Oriental Research Institute

The Oriental Research Institute is one of the museums in Mysore built with a distinct purpose. The institute was established under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Committee in 1939 and later passed on to Venkateshwara University, Tirupati in 1956. The Oriental Research Institute, as the name suggests, endeavors to propagate Indian culture and heritage. Over the years the institute have been encouraging and furthering Indological research.

The museum of the Oriental Research Institute in Mysore displays around 50,000 ancient palm-leaf manuscripts and later manuscripts in paper. The institutes's well stocked library has a rich collection of around 75,000 books and documents that are considered to be of the rare variety. The institute follows a systematic order to allow easy access to the books and documents. The priceless manuscripts bring forth the literature, language, philosophy, astrology and religious practices and are preserved with utmost care.

The century old prestigious Oriental Research Institute collects, edits, prints and undertake various measures to preserve the damaged and threatened manuscripts of India in general and old Sanskrit and Kannad manuscripts in particular.

The Oriental Research Institute launches extensive surveys to locate manuscripts from their custodians. The institute is in the process of cataloging a national electronic database of these rare manuscripts in an endeavor to preserve them for the coming generations. The institute not only preserves the treasure but encourages the use of these rare materials for research. Some manuscripts are also published and many of them are now available on the Internet to improve access by all who are curious and interested.

Last Updated on 9/14/2011