy.
Addressing scholars, experts and researchers gathered for the three-day event titled “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage”, Shekhawat outlined the ambitious plan to establish 25 clusters, 20 regional centres, and 10 centres of excellence following a hub-and-spoke model across India. This initiative seeks to conserve and digitise ancient manuscripts and pass down India’s cultural knowledge to future generations.
“Our country is going through an era of cultural renaissance,” Shekhawat said, stressing the importance of pride in India’s cultural roots. He further noted that technology can be harnessed to translate these manuscripts into AI-readable formats, thereby enhancing accessibility and dissemination of traditional knowledge.
The conference, organised by the Ministry of Culture, aims to build a coalition of custodians responsible for the safeguarding of manuscripts. It also seeks to develop a national ecosystem to promote their conservation, digitisation and scholarly study under the Gyan Bharatam project.
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India is home to nearly ten million ancient manuscripts, among the richest collections globally, encompassing fields such as mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, medicine and spiritual knowledge. Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal highlighted this, stating that the initiative aims to showcase the scientific advancements embedded within India’s heritage.
Indian-origin mathematician and Fields Medal winner Manjul Bhargava, in his keynote address, hailed the revival of manuscript heritage as a catalyst for strengthening art, culture, education, research, and cultural diplomacy. He referenced the ancient ‘Chautisa Yantra’, a mathematical magic square inscribed at Khajuraho temple, drawing applause from the audience.
The conference also features a special exhibition of rare manuscripts, including 500-year-old palm leaf copies of Kautilya’s Arthashastra and the Sundar Kanda from Valmiki’s Ramayana, loaned by the Oriental Research Institute, Mysore. Manuscripts from Baroda and Ahmedabad, alongside a facsimile of the Gilgit Lotus Sutra from the National Archives, are also on display.
The original Gilgit Lotus Sutra manuscripts will be exhibited later during the conference, as informed by the Union Culture Secretary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the conference on its second day, underlining the government’s commitment to preserving and promoting India’s manuscript heritage as a critical element of its broader cultural renaissance.
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