Dibrugarh University, in a major effort to preserve Assam’s rich literary heritage, has embarked on a groundbreaking project. It will digitise and make accessible a vast collection of rare Xasi Paat manuscripts. These invaluable texts, many of which have never been seen outside the university’s archives, will soon be available to anyone, anywhere in the world.
The university has partnered with the Nanda Talukdar Foundation-NTF, an organisation with extensive experience in digital preservation, to lead this ambitious initiative. NTF, known for its ‘Digitising Assam Project’, which has already digitised over 10 lakh pages of Assamese literature, will serve as the knowledge partner in this endeavour. The digitised content from the ‘Digitising Assam Project’ is freely available to the public at assamarchive.org.
An agreement was signed on August 5 between Dr Parmanand Sonowal, Registrar of Dibrugarh University, and Mrinal Talukdar, representing the Nanda Talukdar Foundation. This agreement marks a significant milestone in the preservation of over 1,000 rare and ancient manuscripts held by the university’s Assamese Department.
The manuscripts, written in Old Assamese, Sanskrit, Tai, and Bengali, cover a range of topics including Vaishnavism, Buddhism, and ancient customs of Assam, offering a window into the region’s diverse cultural and religious history.
The partnership will see these manuscripts meticulously digitised and made available in the public domain, allowing scholars and researchers worldwide to access these priceless resources. This initiative is the first of its kind on such a large scale to make rare Assamese manuscripts publicly accessible, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
Dr Sonowal expressed the university’s dedication to this cause, stating, “This partnership with the Nanda Talukdar Foundation is a significant step towards making the vast and diverse heritage of Assam accessible to the world. We hope this initiative will inspire further efforts in preserving our cultural legacy.”
Mrinal Talukdar shared his excitement for the project, noting, “The digitisation of these manuscripts is not only a matter of preservation but also opens the door to knowledge. We are honoured to be part of this groundbreaking project.”
