After a manuscript of Badrinath temple prayers was discovered at Syupuri earlier this year, another family in the same village in Rudarprayag district has come into limelight for a similar reason. The Bartwal family of Syupuri recently stumbled into a big collection of over 200 rare manuscripts kept hidden in their house.
According to the Bartwals, senior members of the family would always warn children in the house against entering the store attached to a small prayer room. The manuscripts were found stuffed in two baskets in the same room.
Satendra Pal Singh Bartwal and Dhirendra Singh Bartwal say they grew up hearing the caution repeatedly from their parents and seniors members of the family, and hence nobody ever dared to enter the highly protected room, until recently when they decided to clean it.
“For the purpose of cleaning, we entered the store recently for the first time. We found two baskets packed with rare manuscripts. Over 200 forgotten manuscripts were found and they date back to late 1700s to early 1800s. We were overjoyed by finding the rare documents,” says Dhirendra.
Very recently, a manuscript containing prayers recited at the Badrinath temple was found at Bhupen Bartwal’s house in Syupuri that is located 13 km from district headquarters of Rudarprayag. The media coverage that the village, which is home to 500-600 villagers, is getting has thrilled the locals.
The Rudarprayag district administration has assured all help to the Bartwal family for conservation and preservation of the old manuscripts. Though more than two centuries have passed, the manuscripts are in good condition.
“The basket, in which the manuscripts were kept, had a leather cover. The manuscripts are in good condition though some got damaged. The surviving ones need to undergo scientific conservation for long life,” says Satyendra Singh Bartwal.
The manuscripts appear to contain religious texts, though the exact nature of the content could not be immediately established.
The manuscripts had been with the family for a long time, but nobody was aware as they could until now never mustered the courage to venture into the store attached to the prayer room.