Rescue and Conservation of Manuscripts damaged by flood in Assam
Conserving the manuscripts
In July 2026, a catastrophic flood swept through six districts of Upper Assam, affecting hundreds of thousands of people and placing many cultural heritage sites at risk. Among the most endangered were repositories holding the Sanchipat manuscripts—centuries-old texts handwritten on Aquilaria bark with indigenous Mahi ink. These manuscripts preserve the literary and spiritual legacy of the Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavadeva traditions. As floodwaters receded, mud, moisture, and fungal growth threatened to erase this irreplaceable heritage forever.
In response, the North East Zone of ICOMOS India partnered with the Society for Srimanta Sankaradeva to launch a community-based emergency rescue effort, successfully retrieving and stabilizing 102 manuscripts. In order to share this field experiences and seek international expertise, North East Zone of ICOMOS India organized an international webinar on 29th September in collaboration with Society for Srimanta Sankaradeva, ICICH–ICOMOS, ICOMOS India, and Cotton Collegiate Ex-Students’ Group 1976.
To learn more about this initiative, please download and read the REPORT – Rescue and Conservation of Manuscripts damaged by flood in Assam.
Damaged manuscripts
Centuries old wooden items rescued
Webinar screen capture
Tags: Conservation, disaster recovery