India possesses an estimate of ten million manuscripts, making it repository of manuscript wealth in the world. These manuscripts are the historical evidence and possess significant research and heritage value. Thousands of such valued unpublished Indian manuscripts on varied subjects are still lying scattered, under threat or no longer accessible to research scholars. Thus, NAMAMI seeks to unearth and preserve the vast inheritance contained in manuscripts in India.
The Centre is working with NAMAMI together towards fulfilling the motto “conserving the past for the future” through the following projects:
NAMAMI has sanctioned a two-year project to initiate a Manuscript Resource Centre (MRC) at Amritapuri campus. The project permits the Centre to collect, document, list and catalogue the manuscripts from Kerala. It helps in protecting the Indian Culture and Knowledge tradition by documenting the ancient books preserved in the form of palm leaf or paper manuscripts.
Under this project sanctioned by NAMAMI, Manuscript Conservation Centre (MCC) is formed at Amritapuri campus. Through MCC, NAMAMI and the Centre collaborate on the projects on conservation of manuscripts written on various materials, such as organic, inorganic and composite materials (e.g. paper, cloth, palm leaves, birch bark, sanchi pat, papyrus, parchment, leather, vellum, metal and ivory, etc.) that includes preventive and remedial conservation, training, workshops and awareness programmes, etc.
Far from being claimed a dead language, Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, now attracts a large number of students both in and outside of India. With interest growing in India’s creative literature and Indian philosophy, linguistics and literary criticism, the study of Sanskrit is becoming vitally important. Recognizing this, the Centre is running the “Non-Formal Sanskrit Education Center” Project sanctioned by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. Under this project, the diploma course is designed for students of Amrita VishwaVidyapeetham, as well as faculty and staff. At the end of the course, students can expect a near proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking basic Sanskrit.
The course is divided into three modules:
