200th birthday celebration of Sanskrit University ends with conservation hope
Times of India | 26 February 2025
12 Kolkata: Sanskrit College & University has sought funds from the state govt to restore its museum and digitise the collection of rare books. The university on Tuesday celebrated the closing ceremony of the year-long celebration for the 200-year birth anniversary.
The university's interim vice-chancellor Raj Kumar Kothari said the 20,000 rare manuscripts had already been digitalised with the help of the Rs 1.9 crore financial aid it had received from the state govt five years ago. The university has a collection of more than 1,000 rare books that it plans to digitise.
"We are preparing an estimate to digitise this rare collection of books, for which we need financial support from the state govt to start the restoration process. Digitised manuscripts also need to be preserved in a systematic manner. We also have a very old and rich museum that needs to be renovated. Otherwise, many rare items might be lost forever," he added.
The museum, established by Haraprasad Sastri and named after him, is not in a good condition due to a lack of maintenance. At the museum, various artefacts and exhibits are displayed. However, the deteriorating state of the building and its contents is a cause for concern for the university authority.
The museum has rare photographs, statues and some excavated items like rare potteries, the attendance book of Vidyasagar, the pen-stand that he used, and other artefacts. Museum committee convener Jagannath Saha said, "This museum is old and has hardly been repaired. So, an overall makeover is required.One year ago, we prepared a detailed budget for it and submitted it to the university authority, which was forwarded to Bikash Bhavan. We are celebrating 200 years, but it is important to preserve the rare items."
Chancellor C V Ananda Bose attended the closing ceremony on Tuesday, where he declared that Rs 1 lakh prize would be given to the best VC and Rs 50,000 to the best professor. The best student and best university staff would be given Rs 20,000 each by the governor.