Emergency Conservation Drive to protect flood-damaged manuscripts

Society for Srimanta Sankardeva has launched an emergency conservation campaign in Upper Assam after the recent floods damaged ancient manuscripts in many Sattras, Namghars, Buddhist monasteries and private collections. The Royal Global University of Guwahati has supported this campaign.

The flash floods of July 2026 affected more than 600,000 people in six districts of Upper Assam including Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Charaideo. Centuries old manuscripts written in the tradition of Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavadevas are currently on the verge of extinction due to damage from flood and fungus. It is very important to preserve this intangible cultural heritage of Assam. Society for Srimanta Sankardeva has therefore launched an immediate campaign to preserve this precious heritage.

The campaign will recover manuscripts from flood-hit areas of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Golaghat districts and provide emergency preservation care. It will also create a digital archive of manuscripts for future generations. In addition, volunteers will be trained in these areas about how to preserve manuscripts during floods or other natural disasters in the future.

Society for Srimanta Sankardeva calls upon all Sattras, Namgharas, Buddhist monasteries and local people to co-operate in this initiative. If anyone has flood-damaged manuscripts in their custody, please contact heritage conservator Mridu Moucham Bora at the number 9401383517. The Society team will visit their locations to provide services.