A rare 233-year-old Sanskrit manuscript of the Valmiki Ramayana has been formally gifted to the Antarrashtriya Ram Katha Sangrahalaya (International Ram Katha Museum) in Ayodhya, marking a significant moment in the preservation of India’s cultural and literary heritage.
The manuscript was presented by Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit University, to Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) at Teen Murti, during a ceremonial handover on Tuesday.
Authored by Ādi Kavi Vālmīki and accompanied by the classical commentary Tattvadīpikāṭīkā by Maheshvara Tīrtha, the manuscript dates back to Vikrama Saṁvat 1849 (1792 CE). Written in Sanskrit in Devanāgarī script, it represents a rare and well-preserved textual tradition of the Rāmāyaṇa.
The collection comprises five major kāṇḍas – Bālakāṇḍa, Araṇyakāṇḍa, Kiṣkindhākāṇḍa, Sundarakāṇḍa and Yuddhakāṇḍa – reflecting the epic’s narrative richness and philosophical depth. Scholars describe the manuscript as an important source for the study of classical Sanskrit literature and Indic Itihāsa traditions.
Previously loaned to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the manuscript has now been permanently transferred to the Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The move is expected to strengthen the museum’s role as a global centre for Rāmāyaṇa studies while ensuring long-term preservation and wider public access.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Varakhedi said the gift would help immortalise the timeless wisdom of the Valmiki Ramayana by making it accessible to scholars, devotees and visitors from across the world in the sacred city of Ayodhya.
Nripendra Misra described the donation as a landmark moment for devotees of Lord Ram and for the Ram temple complex, noting that the manuscript would significantly enrich the cultural and spiritual resources of the Ram Katha Sangrahalaya.
The post 233-year-old Valmiki Ramayana manuscript gifted to Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya appeared first on DD India.
