Inside Kerala’s hidden vault of 37,000 palm-leaf manuscripts

Kottayam: The Sevadhi Museum & Indological Research Institute, located in the Kumaranalloor Devi Temple in Kottayam, has emerged as a major centre for the preservation of India’s ancient intellectual heritage, housing more than 37,000 palm-leaf manuscripts.

Neatly stacked manuscripts cover subjects including science, medicine, architecture, poetry and mythology. The collection also comprises rare temple records that offer invaluable insights into Kerala’s cultural and historical evolution.

The conservation effort began in February 2024, under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a government initiative focused on safeguarding India’s manuscript legacy. 

The task was taken up by an epigraphist and a trained manuscript keeper who organised the temple's long-neglected collection.

According to the Institute, the palm-leaf manuscripts will greatly benefit research scholars, opening the doors to a vast encyclopaedia of ancient knowledge.