UNESCO has listed two of the Nepali Manuscripts Nisvasattatvasamhita, the earliest surviving tantric manuscript, and Susrutasamhita, the oldest document in the field of Ayurveda in its world heritage list. The two manuscripts are among 54 new additions to the Memory of the World Register, approved yesterday by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
Axel Plathe, Nepal’s UNESCO representative said, “I congratulate Nepal for the inscriptions of the two manuscripts in the Memory of the World Register. I am confident that their inclusion in the Register contributes to creating greater awareness of the need to preserve Nepal’s memory held in the country’s archives and libraries.”
Nisvasattatvasamhita which is stored at the National Archives is a tantric manuscript and has a great influence in shaping other tantric texts. Nisvasattatvasamhita is considered as one of the earliest surviving tantric manuscript, where as Susrutasamhita which is held at the Keshar Library in Kathmandu is the oldest document in the field of Ayurveda written on old palm leaf at 1134 year ago.
The Memory of the World Register now includes a total of 299 documents and document collections from the five continents, safeguarded on various supports from stone to celluloid and parchment to sound recordings.