DHARAMSHALA, December 2 – Researchers from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi, have discovered a rare Tibetan text written in gold and silver ink on black, thick handmade paper at the Bihar Research Society (BRS), a research and publication wing of the Patna museum.
Pempa Dorjee, who heads the five member team from the institute’s restoration department, said the Tibetan text, ‘Suvarna Prabhash Sutra’, a collection of Buddha’s teaching, is one of the most rare Tibetan manuscripts written with gold and silver ink in the world today. The text, brought to Bihar by Buddhist scholar Pundit Rahul Sankrityayan is believed to be nearly 400-500 years old.
The manuscripts were believed to have been gifted by Tibetan monks to Rahul Sankrityayan, who had visited Tibet between 1929 and 1938.
The team was in Patna to catalogue and classify nearly 7,000 Tibetan documents brought there by Sankrityayan in early 1930s.
“During our stay, we have catalogued 13 albums of manuscripts written in Sanskrit. Seventy-five new sections in the manuscripts were brought to light during our stay,” Dorjee said.
Altogether 593 bundles of Tibetan texts and Tibetan scholars’ collection (Sungbum) were classified. “We will submit a detailed report to the VC of the central university with certain recommendations,” he said.
Dorjee believes that the rare documents must be digitized and microfilming done. He also said that an expert of traditional thangka painting should be engaged to restore and preserve these murals.
