On January 20, 2024, Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit University, gifted a rare 233-year-old Sanskrit manuscript of the Vālmīkirāmāyaņam (with the Tattvadīpikātīkā) to Shri Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Executive Council of Prime Ministers Museum and Library at Teen Murti. The manuscript, authored by Ādi Kavi Vālmīki with a classical commentary (tīkā) by Maheshvara Tīrtha, is written in Sanskrit (Devanāgarī script) and dates back to Vikrama Samvat 1849 (1792 CE). The collection comprises five principal kāņdas: Bālakāņda, Aranyakānda, Kişkindhākāņda, Sundarakānda, and Yuddhakāņda. The manuscript, previously loaned to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, has now been permanently gifted to the Antarrashtriya Ram Katha Sangrahalaya (International Ram Katha Museum) in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
Shri Nripendra Misra stated that the donation of this manuscript to Ram Katha Sangrahalaya is a landmark moment for devotees of Ram and the temple complex at Ayodhya. For further information, contact Sunil Kumar Tiwari at pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com. The release ID is 2216500, and the visitor count is 515.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The ministry responsible for cultural affairs and heritage, in this case overseeing the donation.
Vālmīkirāmāyaņam (with the Tattvadīpikātīkā): The 233-year-old Sanskrit manuscript donated.
Antarrashtriya Ram Katha Sangrahalaya (International Ram Katha Museum): The museum in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, that received the Valmiki Ramayana manuscript.
Ayodhya: The location of the museum and culturally significant city, Uttar Pradesh.
Ministry of Culture
233-Year-Old Valmiki Ramayana Gifted to Ram
Katha Museum
प्रव तथ: 20 JAN 2026 5:53PM by PIB Delhi
In a landmark cultural handover, Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit
University, presented a rare 233-year-old Sanskrit manuscript of the Vālmīkirāmāyaṇam (with the
Tattvadīpikāṭīkā) to Shri Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Executive Council of Prime Ministers
Museum and Library at Teen Murti.
The manuscript, authored by Ādi Kavi Vālmīki with a classical commentary (ṭīkā) by Maheshvara Tīrtha,
is written in Sanskrit (Devanāgarī script). It is a historically significant work dating to Vikrama Saṁvat
1849 (1792 CE) and represents a rare preserved textual tradition of the Rāmāyaṇa. The collection
comprises five principal kāṇḍas of the epicBālakāṇḍa, Araṇyakāṇḍa, Kiṣkindhākāṇḍa, Sundarakāṇḍa, and
Yuddhakāṇḍa reflecting the narrative and philosophical depth of the Itihāsa.
The manuscript, previously loaned to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, has now been permanently gifted to
the Antarrashtriya Ram Katha Sangrahalaya (International Ram Katha Museum), Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
This significant gesture supports the museum’s development as a global centre for Rāmāyaṇa heritage,
ensuring wider public access and preservation.Prof. Varakhedi remarked, “This gift immortalizes the profound wisdom of Valmiki Ramayana, making it
accessible to scholars, devotees, and visitors worldwide in the sacred city of Ayodhya.”
Shri Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Executive Council of PMML said “Donation of this rare
manuscript of Valmiki Ramayana to Ram Katha Sangrahalaya at Ayodhya is a landmark moment for the
devotees of Ram and the temple complex at Ayodhya.
****
Sunil Kumar Tiwari
pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2216500) आगंतुक पटल : 515इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: ही , Tamil , Urdu