NEWS – Karnataka has announced an ambitious plan to develop a unified Digital Heritage Portal, aiming to become a national leader in digital preservation of cultural heritage. The initiative aligns with the Digital India Mission and the National Mission for Manuscripts.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INITIATIVE

1. Unified Digital Heritage Portal

• Will integrate:
  • Manuscripts
  • Rare printed books
  • Archival documents
  • Historical records and cultural materials
• Ensures global access to Karnataka’s intellectual and cultural legacy.

2. Institutional Collaboration

• Led jointly by:
  • Oriental Research Institute (ORI), Mysuru
  • Karnataka State Archives
• ORI Mysuru to host the National Centre for the History of Indian Sciences, strengthening its role as a premier research hub.

3. Digitisation Efforts at ORI

• ORI houses:
  • 70,000+ manuscripts
  • 45,000 rare printed works (including Arthashastra, Aryabhatiya, Natya Shastra)
• Ongoing digitisation projects worth ₹2.15 crore in partnership with:
  • Bengaluru Mythic Society
  • Save Our Country Foundation

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

4. Use of Advanced Digital Tools

• AI-enabled technologies for:
  • Script recognition
  • Metadata tagging
  • Digital restoration of damaged manuscripts
• Early experiments show promising results, indicating strong future potential.

5. Capacity Building

• Training programmes for digital archivists
• Expansion of digitisation facilities
• Audio-visual presentations created to showcase ongoing progress

SIGNIFICANCE

6. Cultural and Academic Impact

• Protects fragile palm-leaf and paper manuscripts containing knowledge on:
  • Ayurveda
  • Astronomy
  • Temple records
  • Classical literature
• Strengthens digital conservation and facilitates research for scholars worldwide.

7. National Relevance

• Supports India’s broader effort to preserve ancient knowledge systems.
• Highlights Karnataka’s major share in Sanskrit and Kannada manuscript heritage.