A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, cloth, metal, palm leaf or any other material dating back to at least 75 years that has significant scientific, historical or aesthetic value. Lithographs and printed volumes are not manuscripts. Manuscripts are distinct from historical records such as epigraphs on rocks, farmans, revenue records which provide direct information on events or processes in history. Manuscripts have knowledge content.

There are manuscripts in most museums, district libraries, archives and grantha bhandars. If you look in your local temple, mosque or a place of religious worship, you will in all likelihood find a handwritten manuscript—a Bhagwadgita or perhaps a Quran. Check with your elders or the family priest/pandas. They may have manuscripts in their possession.

• Keep manuscripts away from fire, water, insects dust and dirt
• Avoid direct exposure of light and moisture, but provide proper air circulation
• Avoid piling up and bundling of manuscripts
• Clean manuscripts with a soft brush or cloth
• Pat palm leaf manuscripts with neem extract, eucalyptus oil or clove oil to keep away micro organisms
• Attach wooden/acid free mount board supports to the manuscripts
• Wrap manuscripts preferably in acid free paper or red cloth and tie them tightly using strings and store them in almirahs /cupboards
• Keep insect repellents like powder of neem leaves, tobacco leaves, tulsi leaves, pepper and cloves near the storage area
• Avoid use of cello tapes or adhesives to repair manuscripts
• If you need more information on keeping your manuscripts safely please read the guidelines to basic conservation or contact your nearest MCC

Please refer to our electronic database of manuscripts. You can search for a particular manuscript on the basis of title, author, script, language, subject or material.

• NMM holds regular lectures, seminars, conservation workshops and training in manuscriptology and scripts. Check Calendar of Events for the schedule
• You can write an article for Kriti Rakshana, the newsletter
• The Mission engages surveyors for state-wide surveys of manuscripts and awareness campaigns. Check the calendar of events for upcoming surveys
• NMM works with theatre/cultural groups to organise programmes for students. Professionals/institutions working in the field of heritage can work in partnership with the Mission. Send your proposal for consideration
• You may offer information related to manuscripts or manuscript studies which may be useful to the Mission

NMM wants to create a database of all Indian manuscripts. So the Mission documents and catalogues manuscripts, conserves and digitizes them. Publication and outreach activities are organised to promote interest in manuscripts. The Mission does not purchase/take away manuscripts.

Yes, manuscripts can be donated voluntarily to the Mission or any of its partner centres.

Indian citizens may buy/sell manuscripts on mutual consent or may offer it for sale to any registered Indian organisation. But, Indian manuscripts cannot be offered for sale to a foreign national/institution. However, purchase from foreign national/institution is governed by the laws of the respective government.

Yes, the Mission offers support services to private collections. Owners/custodians of manuscripts can write to us giving details of the collection—no. of manuscripts, what is the range of subjects, language, scripts etc. and in what condition the manuscripts are at present. This may be done directly through the Mission’s conservators or with the help of the MCCs. The cost of conservation is usually borne in partnership with the owners.

Certainly. You may download the Manus data and Questionnaire forms and send us the details of your manuscript/collections. The information will be verified by the Mission and then entered into the database.

The access to digitized copies depends completely on the consent of the repository holding the manuscript. Interested institutions/individuals should contact the repositories directly.