¨     A 233-year-old manuscript of the Valmiki Ramayana handed over for display at the Ayodhya Ram Temple.

¨     A rare 233-year-old manuscript of the Valmiki Ramayana was formally handed over by the Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit University, Professor Shrinivasa Varakhedi, to Nripendra Misra for public display at Ayodhya.
¨     Mr Misra is Chairman of the Executive Council of the Prime Ministers Museum and Library and Chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee.
¨     It has been stated that, after due authentication, the manuscript will be placed within the Ram Temple premises for viewing by devotees.
¨     The Ram Mandir Construction Committee has planned to curate authenticated versions of the Ramayana in different languages at a designated level near the Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum).
¨     Individuals possessing rare and authentic Ramayana manuscripts are to be invited soon to contribute to this growing collection at Ayodhya.
¨     The donated manuscript, sent to Ayodhya, was described as a landmark acquisition for the Ram Katha Sangrahalaya.
¨     The manuscript was originally composed by Adi Kavi Valmiki, with a classical Sanskrit commentary by Maheshvara Tirtha, and is written in the Devanagari script.
¨     It dates back to Vikrama Samvat 1849 (1792 CE) and represents a rare preserved textual tradition of the Ramayana.
¨     The collection comprises five principal kaṇḍas (chapters) of the epic: Balakaṇḍa (Childhood), Araṇyakaṇḍa (Ram’s exile in the forest), Kiṣkindhakaṇḍa (Ram’s alliance with Sugriva), Sundarakaṇḍa (the journey of Lord Hanuman to Lanka to find Sita), and Yuddhakaṇḍa (the war with Ravana).
¨     According to the Ministry of Culture, the manuscript, earlier loaned to Rashtrapati Bhavan, has now been permanently gifted to the Antarrashtriya Ram Katha Sangrahalaya (International Ram Katha Museum), Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
¨     In 1988, the museum was originally established to collect and preserve artefacts related to Ram Katha (the story of Lord Ram).