Scripts and Languages

    Script is a particular system or style of writing. It can be comprehended as symbolic representation of sounds of a particular language. Since the time immemorial India is one of the countries multifaceted in terms of language, scripts, and culture. There are hundreds of languages and dialects are spoken in different parts of the country even today. This perhaps has prompted Indian manuscripts to cover a wide range of themes.

    The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists only 22 official languages of the Republic of India. As far as National Mission for Manuscripts is concerned, it primarily deals with ancient scripts of manuscripts. There are some ancient scripts which are taught in the Manuscriptology & Palaeography workshops i.e. Brahmi, Gupta, Kutila, Nagari, Nandinagari, Sharada, Grantha , Kharosthi, vattelutu, Kaithi, Karani ,Odia, Modi, Siddham, Lepcha, Naskh, Nasta'liq, Kufic, Reqa’i, Sulsi etc.

    Most of the Indian scripts have been used for writing 70% of manuscripts are in the Sanskrit language. Other 30% of manuscripts are in languages like Assamese, Bengali, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Meithei /Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Newari/ Nepal Bhasa, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Chakma etc.