Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tanjore Vol 19

SR No.: 020244
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: P P S Shastri
Publisher: Government of Madras
Publication Year: 1934
Total Pages: 260
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue
File Size: 14 MB

Page 9

III THE GENESIS
OF THE DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. In the Indian Review' for November 1923, there ap. peared an article on The Tanjore Palace Library' in which I drew the attention of the Government of Madras and others to the urgent neell for the preparation and publication of . Descriptive Catalogue of the valuable Sanskrit Manuscripts enshrined in this Library. In December 1924, I followed this up by a detailed paper on the game subject which was read before the All India Oriental Conforence held at Madras. Both these contributions attracted the notice of Lord Goscken the Head of the Province. Mr. Littlehailes, the then Director of Public Instruction, took a keen and personal interest in the question and assured me of Government support and patronage if I made constructive proposals of a reasonable character.
Exactly ten years ago I made my first official visit to this library at the request of the Director of Public Instruction with reference to a scheme of a Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Library.
For years previously, the Administrative Committee had been pressing on the Goverowent the need for a Descriptive Catalogue which could be undertaken only if the Government subsidised the publication by a liberal grant.
Two reports were written by me on the scheme of & cata. logue and in 1926 definite proposals were laid before Governmeat for a triennial programme. The seheme was approred in G. O. No. Mis. 563 dated 9th April 1927 and Rs. 21345 was sanctioned. The programme was to finish the Catalogue in 5000 pages of nine volumes. During 1929-30, the last year of the trienpium, it was found that though 5000 pages would be printed off before the end of March 1930 and nine volumes would also be publisbed, yet only 5325 works would have been described as most of the Mes. were rare, some of them beiog siogle copies is the world,