Gauhati University Races to Save Flood-Damaged Manuscripts in Sivasagar

Guwahati: Gauhati University experts are battling time in Sivasagar. They are cleaning rare Sanchipat manuscripts soaked by recent floods at the 18th-century Medhijan Shri Shri Gajala Satra. The water brought mold. Now, specialized teams must separate and chemically treat the pages to stop rot.

The project team includes Medini Mohan Gogoi from the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies and Dhanjit Talukdar from the Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library’s Manuscript Section. They are targeting high-value texts like the Kirtan, Bhakti Ratnavali, Bhakti Premawali, various Charit-Puthis, and Kathasar. The crew is specifically working on a 300-year-old Ramayana, a 263-year-old Kirtan, and the Dasham.

Vice Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta is directing the effort. He views the work as a duty to protect the state’s intellectual backbone. Mahanta stated, "Manuscripts are not merely historical documents but living testimonies of Assam’s knowledge traditions, civilisation, culture and identity."

This initiative builds on the university's push to archive Sanchipat records. The Satra has held these documents for centuries. Each page maps out religious philosophy and history. The team hopes to salvage these records before the damage becomes permanent.