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GENERAL STUDIES – 1
Topics: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and
Architecture from ancient to modern times.
1. Mongolian Kanjur Manuscripts
The Ministry of Culture had taken up the project of reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under
the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM).
Now, the first set of five volumes of Mongolian Kanjur have been released.
What is Mongolian Kanjur?
• In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha in particular.
It is held in high esteem by Mongolian Buddhists and they worship the Kanjur at temples and recite the lines
of Kanjur in daily life as a sacred ritual.
• The Mongolian Kanjur has been translated from Tibetan. The language of the Kanjur is Classical
Mongolian.
Historical connection between India and Mongolia:
Historical interaction between India and Mongolia goes back centuries.
• Buddhism was carried to Mongolia by Indian cultural and religious ambassadors during the early
Christian era.
• As a result, today, Buddhists form the single largest religious denomination in Mongolia.
• India established formal diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955.
About the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM):
NMM was launched in February 2003 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
• It has the mandate of documenting, conserving and disseminating the knowledge preserved in
manuscripts.
Background:
India possesses an estimate of ten million manuscripts, probably the largest collection in the world. These
cover a variety of themes, textures and aesthetics, scripts, languages, calligraphies, illuminations and
illustrations.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
1. Where is Mongolia?
2. When was NMM launched? Objectives?
3. Mongolian Kanjur- meaning and significance.
4. Diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.
5. Various Buddhist Mudras, hand gestures and their meaning.
Mains Link:
Discuss the significance of Mongolian Kanjur manuscripts.
Sources: pib.
