Mysuru Palace records to be conserved through Tissue culture

Department of Archives has geared up for preservation of old records of Mysore Palace which are in the brittle condition and needs to be handled delicately. Around 36,000 pages of records related to Dasara festivities collected from 400 odd palace files to get a new lease of life through tissue lamination.

The Archives department is conserving 39 department files. In particular there are 11,800 files about the Palace. Out of it, from the 400 odd files around 36,000 pages manuscripts related to Dasara celebrations, preparations, durbar and much more will be laminated to preserve the frail documents for posterity.

Documents from 1900 to 1962 years will be tissue laminated. In first stage, 36,000 manuscripts will be laminated and some more records will be laminated in days to come. The tenders have been invited in this regard, and the lamination process might complete by December.

Sources in the Archives Department said: 'Rare files which are delicate and in fragile condition will be conserved through Tissue lamination. Each files contain several handwritten manuscripts about the Palace, including those with details of Wadiyar family.'

'To protect the damage for the original documents, the entire 11,800 files manuscripts have been digitized and now public can access them online freely and also through CDs collecting from the department.

This initiative of tissue lamination is a further step of digitalisation for conservation of the original documents for posterity,' add sources.

Gavi Siddaiah, Deputy Director of Archives said, earlier tissue lamination have been done for printed gazette copies, while for manuscript this is a first time from the Department.

'Simplifying the usage of documents through digitalisation is also contributing to conserve the original records. Earlier original records were used for reference, now we give them CDs and the researchers can access the documents needed in computers or online. All records in the Archives department will be conserved in phase manner,' he added.

Government Gazette notifications will also be digitalised soon. With this the people can access the documents at the click of a mouse. This initiative by the Department to protect the rare original documents has been widely acclaimed by scholars.

'The digitilisation copies available in the Archives are very helpful. Its immensely benefiting the researchers scholars, RTI activist, history students and interested public,” says a visitor.