When Deepak Pandey traded his engineering career at Siemens for studying ancient Sanskrit manuscripts, he was not making an impulsive decision. The Nirma University BTech graduate represents a growing trend of young professionals venturing into Indian manuscript studies, a discipline witnessing an unexpected revival in the digital age.
“After my father’s passing, I took over our family’s steel valve manufacturing business,” Pandey says. “But I have always been drawn to our cultural heritage. Now I am pursuing Sanskrit formally and exploring opportunities within the Indian Knowledge System (IKS).”
Pandey was among 140 participants at a recently held national workshop on “Manuscripts and Indian Writing Systems” in Ahmedabad. The event was remarkable not only for its attendance but also for the varied academic disciplines represented.
Growing enthusiasm
Manjula Viradiya, who heads the Sanskrit department at AP Patel Arts & NP Patel Commerce College in Naroda and had coordinated the workshop, notes the changing demographics.
“At present, it is one of the rare college-based initiatives focused on manuscript studies. Our curriculum spans diverse subjects — from ink identification techniques to practical training in Grantha, Devanagari and various historical scripts. We have witnessed growing student enthusiasm over recent years, largely driven by better employment opportunities in this specialised field,” she says.
While Sanskrit students still dominate such workshops, more science and commerce graduates and even engineers are showing interest. This is not merely out of academic curiosity; there is demand too. “During the workshop, several organisations from Ahmedabad approached us seeking qualified manuscript specialists,” Viradiya says. “These experts command starting salaries of Rs 30,000-35,000 a month, comparable to many engineering positions,” she adds.
Prof Ramji Savaliya, former director of the BJ Institute of Learning and Research, notes that the field of Indian Knowledge System (IKS) has experienced renewed interest in recent years. With various organisations now funding research across disciplines from Ayurveda to religious philosophy, the sector is undergoing a revival.
“Gujarat houses one of India’s most extensive manuscript collections, providing students with practical experience in manuscript handling and analysis,” he explains. “Many of our graduates now work in different areas, spanning from conservation efforts to scholarly commentary.”
The career trajectories of former students illustrate the field’s expanding opportunities. Viral Prajapati, a Naroda college alumnus now associated with BJ Institute of Learning and Research, describes his journey. “I was part of the team that transcribed Panini’s Ashtadhyayi into Grantha script, and I am currently advancing this research at the institute. We are witnessing an influx of scholars from both India and abroad seeking to explore foundational knowledge through manuscripts,” Prajapati says.
Vipul Shah of the Shrutlekhanam initiative from Shantinathji Jain Derasar in Ahmedabad says their mission is to regenerate the entire field of manuscript science, from conservation to restoration. “We have been doing it for more than three decades and have revived over 5,000 manuscripts through copying by experts or preserving them for posterity,” he says. The initiative also focuses on knowledge transfer, having trained about 4,000 people in manuscript science.
Behind the archives
Aditiba Gohil, a workshop participant, is employed at Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra in Koba. “After my MA in Sanskrit, I had the opportunity to work on cataloguing projects. With my expertise in Devanagari and Sanskrit scripts, I frequently work on texts dating back to the 18th century,” she says.
Sukumar Jagtap, a research associate at the Koba centre, says the facility houses over three lakh manuscripts, with only one-third currently catalogued and properly analysed. The centre has already completed 39 manuscript catalogues covering a variety of subjects, while work on the 40th and 41st editions is currently in progress. Many participants revealed their fascination with scripts from Brahmi to Sharada — drawn equally to their visual elegance and the intellectual challenges they present. These ancient texts, preserved between wooden covers on palm leaves, contain intricate riddles, artistic flourishes, and historical insights that have survived centuries.
MANUSCRIPT MARVELS
Gujarat boasts two of India’s Top 5 manuscript collections
2.5 lakh+ manuscripts: Acharya Shri Kailashsuri Jnanamandir, Koba
90,000+: Saraswati Bhavan Library, Sampurnanand University, Varanasi
80,000+: Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad
49,000+: Saraswati Mahal Library, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
48,000+: Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Jodhpur
*Source: National Mission for Manuscripts
Preserving glorious past, page by page
At the Koba centre, experts combine traditional herbal remedies and modern tech to safeguard heritage
At the manuscript section of Acharya Kailashsagarsuri Gyan Mandir at Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra in Koba, Pankaj Sharma leads a team focused on restoring a Vikram Samvat (VS) 18th century manuscript, Shrimad Bhagabadgita, with commentary by Madhusudan Sarasvati.
“When we received it some months ago, all its pages were stuck, and it bore the marks of centuries of wear and tear. The edges were blackened, a powder-like substance covered its surface, and most critically, the pages had lost their flexibility. Through careful restoration work, we have made almost half of the pages readable again,” says Sharma.
His team member Tithi Sinha is working on a page from another fragile manuscript. Explaining the process, she says,“We first clean it for de-acidification and then use specially prepared distilled water to wash away impurities. Then we begin the restoration with lokta paper to fill the holes and repair damaged edges before laminating both sides with imported 3 to 6 gsm paper.” At the centre, the 50-member team considers patience their supreme virtue.
Housing over 250,000 manuscripts, the centre stands as India’s largest repository of ancient texts, according to the National Mission for Manuscripts website. Acharya Ajaysagarsuri, the preceptor of Rashtrasant Acharya Padmasagarsuri who founded the repository, said the library receives manuscripts covering not only Jainism but all aspects of society. Sanjay Jha, head of the manuscript department, said the manuscripts are conserved using a special mixture containing black pepper, camphor, neem and various herbs.
ONE FOR POSTERITY: THE VAULT OF TREASURES
– Longest handwritten scroll: The Koba centre houses the longest handwritten scroll or the Vigyaptipatra (26.68m X 0.19m).
These elaborate invitations requested Jain monks to spend the Chaturmas, a four-month monsoon period, at specific locations.
– A richly illustrated manuscript featuring flora and fauna on each page, painted with natural dyes, with its cover page adorned with an ornate flower pattern
– Anklipi or ‘number script’ used to be a distinctive tradition where verses were encoded with numbers instead of words, decipherable only by applying the correct interpretive key
