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. Several bodies have 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 has recovered manuscripts from flood-hit areas of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Golaghat districts and provided emergency preservation care. It will also create a digital archive of manuscripts for future generations after the restoration work is complete. In addition, volunteers are being 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.
Our Secretary and Heritage Conservator Mridu Moucham Bora went to those districts. He visited twelve Sattra and Namghar. He rescued 101 manuscripts from under the mud and water. The conservation work is now going on in our Heritage Centre located at Dhing in Nagaon district. There are plans to collect more manuscripts from the flood affected areas if resources can be generated.
Volunteers at work
Society for Srimanta Sankardeva is grateful to following organisations for financial assistance:
Royal Global University, Guwahati
Dr Binoy K. Bordoloi, Chairman, Naamghar Association of America
Cotton Collegiate Ex Students’ Group, 1976
Mridu Moucham Bora at work