Collection of manuscripts to be launched in Thanjavur district * Special Correspondent
THANJAVUR: Tamil University here is involved in digitising more than 60,000 Tamil epigraphs preserved by the Epgiraphy division of Archaeological Survey of India at Mysore, said S. Rajendran, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil University here on Monday. He told presspersons that the aim was to help researchers and Tamil scholars to use them. The epigraphs are in the form of estampages ie. copies taken by Archaeology experts, which would be digitised.
Sufficient e-data on them would also be created for the use of scholars, the Vice-chancellor said. “I have held discussions in this connection with T. S. Ravi Shankar, Director of Epigraphy division of the ASI, Mysore and S. Swaminathan, Deputy Superintending Epigraphist, who were at the University on Monday,” he said.
Tamil University will also involve itself in the collection of Tamil manuscripts from Wednesday, June 3, birthday of the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The scheme to digitise the manuscripts and creating E-data on them will also be implemented by the University from this year with the fund provided by the Tamil Nadu Government. Manuscripts available with temples, mutts, educational institutions and private people will be collected. As per the statistics given by National Mission for Manuscripts there are 5,48,134 manuscripts in the thirty districts of Tamil Nadu. They are at 16,480 places.
As thefirst step, collection of manuscripts will be launched in Thanjavur district. “Tamil University is ready to pay Rs. 2 per manuscript if the persons possessing them are reluctant to part with them free of cost. If they are not ready to part with them, copy will be taken from them,” Vice-Chancellor said. Digitisation of nearly 2000 rare books which are more than 100 years old and are used as reference books available with the Tamil University will also be taken up by S. V. Infosys associated with Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam at Tirupathi. Two high-tech scanners at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh will be used.
A seminar for Singapore and Malaysian Tamil scholars will be held at the University on Friday. This is held under the auspices of Mustafa Trust of Singapore. On Saturday ,Karikalan awards will be distributed to two Tamil Writers of Singapore and Malaysia. Gold medals worth Rs. 25,000 each will be given to the writers. The awards this year go to Murugadiyan, a writer from Singapore for his book ‘Sangamam’ and to P. Chandrakantham, a writer from Malaysia for his book ‘200 Andugalil Malaysia Indians.’
Thangam Thennarasu, School Education Minister, who visited the University on Monday, appreciated the works taken up by the University.