Kalhana’s Rajatarangini Manuscript Enters UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Register
Srinagar, KNT: Kashmir’s historic tradition of writing has received international recognition with the manuscript of Kalhana’s 12th-century chronicle Rajatarangini being inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.
The manuscript, preserved at the Oriental Research Library in the Sri Pratap Singh Library Complex in Srinagar, was included alongside manuscripts of the Mahabharata and Kautilya’s Arthashastra following a decision at the 11th session of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Written by Kalhana in the 12th century, Rajatarangini is among the most significant historical works associated with Kashmir. Composed in Sanskrit, the chronicle records the region’s rulers, dynastic transitions, political developments and aspects of its social life, offering an important source for reconstructing Kashmir’s past.
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts contributed to preparing the nomination dossiers for all three manuscripts.
With these additions, India’s total number of inscriptions on the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Register has risen to six.
The recognition brings renewed international attention to Kashmir’s documentary heritage and underscores the importance of preserving the manuscripts that have carried its historical record across centuries. [KNT]
