Gauhati University Races to Save Flood-Damaged Sanchipat Manuscripts

Guwahati: Gauhati University experts are fighting to save rare Sanchipat manuscripts soaked by floodwaters. They arrived at the historic Medhijan Shri Shri Gajala Satra in Sivasagar district to begin the recovery. Medini Mohan Gogoi of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies leads the mission alongside Dhanjit Talukdar from the Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library. The team is cleaning and chemically treating pages to stop fungal rot.

This work targets texts like the Kirtan, Bhakti Ratnavali, Bhakti Premawali, Charit-Puthis, and Kathasar. These pages define Assam's history. The collection includes a 300-year-old Ramayana, a 263-year-old Kirtan, and the Dasham. Each one is a relic of the 18th-century institution.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta oversees the broader preservation effort. He views this project as a vital duty. Prof. Mahanta stated, "preserving these invaluable records is a moral, academic and social responsibility." The university plans to secure these archives for future generations. They are treating the damaged materials now to prevent any further loss.