Lucknow 18 May. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a letter addressed to the people of the state on Monday, underlined the importance of manuscripts in India’s cultural and intellectual heritage. In the speech, CM Yogi also clarified why Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers manuscripts as chapters of the soul of India.
Addressing the people of the state, CM Yogi said, “Today’s answer is a question. Let me ask you, what is the soul of India? It is very possible that your answer could be Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Geeta, Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram, Liladhar Shri Krishna, Mahatma Buddha, Lord Mahavir, Guru Nanakdev, Saint Kabir, any one of humanity. This is where the innate curiosity arises in the mind that how? The answer is, this intact identity of India. It was preserved in manuscripts through the Shravan tradition and reached every home in the form of texts after technological advancement. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers manuscripts as the chapter of the soul of India.”
He said that in reality our strength is the knowledge which has been preserved in the form of manuscripts for centuries. India’s cultural-intellectual heritage and continuity of civilizational ideas is reflected in the vast wealth of manuscripts. Indian scriptures are a storehouse of knowledge on subjects like science, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, literature, art, architecture, philosophy, music and spirituality. Uttar Pradesh is the holy land of cultural renaissance. Be it the grand temple of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya or the imperishable Kashi, we are all witnesses to it. Today we are able to take advantage of the knowledge accumulated over generations because these manuscripts have been awakening knowledge consciousness for thousands of years. These manuscripts are available today in various museums, libraries and private collections.
The Chief Minister said that ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ is a historic initiative of the Government of India in the context of knowledge expansion. Under this, ancient manuscripts are being digitalized. In this sequence, a national digital repository will be created, where students and researchers from all over the world will be able to connect with India’s knowledge tradition. Preservation of manuscripts is not just about saving the heritage but also about preserving the invaluable keys of knowledge for future generations. I urge the people of the state to come forward for the preservation of manuscripts. About 7 lakh manuscripts have been identified so far.
If you also have any ancient manuscript, handwritten texts, palm leaves etc. available, then upload its information on ‘Gyan Bharatam Mobile App’ or portal, so that its preservation can be ensured. CM Yogi further said that you can also donate these to the Uttar Pradesh State Archives. This mission is like nectar for our civilizational roots. With this, the country will move towards the respected Prime Minister’s vision of a developed India by the year 2047 by combining the knowledge of the past with its present innovation.
Comments are closed.