In news- The Ministry of Culture is likely to complete reprinting of about 100 sets of sacred Mongolian Kanjur (108 volumes each) by 2022 for distribution in the main centers of Buddhism in Mongolia.
About the project-
- The Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting under the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM).
- This work is being carried out under the supervision of eminent Scholar Prof. Lokesh Chandra.
- The first set of five volumes of Mongolian Kanjur published under the NMM was presented to the President of India on the occasion of Guru Purnima, also known as Dharma Chakra Day, on 4th July 2020.
- A set was then handed over to His Excellency Mr. Gonching Ganbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to India.
- The NMM was launched in February 2003 by the Government of India, with the mandate of documenting, conserving and disseminating the knowledge preserved in the manuscripts.
One of the objectives of the mission is to publish rare and unpublished manuscripts so that the knowledge enshrined in them is spread to researchers, scholars and the general public at large.
About Mongolian Kanjur-
- It is the Buddhist canonical text in 108 volumes and considered to be the most important religious text in Mongolia.
- In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’– the words of Lord Buddha in particular.
- It is held in high esteem by the Mongolian Buddhists and they worship the Kanjur at temples and recite the lines of Kanjur in daily life as a sacred ritual.
- The Kanjur are kept in almost every monastery in Mongolia.
- It has been translated from Tibetan and the language of the Kanjur is Classical Mongolian.
- During 1956-58, Professor Raghu Vira obtained a microfilm copy of the rare Kanjur manuscripts and brought them to India.
- The Mongolian Kanjur in 108 volumes was published in India in 1970s by Prof. Lokesh Chandra, former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).
- Now, the present edition which is being published will have a list of contents indicating the original title of the sutra in Mongolian.
Source: PIB
