Assam Governor inaugurates a two-day workshop on ‘Manuscripts of Assam’
Promotion and preservation of manuscripts to lead to cultural and literary legacy: Governor
Selection of five Assamese Sanchipat manuscripts at Rashtrapati Bhavan amounts to national recognition of Assam’s heritage: Shri Acharya
Guwahati, Rongili Barta: Assam Governor Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya inaugurated a two-day workshop on ‘Manuscripts of Assam’ at the Phanidhar Datta Seminar Hall, Gauhati University.
The workshop has been organised under the ‘Governor Assam Bhasha Protsahan Yojana, 2025’, a visionary initiative of Lok Bhavan, Assam, conceptualized by the Governor to promote and preserve the rich linguistic and literary heritage of the State.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Shri Acharya described manuscripts as the immortal carriers of knowledge and cultural legacy. Quoting the ancient Sanskrit proverb “Nāsti vidyā samaṁ cakṣuḥ”, which means ‘there is no vision equal to knowledge’, the Governor said that manuscripts preserve the wisdom of sages, saints, and society across generations.
Highlighting Assam’s illustrated knowledge tradition from ancient Kamarupa to the Ahom period, he noted that manuscripts in Sanskrit, Old Assamese, and Tai-Ahom reflect the State’s multilingual and multicultural ethos.
Referring to the works of Srimanta Sankardeva and Sri Madhavdeva, the Governor said these manuscripts convey enduring messages of wisdom, social harmony, compassion, and human dignity, while the Ahom-era history represent a unique and scientific tradition of historiography.
Emphasizing the importance of preservation in the digital age, the Governor said that the language promotion initiative of Lok Bhavan is for fostering linguistic harmony and cultural dialogue, including the recently published translated compilation of Assamese and Tamil patriotic poems. He noted that the initiative has now been extended to the preservation and dissemination of India’s ancient knowledge traditions through collaboration with Gauhati University.
Quoting Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that “India’s heritage is a bridge to the future”, the Governor referred to the Gyan Bharatam Mission under which over 5.2 million manuscripts have already been documented nationwide, with Assam making a significant contribution.
He appreciated the role of institutions such as the Assam State Archives, Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti, Gauhati University, Cotton University, Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, and Vaishnavite Sattras in manuscript preservation. He also highlighted that five rare Assamese Sanchipat manuscripts are preserved at Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Granth Kutir, symbolising national recognition of Assam’s heritage.
Governor Shri Acharya on the occasion also called upon society at large especially the scholars and academia to actively participate in manuscript preservation. He also expressed hope that the workshop would serve as a vital platform for technical training, cultural revival, and future collaboration, contributing meaningfully to the revival of glorious past of India.
The inaugural function was attended by Commissioner and Secretary to the Governor S.S. Meenakshi Sundaram, Advisor to the Governor Dr. Harbansh Dixit, OSD Prof. Bechan Lal, Vice-Chancellor Gauhati University Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Director, Directorate of Historical and Archaeological Studies Dr. Sangita Gogoi, Director, Directorate of Archaeology, Assam Dr. Deepi Rekha Kauli, along with faculty members, research scholars, and other dignitaries.