INSTITUTIONS OF TIBETAN, BUDDHIST
 AND OTHER HISTORICAL STUDIES
 

Many centuries ago, Indian scholars took arduous the Himalayas to Tibet and with them they carried Indian philosophy and thought. The evolution of Tibetan thought and culture was a consequence of this interaction.

Nearly two decades ago, many human repositories of this great tradition travelled to India from Tibet. At the initiative of Shri Jawaharlal Nehru a number of Buddhist Philosophy, Leh and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi, which are fully financed by this department. The main objectives of these institutions are preservation of Tibetan culture and tradition and imparting of studies in ancient and traditional subjects through a modern university framework and conducting research in Tibetan studies. Besides, Government gives grants to Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok and Library of Tibetan Works and Archieves, Dharamshala.

Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi

The Institute of Tibetan Studies was eatablished in Varanasi as a constituent wing of Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwa Vidyalaya. It became a fully autonomous organisation in 1977 and was renamed as the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. The main objectives of the Institute are :

(a) Preservation of Tibetan Culture and Tradition;

(b) Restoration of ancient Indian Science and Literature preserved in Tibetan;

(c) Providing opportunities to border students who formerly availed themselves of higher education in Tibet; and

(d) Imparting teaching of ancient and traditional subjects through a modern university educational framework and conducting research in Tibetan Studies with a view to awarding degrees in these disciplines.

For the achievement of the above objectives, the Institute has a planned programme of training, research and publication which would bring to light the Tibetan heritage, particularly a body of knowledge of the Indian heritage which was lost to Sanskrit and Pali but was preserved in Tibet. The Institute prepares students for courses of the Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwa-vidhalaya in Purva Madhyama, Uttar Madhyama, Shastri, Acharya etc. having emphasis on Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy and studies. The present strength of students is 230 in the teaching departments and 15 researchers who are working on projects. About 25 important lost Sanskrit texts have been put under restoration through comparative techniques facilitating equitable Tibetan-Sanskrit and multilingual versions which are being processed along with a Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary.

A building complex, consisting of building for the Institute, hostel for students, staff quarters etc. is under construction. The Hostal Block to accommodate 300 inmates has, however been completed and handed over to the Institute by the C.P.W.D.

It is fully financed by the Department of Culture and is managed by a Board of Management consisting of Ministries of External Affairs, Finance, Education and Culture, Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwa Vidhyalya, a few scholars in the field, etc.

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School of Buddhist Philosophy, Leh

The School of Buddhist Philosophy, Leh was established in 1959 with a view to imparting education in classical and modem Buddhist Studies on Monastic patterns to the students belonging to Ladakh along with studies of modern subjects. The School is affiliated to the Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi and prepares students for Purva Madhyama, Uttar Madhyama, Shastri etc. of the Vishwavidyalaya. It has an approved strength of 150 students which is now proposed to be, increased to 165. The School is rapidly expanding as an Institute, of Buddhist Studies and is being renamed as Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh.

There is a proposal to construct a new complex consisting of staff quarters, students hostel, teaching and administrative, block. A plot measurmg 208 Kanals 7 Marlas has been allotted for the purpose by the State Government.

The School is fully financed by the Department of Culture and is managed by a Board of Management consisting of representatives of the, Ministries of External Affairs, Education and Culture, etc., Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, a few scholars in the field, etc.

SIKKIM RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY, GANGTOK

The Institute is an autonomous organisation of the State Government of Sikkim and has been set up for Research and Studies in Tibetology. The Institute has done significant work in promoting research in 'CHHO' (Tibetan for Dharma) and associate subjects like iconography, medicine, astrology, history, etc. It has a special research and publication programme. It publishes a Quarterly Journal, a Bulletin of Tibetology covering the history, art, culture of Tibet etc. It also provides research facilities to scholars in Tibetology and allied subjects.

Library of Tibetan works and Archives, Dharmsala

The aims of the Library are, to acquire and conserve Tibetan books and manuscripts to provide intensified reference service to act as a reference centre for queries on Tibetan source material etc. It has a rich collection of Tibetan manuscripts, paintings and objected' arts.

The main activities of the Library are : providing research facilities; acting as a referral centre through the collections of all the Tibetan manuscripts, texts., documents and written materials; running of regular courses on Buddhist Philosophy and Tibetan Language Classes; running of schools of Tibetan traditional wood-carving and Thanka painting; filming documentation of all the aspects of Tibetan civilisation under its Oral History Projectpublishing and reprinting of Tibetan texts, research papers, translations of important Tibetan works including Tibet Journal and Tibetan Medicine Series; and conducting lectures and seminars from time to time etc.

The Library has a collection of 49,000 volumes, 22,000 Tibetan manuscripts, and some of 2000 entries and Tibetan documents dating back to 10th century AD. The Museum section houses 500 priceless images and scroll paintings many of which date back to the 12th century. About 40 scholars and students come to Library from within India and different countries of the world every year to attend its courses and use its research facilities.

The Library is functioning as a. registered voluntary society and is managed by a Board of Governors with H.H. the Dalai Lama as its Chairman. It is fully financed by the Department of Culture.

Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi

Indian Council of Historical Research continued its activities towards the promotion and facilitating of historical research which included extension of grants, sources programme, execution of special projects, holding of seminars, publication of the Council's Journal, International collaboration in the field of historical research. About 80 applications for different schemes of the grants-in-aid were received and processed. Besides this, the decision of the Research Projects Committee of the Council taken in December, 1981 to sanction grants to 151 scholars/institutions was taken up for implementation after the minutes of the meeting were approved by the Council in September, 1982. These grants include 12 research ojects, 51 fellowships, 61 study/travel/contingent grants, 3 foreign grants, 16 publication subsidies and 8 grants to professional organisations of historians.

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Under the sources programme, the first volume of a Topographical List of Inscriptions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala was under publication and the remaining nine volumes in the, series were being processed for the same Four volumes of inscriptions of India and A Dictionary of Indian Archaeology, the latter edited by Mr. A. Ghosh, were also being processed for publication. The, work of compiling 11 volumes of inscriptions under the inscriptions of India, Programme of the Council was continuing. Among the source volumes relating to the medieval period of Indian History volumes like Ghahiyatul Mania, Sirajul Hidaya, Waqiate Mushtaqi, Mankutuhal Ragadarpan and Lahjaat-e-Sikandar Shahi were being processed for publication. The Council received five volumes of sources relating a Labour Movement in India. A Survey report on Historical Geography (Ancient) prepared under the Survey Programme of the Council was being edited.

Among the projects being executed by the Council substantial progress was registered in the Towards Freedom Project, aiming at the collection and publication of sources relating to the freedom struggle during 1937-47. The material collected included those from unofficial sources like private papers of national leaders, contemporary newspapers and periodicals and organisational papers. The work of preparing a detailed Chronology of developments in the provinces and at the Centre oil the basis of the records already collected was also started. Regarding the project on 'The Role of State Legislatures in the Freedom Struggle', volumes relating to Punjab and Bengal were in the press. Work in respect of the other volumes was under progress.

A lot of material for the project on 'Praja Mandal Movement' has been collected. A qualified scholar has been engaged to scrutinise the material and thereafter to write the text of the book on this project. The entire work is expected to be completed by April 1984.

The Biannual journal of the Council The Indian Historical Review, Volume VI, Nos. 1-2 was brought out. Two publications, A Study of Legisla- tive Politics and Freedom Struggle in the Punjab : 1897-1942 and Bengal Electoral Politics and Freedom Struggle 1862-1947 were under production.

Under the Indo-Bulgarian Cultural Exchange Programme, the Council organised a symposium on 'George Dimitrov's Contribution to Struggle for Freedom, Democracy and Social Progress' from June 11 to 16, 1982. Smt. Sheila Kaul, Minister of Education and Culture, inaugurated the symposium in which sixteen papers on different aspects of George Dimitrov's contribution were presented by the Indian and Bulgarian scholars. About sixtyfive scholars participated in the proceedings.

The Council will also be processing all the manuscripts received for publication and would continue activities under international collaboration.

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