Oriental Research Institute bags 'Vedapeetha' award

Mysuru: Mysuru-based, century-old, Oriental Research Institute (ORI), under the University of Mysuru (UoM), has been selected for the ‘Vedapeetha’ award by Udupi-based spiritual institution Bhandarkeri Mutt.

The award would be presented to ORI Director D P Madhusudhanacharya by pontiff of the mutt Vidyeshateertha Swami on Vedavyasa Jayanthi on May 9, at Belagavi.

According to the manager of Sri Bhagavathashrama Prathishthana of the mutt, the mutt annually honours a distinguished scholar or an institution (selected at a national level) for their contribution to the preservation, nurturing, and development of Indian knowledge, Vedic sciences, culture, and traditions with the ‘Vedapeetha’ award.

“A high-level committee of experts has selected the ORI for the award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a citation, and a memento. The ORI’s contribution to conservation, development and propagation of knowledge, by collecting, preserving, editing, researching and publication of valuable manuscripts is immense,” the manager said.

The award will be presented as part of the four-day event held at KK Venugopal Sabha Bhavan in Belagavi that includes 82nd session of the Akhila Bharata Madhwa Rajya Sabha and the 25th Aradhanotsava of Sri Vidyamanya Teertha Swami, organised by the mutt, Sri Madhwa Radhanta Samvardhaka Sabha, Sri Bhagavathashrama Prathishthana, and Lokasamskriti Kala Vidya Vikasa Prathishthana.

ORI Director Madhusudhanacharya stated that the ORI, established in 1891 by Maharaja 10th Chamarajendra Wadiyar, has been collecting, preserving, researching, editing, and publishing ancient palm-leaf manuscripts in the book form. “This is the first such award for the ORI, as an institution. ORI is the only such public institution in Karnataka and probably the second in the entire country, after Sarasvati Mahal Library in Thanjavur, to have the largest collection of valuable manuscripts,” he said.

He mentioned that the ORI has the distinction of publishing over 240 works in the book form since 1891.

“ORI has a collection of over 70,000 palm-leaf and paper manuscripts. It has edited and published Kautilya's Arthashastra of the 4th century BCE for the first time in the world. Many prestigious works such as Navaratnamani-Mahatmyam (a work on gemology), Tantrasara-Sangraha (a work on sculpture and architecture), Vaidya Shastra-Deepika (an Ayurveda text), Rasa-Kaumudi, Sri Tatvanidhi of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, and Saundarya Lahari (a collection of hymns) have already been published,” Madhusudhanacharya explained.

He recalled the efforts of all the scholars, who have contributed to the institute since its inception, starting from R Shama Sastry, who personally travelled to numerous villages across Bharat to collect manuscripts from various institutions and individuals, researched and edited them, and brought them out in the book form.

Madhusudhanacharya informed that the institute has already undertaken the preservation of original palm-leaf manuscripts and is bringing out their printed books through various schemes and endowments. “Digitisation of the manuscripts is progressing rapidly. Efforts are underway to make them accessible to knowledge seekers across the world, soon. The prize money of Rs 1 lakh will be appropriately utilised for the publication of ancient texts and the development of the institute,” he said.