Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal to digitise manuscripts

[Dominik Wujastyk]

Yes, the BISM is a major repository of MSS in Pune, along with the BORI,
Deccan College, Anandashram Sanstha and Vaidik Samsodhan Mandal
collections.  The there are smaller, departmental-level collections at the
university and colleges (IGNCA's list <http://www.ignca.nic.in/manus004.htm>).
And in many private households!

DW

On 12 October 2010 13:13, Hartmut Buescher <buescher at hum.ku.dk> wrote:

> Dear Dominik,
>
> thanks for the information on project of the Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak
> Mandal (BISM),
> an institution, which, embarrassingly enough, I had previously only all too
> vaguely
> been aware of. That led me to find out, where it actually is located, hence
> recognized
> that the short article you sent continued below the ads as follows:
>
> ”With Pune Municipal Corporation also allocating Rs 15 lakh in their budget
> for a new building,
> Kulkarni said they are hopeful of shifting to the new building which will
> give them more space to
> house the manuscripts.
> The institute maintains over 1,500,000 historical papers and 30,000 scripts
> mainly in Marathi, Modi,
> Persian, Portuguese and English, preserves over 4,000 coins, 1,000
> paintings and few sculptures and
> inscriptions in their museum. The library has 27,000 books mainly in
> Marathi and English.”
>
> Its strange that they do not seem to maintain a website, as Amit
> Paranjape’s Blog
> (http://tinyurl.com/33suh2m) seems to confirm. Anyway, if time allows,
> I'll try to
> see that place next time when passing through Pune.
> By the way, when the article speaks about digitising ”nearly eight lakh
> manuscripts”, what they mean, I venture to guess, is not ”manuscripts”, but
> perhaps ”manuscript folios” (which still would be quite an ambitious
> project).
>
> Best regards,
>
> Hartmut
> (Copenhagen)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________________
> Fra: Indology [INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk] På vegne af Dominik Wujastyk
> [wujastyk at GMAIL.COM]
> Sendt: 12. oktober 2010 11:20
> Til: INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk
> Emne: [INDOLOGY] Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal to digitise manuscripts
>
>
> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Bharat-Itihas-Sanshodhak-Mandal-to-digitise-manuscripts/696174/
>
> Posted: Tue Oct 12 2010, 05:52 hrs
>
> The Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal (BISM) has got approval from the
> National Manuscript Mission to digitise nearly eight lakh manuscripts in
> the
> coming year. Having completed its 100 years, the BISM is now awaiting funds
> to be released to undertake the mammoth task. President Pratibha Patil will
> attend the concluding ceremony at Balgandharva Rangmandir on Tuesday to
> mark
> the centenary year of the institute. At the function, a souvenir on 100
> years of the institute will be release and historian Babasaheb Purandare
> will be felicitated.
>
> One-line indexing of manuscripts and digitising Sanskrit manuscipts are
> being done by the institute, said Dr Anuradha Kulkarni, secretary of BISM.
> The institute provides resources and training for historical researchers
> and
> was founded in 1910 by Indian historian V K Rajwade and Sardar KC
> Mehendale.
>
>
> The institute at present houses nearly 40,000 Sanskrit manuscripts and
> 1,100
> miniature paintings, which will be undertaken for restoration.
>