Reg: Saraswathi mahal library - new information

[Guest guest]

Last week, the Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal library has started to convert

its huge collections into micro film and digitalised versions for safe

keeping. They started the work on the 280th birth anniversary of late Serfoji II

Maharaja.

 

I give below excerpts from their website on leaf preservation:

 

Cleaning

 

The Manuscript cupboards are cleaned twice a year and therein

kept insect repellents and indigenously prepared insect repellent

mixture i.e., Sweet flag, Pepper, Black cumin, Bark of Cinnamon,

Cloves with Camphor. Dried neem leaves are also used as Insect

repellent.

 

The Palm leaves are periodically cleaned and smeared with

Citronella oil (an extract of Citrus grass) which will give

flexibility to leaves and it also acts as repellent to insects. If the

manuscript is not legible, then the lamp soot mixed with Citronella

oil will be used for making the letters clear.

 

Guarding

 

Teak woods reapers are fixed on both sides of the Palm leaf

manuscripts to safe guard them from damages. Similarly, paper

manuscripts are protected with acid free hand made board after getting

them repairing and fumigating them.

 

Rebinding

 

Rare books are deacidified, repaired and rebound according to

the condition of the books. Paintings, drawings and maps are also dust

cleaned, repaired and strengthened for preservation.

 

The above is one technique and another is using of Oil from Peacock's

fat in preserving the leafs. But as it is now illegal to kill peacock,

Citronella oil is being used now also neem oil is also applied in

preserving the leafs as neem is a natural insect repellent.

 

Same kind of preservation technique is applied by the naadi readers. I

was informed they hand over the leafs to some family of people who

does these work for several generation.

 

Dhinakar