Gyan Bharatam Mission to document ancient texts in homes, churches, temples
Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji: The Department of Archives will launch a statewide survey on July 1 under the Gyan Bharatam Mission to locate, identify, and document ancient manuscripts stored in homes, churches, temples, and private collections across Goa.
The Goa State Mission for Manuscripts, recently approved by the government, will operate from its base in Altinho and commence administrative work this week.
“We’re starting with a pilot study this year,” an official from the Archives Department said, urging the public to cooperate with the initiative.
Officials said that rare letters exchanged between kings, communication with freedom fighters, and texts depicting everyday life in historical Goa could still exist in private hands, undocumented and largely unknown. If properly catalogued, such materials could significantly enrich the understanding of Goa’s layered and diverse heritage.
“We are not asking for manuscripts to be handed over,” the official clarified. “With the owner’s consent, we will record and catalogue them. The idea is to create a reliable register that will help future researchers locate and study these documents.”
The survey will begin in institutional libraries and later extend to religious centres and prominent family homes, particularly those with historical connections to royalty and the freedom movement. The approach aims to balance respect for private ownership with the broader objective of knowledge preservation.
As part of the project, history students across the state will be trained in manuscriptology and palaeography—disciplines essential for reading and handling ancient scripts and fragile documents. “Goa’s archives include documents from before, during, and after Portuguese rule, written in various scripts including Devanagari, Modi, Portuguese, and Roman,” the official added. “This is a valuable opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience while contributing to heritage preservation.”
The department is making internships in manuscript research mandatory for college students and plans to start orientation and training sessions by mid-August. Goa’s mission is a part of the larger National Mission for Manuscripts, launched by the Union Ministry of Culture, which aims to preserve and digitise India’s manuscript wealth.
