Itanagar: The Union Ministry of Culture will dispatch an expert team to Arunachal Pradesh to begin scientific documentation, digitisation and conservation of rare Buddhist and indigenous manuscripts across five districts, an official statement said on Tuesday.
A state delegation led by Art and Culture Secretary Mamta Riba recently attended a workshop chaired by Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, where the Arunachal Pradesh government highlighted the urgent need to preserve its manuscript heritage under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, the statement said.
The three-member delegation underscored the importance of the Lik-Thai manuscripts of Namsai, ancient Buddhist Kangyur scriptures and other rare indigenous texts, seeking central assistance for scientific conservation, systematic documentation and modern archival infrastructure.
A detailed presentation on the Gyan Bharatam Mission showcased extensive field documentation conducted in Tawang, West Kameng, Shi-Yomi, Upper Siang and Namsai districts. The survey recorded the discovery of rare manuscripts and traditional scripts, including texts containing episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, indicating deep historical and literary linkages among communities in Arunachal Pradesh.
The presentation further warned that age, climatic conditions and inadequate archival facilities pose serious threats to these materials, and proposed a structured plan for their preservation, digitisation, capacity-building and cultural continuity.
Aggarwal commended the state government’s efforts and assured immediate support from the Centre. He announced that a central expert team would soon visit all five districts to initiate scientific documentation, digitisation and conservation of the Lik-Thai texts, Kangyur collections and other ancient manuscripts, including those linked to the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
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The Union secretary also announced the creation of a dedicated manuscript and digitisation support cell within the ministry to ensure coordinated and long-term assistance to the state.
The Arunachal Pradesh government welcomed the assurances and reiterated its commitment to protecting the state’s manuscript and script heritage under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, with the goal of contributing significantly to the national digital repository, the statement added.
