Short film seriesWritten Artefacts of Nepal: Preservation and Documentation

22 November 2024

Photo: Bidur Bhattarai

A series consisting of 15 short videos by Bidur Bhattarai offers a brief and accessible introduction to Nepalese written artefacts.

Nepal is home to exceptionally diverse manuscript collections, both in terms of scripts and languages as well as materials used. Since 2018, CSMC has been engaged in safeguarding these valuable collections. The project entitled ‘Preserving the Written Cultural Heritage of Nepal’ is generously supported by the German Foreign Office (2018–2021), the Gerda Henkel Foundation (2018–2022), and ‘Hidden Stories: New Approaches to the Local and Global History of the Book’ at the University of Toronto (since 2023).

A new series of short films, 'Written Artefacts of Nepal – Preservation and Documentation', offers a brief and accessible introduction to Nepalese written artefacts, exploring their diversity and uniqueness in terms of writing, supports, materials, forms, and texts. All episodes are available in Nepalese with English subtitles. Non-English terms are transliterated as faithfully as possible and presented as they appear in the original document, so that their original spelling can be appreciated. The series is initiated and produced by Bidur Bhattarai, Coordinator of the project in Nepal. 

Episode 1 provides a general overview of preservation work carried out at the Tribhuvan University Central Library.

Episode 2, Bidur Bhattarai introduces a rolled palm-leaf document with a raw clay seal. Produced in 1741 during the reign of King Jayaprakāśamalla (Jaya Prakash Malla) of Kathmandu, this document is a ‘land-grant’, a kind of document whose material, production, form, and choice of medium are unique to Nepal.

Episode 3 is all about a Buddhist manuscript that is written on nīlapatra (‘black paper’) using ‘gold-like’ ink. Produced in 1871 CE by an individual named Śrīvajrācārya Śrīratnabhāju (‘the respected Mr Ratna Vajrācārya’) of Kathmandu, this manuscript illustrates, among other things, the longstanding tradition of the artistic production of books in the region, and in particular a choice of material and medium that are unique to Nepal.

Episode 4 presents the preservation measures that are being taken for the manuscript collection in the Āśā Saphūkuthi (Āśā Archives), Kathmandu. The film documents the techniques used for cleaning and wrapping the manuscripts, how to prepare an acid-free customised E-Flute phase box (‘archival box’), and the long-term strategies for manuscript archiving.

Episode 5 is about a ‘land-related contract’ produced in Kāṣṭhamaṇḍapanagara (what is today Kathmandu) in 1571. Among other things, the manuscript illustrates the traditional practice and culture of keeping these fragile documents safe.

Episode 6 presents a Nepalese mini-manuscript that contains multiple texts relating to Buddhist tantrism. This is probably one of the smallest manuscripts in the collection of the Āśā Saphūkuthi (Āśā Archives), where preservation measures are currently being implemented. On the basis of palaeographical considerations, the manuscript was possibly produced in the 19th century.

Episode 7 presents a Nepalese Buddhist manuscript that was probably produced in Lhasa (Tibet), sponsored by two Vajrācārya brothers from a nearby area of a vihāra (‘monastery’) in Kaṣṭhamaṇḍapanagara (Kathmandu City). The copying of the text was completed in 1692 CE. This artefact is witness to the longstanding tradition of knowledge exchange between Nepal and Tibet and their deep cultural and religious connection, in particular between Lhasa and the Kathmandu valley.

Episode 8 presents the preservation measures that have been undertaken particularly for a Nepalese Buddhist manuscript that contains a copy of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā. The manuscript was produced in Nepālasaṃvat 777 (1657 CE), and was written on nīlapatra (‘black paper’), largely in Rañjanā script with ‘gold-like’ ink.

Episode 9 is about two manuscripts including snakeskin and shows how they are being preserved. The first example of a manuscript that includes a piece of snakeskin is a copy of the Sārasvatīprakṛyā pertaining to grammar. The text was copied by an individual called Bhājumani (Mr Mani) in Nepālasaṃvat 904 (‘Nepal Era’, corresponding to 1784 CE). The second example is a manuscript containing a copy of the Harivaṃśa. The work is considered to be a supplementary part of the Mahābhārata – one of the two major Sanskrit epics.

Episode 10 gives us a glimpse into the preservation measures carried out on manuscripts and other written artefacts at the Central Department of Nepalbhasa at Tribhuvan University in Patan.

Episode 11 deals with cleaning measures that can be carried out for manuscripts and artefacts.

Episode 12 shows how manuscripts are traditionally wrapped in lokta paper.

Episode 13 shows how manuscripts are traditionally wrapped in cotton cloth.

Episode 14 presents a unique manuscript in the form of a vertical accordion, a thyāsaphū (‘folded book/manuscript’ in Newari/Nepalbhasa). The manuscript is in the possession of Dinesh Ram Shrestha and his family from Bhotahiti, Kathmandu. Comprising 19 folios, it is 466 cm long (when unfolded), 26.4 cm high (when closed), 64 cm wide, and 2.1 cm thick, making it one of the largest artefacts of its with such a writing support, written in Devanāgarī script, to be found in the Kathmandu Valley. 

Episode 15 introduces the manuscript collection of the Bhatta family at Changu Narayan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.