A ‘clinic’ to offer ‘special treatment’ for palm leaf manuscripts

A “clinic” for palm leaves may sound like a curious idea. But, that is what the Thunchan Manuscripts Repository attached to the University of Calicut is planning to develop — a facility that offers “special treatment” for old palm leaves manuscripts in a bid to conserve them.

The repository has been helping people for quite some time to preserve palm leaf manuscripts by offering voluntary “first-aid” treatment such as applying lemon grass oil. Now, the effort is to set up a permanent system in place for the purpose, M.P. Manju, Director of the repository, told The Hindu on Sunday. “The university is intending to develop the clinic as a place where people can seek expert opinion on conservation of the manuscripts,” she said.

20,000 manuscripts

According to a survey conducted in the 80s, around 20,000 palm leaf manuscripts are spread across old houses such as ‘kovilakoms’ of various Kshatriya families and ‘manas’ of Namboodiri Brahmins. Many are reluctant to hand them over to others. Some may have been lost or damaged, and quite a few were destroyed by the heirs of the houses as their conservation is difficult.

The repository is preserving over 8,000 such ‘grantha’ texts. They include a copy of the Tantrasamuccaya, written in 1719. The university authorities are hoping that the opening of the clinic will motivate people who intend to conserve the manuscripts to approach them. They are also exploring the option of saving digital copies of the refurbished ones.

Vice Chancellor M.K. Jayaraj is expected to open the Palm Leaves Clinic on August 23.