Patna: A 9th-century Quran written on deer skin, manuscripts embellished with gold and rare texts with no known copies elsewhere in the world are among the treasures preserved at Patna’s Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, one of India’s most significant centres of manuscript conservation and research.The library houses around 21,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Pashto, Sanskrit and Hindi, reflecting centuries of literary, religious and cultural history. In the past year alone, 8,960 scholars from India and abroad visited the institution, while 502 manuscripts were accessed for research.Among its most prized possessions is a Quran dating back more than 1,000 years. Visitors can also view a 17th-century account of Timur written entirely in gold and ‘Khusrau wa Shirin’, a celebrated Persian romance adorned with gold calligraphy.Many manuscripts are notable for their artistic value. Some Quranic illustrations contain verses concealed within intricate designs.“You have to look very closely at this artwork,” said library information assistant Md Zakir Hussain. “If you do, you will see the holy Quran verses beautifully hidden inside the drawings,” he added.The collection extends beyond Islamic literature and includes a 1778 Awadhi Ramayana, a 1757 Sanskrit Bhagavad Gita and a 1745 Braj Bhasha Gita written in Urdu script. The library also preserves manuscripts on palm and banana leaves, 19th-century Urdu poetry embossed into paper using fingernails and a set of 1834 Thanjavur paintings depicting 132 religious avatars.Preservation remains a major focus. Around 18 lakh folios have been digitised, making nearly 4,000 manuscripts accessible to readers. Conservation experts have treated 15,579 folios, fumigated 52,000 others and rebound 336 ageing books.“Out of our 21,000 manuscripts, 76 have been declared national treasures by the govt of India, including four rarest manuscripts with no other copies existing globally,” Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library director Md Zahidul Haque said on Sunday.“As this institution enters its 135th year, we are also preparing to celebrate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s historic visit to the library exactly 100 years ago this Sept. Apart from our manuscripts, we preserve extremely valuable artefacts and Patna Kalam paintings, which we exhibit to the public during Founders’ Week in Aug,” he said.
