To mark International Museum Day, celebrated annually on May 18, the LD Museum in Ahmedabad has put on display a rare Jain manuscript dating back to the 14th century. The manuscript, known as the Shantinatha Charita, is part of the UNESCO Memory of the World (MoW) register. This marks the first time the manuscript has been showcased to the general public, according to museum officials.
Significance of the Manuscript
The UNESCO MoW register identifies and promotes the conservation of documentary heritage worldwide, currently encompassing 570 inscribed collections and documents. It describes the Shantinatha Charita as “an example of the finest expression in the art of miniature paintings in manuscripts. The ink used in the manuscript is gum lampblack and white paint made from mineral silver.”
Officials from the LD Museum stated that the text was written by Acharya Ajitprabhasuri in 1396 CE (1453 Vikram Samvat) in Devnagari script and Sanskrit language. “The manuscript vividly describes the 12 births of the 16th Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha. The Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology received this as one of the 10,000 manuscripts donated by Aagam Prabhakar Muni Shri Punyavijayaji in 1961. This rare, illustrated 14th-century Jain manuscript of the Shantinath Charitra is on display for the first time,” said a senior official. The display will run until the first week of June.
Artistic and Historical Value
According to the MoW register, this unique manuscript contains as many as 10 images of scenes from the life of Shantinatha, rendered in the style of Jain paintings from Gujarat. The MoW document indicates that the manuscript has 156 folios (312 pages) of texts and illustrations.
Museum officials added that an exhibition has also been curated at the premises to provide context to the manuscript and Tirthankara Shantinatha. Titled ‘The Lord of Peace,’ the exhibition sheds light on his life, legacy, the derasar dedicated to him, and his message of non-violence, compassion, and friendship.
International Museum Day
International Museum Day was instituted by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This year’s theme, ‘Museums Uniting a Divided World,’ highlights the role of museums as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides.
Other museums in the city will also host events to mark the day. Ahmedabad boasts over 15 well-known museums with themes ranging from kites to tribals, utensils to cars, and textiles to Jainism.
