Mysuru Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy releasing a poster on ‘Survey of Manuscripts in Karnataka’ under the Centre’s Gyan Bharatam Mission, in Mysuru on Tuesday (April 28).
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Out of the 2.13 lakh manuscripts collected from 17 districts of Karnataka so far under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, which aims to build a national repository of centuries-old handwritten texts and records, as many as 30,996 manuscripts have been documented in Mysuru district alone.This information was shared by officials at an event to promote and raise awareness about a documentation campaign called ‘Survey of Manuscripts in Karnataka’ in Mysuru district on Tuesday (April 28). Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy released a poster for the same. Officials from the Department of Archaeology, Museums, and Heritage, and the Department of Tourism were also present on the occasion.The Gyan Bharatam Mission seeks to safeguard this rich cultural heritage by conducting surveys, conservation, protection, digitisation, registration, critical editing, translation, and publication. “It seeks to provide public access through a unified national platform, ensuring that this knowledge wealth is preserved and made accessible for future generations,” said a press statement.As part of the mission, information on manuscripts across the country is being uploaded to a mobile application developed by the Union government, the statement said.To support the mission, the State government initiated ‘Survey of Manuscripts in Karnataka’, the State-wide manuscript survey which began in March 2026 and is scheduled to conclude by May 2026. The Department of Archaeology, Museums, and Heritage is functioning as the nodal department to ensure effective execution and coordination of the project.With the government planning to constitute a State-level standing committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary and district-level committees under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, the Chief Secretary has directed that extensive publicity and awareness be created at the district level to successfully implement the manuscript survey.The district-level committee will coordinate the implementation of the National Manuscript Survey by identifying and documenting manuscripts in libraries, temples, mutts, educational institutions, and private collections, while also creating awareness among local institutions and manuscript custodians about the mission. The Oriental Research Institute (ORI), University of Mysore, has been identified as the Cluster Centre, with the former director of ORI serving as its coordinator.The survey uses a technology-driven approach to ensure high data quality and elimination of duplication, said a statement here. The survey is expected to create a comprehensive State-wise manuscript database, identify rare and endangered manuscripts, develop a Geographic Information System-based National Manuscript Resource Map and strengthen institutional and community participation in the manuscript conservation. Published - April 28, 2026 07:28 pm IST
