Preserving the past: Ancient manuscripts in a race against time

Time of India

13 hours ago

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Patna: Preservation of ancient manuscripts is an act of cultural reverence. Each brittle scroll and weathered folio is a portal to the past, where inked symbols became vessels of science, scripture and philosophy.
But these treasures of knowledge, once passed hand to hand by sages and scribes, now face a race against time and nature.
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Manuscripts are vulnerable to many threats – humidity, temperature shifts, exposure to light, chemical reactions – all of which accelerate their decay. And the act of handling them, no matter how gentle, only adds to their fragility," said a senior academic engaged in manuscript conservation.
As the physical forms grow delicate, the mission to preserve what they hold becomes all the more urgent. Conservationists employ a mix of traditional and modern techniques – fumigation to repel infestations, controlled environments to manage temperature and humidity and increasingly, digitisation to ensure universal access.
"Digital preservation allows these rare texts to reach anyone, anywhere," said a conservator involved in digitisation efforts.
"Once online, a manuscript from 10th-century Mithila or ancient Nalanda becomes a resource for the world," he added.
Yet, beyond methods lies the medium itself – the materials once used to create these manuscripts tell their own story of civilisational ingenuity.
Jayadeo Mishra, former head of ancient Indian history and archaeology at Patna University, pointed to the world's earliest plant-based writing surface: papyrus, used in Egypt as far back as the third millennium BCE.
"In India, palm leaves and tree bark were the principal writing supports before the introduction of paper in the 11th century," he said.
These writing supports were as diverse as the ideas they carried:
Tal-patra: Palm-leaf manuscripts strung like necklaces – bundles of 50 to 100 leaves, evenly cut and pressed between carved wooden covers. Some rare scrolls even span a metre in length, midribs intact, rolled like ancient carpets of thought.
Bhoja-patra: Thin, crisp folios made from the bark of the Himalayan birch. They were sheathed between wooden boards or wrapped in cloth, holding centuries of poetry, law and devotion.
Hansi-pata: Crafted from the bast fibre of the Agaru tree, these were slender, stackable folios rarely bound, often stored with reverence between wooden slats
Handmade paper: Often folded into books or kept loose, these manuscripts mark the transition to more accessible formats, yet still retain a rustic elegance.
Manufactured paper: As industrial methods took hold, folios on factory-made paper entered the scene. Some were bound; others remained loose, but each was a sign of evolving archival practices.
One of the most evocative media, however, remains birch bark, the velvety, flexible skin of Himalayan birches. In ancient India, it was the parchment of choice for high knowledge.
Mishra said, "Birch bark was used for Buddhist scriptures, classical Sanskrit texts, medical treatises and even scientific documents.
These were living repositories of human understanding."
Among the most famous birch bark texts is the Bower Manuscript, dating back to the 4th–6th century CE. It contains Ayurvedic medical knowledge, offering insights into early Indian treatments and formulations. Birch also hosted sections of the Mahabharata, Patanjali's grammar, and Buddhist canons such as the Dhammapada and Mahayana sutras. Even early astronomical charts and mathematical calculations found home on its soft, fibrous surface.
Ashok Kumar Jha, physics teacher at Patna University and assistant director of the university's central library, said manuscript preservation was a delicate balance of traditional wisdom and modern science. "We often use natural deterrents like neem leaves, peacock feathers or even snake skin placed between the pages to prevent insect damage," he said. To guard against wind and humidity, manuscripts are stored in airtight wooden boxes, where bundles of herbs such as acorus and karpoora are tied in small pieces of cloth and tucked inside to maintain a controlled environment.
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