A rare collection of centuries-old palm-leaf manuscripts, including portions of the Ramayana and religious scriptures, has been discovered in Dorna village of Surguja district during an ongoing manuscript survey campaign, highlighting the region’s rich cultural heritage. The manuscripts were found at the residence of 78-year-old Sadhu Shah in Lundra block after a survey team reached the village on information provided by Chief Executive Officer Preeti Bhagat. The manuscripts, preserved for years in the family’s prayer room, were produced before the team in two large bundles — one containing Kartik Mahatmya and the other related to the Bal Kand and Ayodhya Kand of the Ramayana. Sadhu Shah told the survey team that the manuscripts were regularly recited by his father, late Vrindavan Shah, who carefully preserved them as part of the family’s traditional legacy. Explaining the unique nature of palm-leaf manuscripts, he said no ink is used in the writing process.

 

Instead, the letters are engraved onto palm leaves with a pointed iron stylus, enabling the text to survive for generations. He said the manuscripts have faded considerably with age, but the inscriptions become visible again when turmeric is gently applied to the surface, a traditional method used for reading old palm-leaf texts. The discovery has also drawn attention to the urgent need for preservation. Sadhu Shah revealed that several valuable manuscripts related to traditional medicine had already been destroyed by termites due to lack of proper conservation facilities. He himself is known locally as a traditional healer practising indigenous medicine. The manuscripts were digitally documented during the survey, with Ajit Kanwar uploading the details online as part of the preservation exercise. Officials associated with the campaign described the discovery as an important step towards safeguarding the region’s ancient knowledge traditions and cultural heritage before they are lost to time and decay.