Hand Book of Andhra Pradesh Government Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Institute (An Old and Rare Book)

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The Oriental Manuscripts Library was established in the Andhra Pradesh State Archives Department in 1967 with a view to salvaging various valuable and rare manuscripts in the State for making them available to scholars. Later it was shifted to State Central Library Building and declared open as a separate branch of the Andhra Pradesh State Archives Department for oriental studies, by Sri, P. V. Narasimha Rao, the then Honorable Minister for Educution, Andhra Pradesh on 25th July, 1969.

In 1971 Government have taken policy decision to constitute Andhra Pradesh Government Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Institute as an independent Directorate, with the view of providing better Research facilities and developing the manuscripts Library as a Research Institute, during the Fifth Five year Plan, In 1971, it was raised to the status of a Research Institute and a post of Joint Director for Oriental Manuscripts Library wing was sanctioned by Government for its functioning under the control of Annhra Pradesh State Archives Department. On 1st January 1975 the Andhra Pradesh Government Oriental Mannscripts Library and Research Institute was separated from Andhra Pradesh State Archives and made an independent Directorate under the administrative control of the Education Department, with a view to providing still better Research fecilities and to developing the Manuscripts Library as an advanced Research Institute.

For want of independent building the Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Institute was housed in the 1st floor of the State Central Library Building at Afzalgunj, In 1980 the Oriental Manuscripts Library was shifted to State Archives Building, Tarnaka, Hyderabad and again in the year 1984 this department was shifted to Ratan Mahal Buildings (rented) in Abids, a centrally located place.

EVOLUTION OF THE DEPARTMENT:

The main objective and function of the Department is ecquisition and preservation of Manuscripts. It has a rich collection of Manuscripts both in Palm leaf and paper in Telugu, Sanskrit, Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Kannada, Hindi, Oriya, Marathi and a few other Languages. This department has secured Pisti and Sindhi Language Manuscripts also. These Manuscripts are on various subjects like Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, Dharmasastras, Gram- mar, Prosody, Alankara sastra Mantra sastra, Tantra- sastra, Indian Medicine Unani, Medicine, Astrology, Astronomy, Kavyas, Dictionaries etc. The study of these literary sources in palm-leaf and paper manuscripts throws light on ancient culture, glory and heritage. Some works yield valuable data regarding genealogy, personal accomplishments and achievements of the ulers which are some times corroborated by the inscriptional evidence. Further some works aid the researchers to picture the social and religious mileu in which the characters of history lived moved and acted. Ever since the formation of this department, the study of literary classical works has become more important and easier, to bring into time light. our ancient treasures of culture and heritage. Gradually the department has emerged as one of the richest repositories of the manuscripts of research value in the country and abroad.

COLLECTION OF MANUSCRIPTS

The collection of Manuscripts is not at all casy. As regards the collection of manuscripts in this department it was not one day's collection, nor was it one man's collection. It was the collective effort of a number of scholars, institutions and organisations whose magnanimous and philanthrophic contribution formed the present day magnificient collection of OML & RI.