Manuscripts constitute the largest category of written matter which is the legacy of India’s thought and heritage. Palm leaf manuscripts came into being as a method of preserving the age-old oral traditions of knowledge transmission prevalent in India. Historians date the earliest fragments to the 6th century BC. Not only religious texts, but commentaries, manuals and literature was also transcribed on palm leaf manuscript form, and continued till the introduction of handmade paper in the 10 and 11th centuries by the Arabs. The long narrow format of the palm leaf continued even after the introduction of paper.

Buddhist illustrated palm leaf manuscript tradition began in eastern India under the Pala rulers, while Jain illustrated manuscripts became popular in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Jain Bhandaras became a repository of the illustrated manuscript texts like Kalpasutra, Kalkacharya Katha amongst others. With the introduction of paper, manuscript writing and illustration became prevalent in many parts of India, including the south. The holy Quran, Bible and Guru Granth Sahib are also found in the manuscript form. Read More