Madhya Pradesh has achieved significant success in the preservation of ancient knowledge and India's cultural heritage. The region ranked first in the country for the number of rare ancient manuscripts registered in the Indian government's application 'Gyan Bharatam.'
Digital Registration of Heritage
Currently, 34 million 45 thousand 439 pages of manuscripts are registered in the state, with verification of 12 million 13 thousand 127 manuscripts already completed. The process of verifying the remaining manuscripts is ongoing.
Discovery of Historical Artifacts
During this campaign for digital search and registration in various districts of the state, historical materials astonishing researchers were found. A mysterious 10-foot (approximately 3-meter) map of Jambudvipa, depicting ancient Indian geography, was discovered in Tikamgarh. In Panna, an original handwritten copy of 'Rasik Priya' by the great poet Keshav Das, written in 1591, was obtained, which explains Kavya Shastra and types of heroines through the love stories of Radha and Krishna. An ancient manuscript volume of 'Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana', 20 feet (approximately 6 meters) long, dating back 220 years and preserved, was found in the historic city of Burhanpur.
Other Finds and Platform
In Datia, a historical copper document from the reign of King Uddota Singh, a local resident of Shri Radha Vallabh Mishra, dated Vikram Samvat 1828, was obtained. 'Gyan Bharatam' is a unique digital platform of the central government created to form a 'digital archive' of Indian heritage in the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. The application is equipped with a 'smart search' function, allowing any student or researcher to find a manuscript by author, title, theme, or language.
Call for Citizen Participation
The Deputy Chief Secretary appealed to the general public to provide information about any old manuscripts, copper documents, or treatises held in ancient families, monasteries, or institutions. Citizens can do this through the application to receive free digitization and preservation of materials with the support of the Government of India.
Registration Leaders in Cities
Based on registration results, the highest number of entries were made in Bhopal (24,26,172), followed by Indore (3,99,477), Rewa (2,68,763), Betul (1,00,593), Chhindwara (77,094), Panna (64,257), Sagar (60,025), Gwalior (29,870), and Ujjain (20,995).
