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The Word is Sacred, Sacred is the Word: The Indian Manuscript Tradition demonstrates the wealth and diversity of India's manuscript tradition and communicates a lasting impression of India as a multifarious and multicultural society that holds knowledge and knowledge systems in high regard. Some one hundred precious manuscripts, books, and related documents introduced in this book span a timescale of almost two millennia of Indian cultural history. This book is the outcome of an exhibition, organized by the National Mission for  Manuscripts. Through this work, the Mission seeks to increase public access to the wealth-intellectual and aesthetic-of Indian manuscripts. It is a step in this direction. The manuscript Wealth of India is estimated at five million hand written texts. It is not a simple exercise for a representative section to be made for The Word is Sacred; Sacred is the Word. particularly since this is the first-time that the Mission has put together a display exclusively featuring manuscripts in all their diversity. It will take the reader through the manuscript tradition of India developed over centuries, the sheer range of knowledge systems, scripts, languages and materials  used in creating manuscripts and their exquisite calligraphies, illuminations and illustrations. A leading authority on Indian art, Shri B.N. Goswamy's work covers a wide range, and is regarded, especially in the area of Pahari Painting, as having influenced much thinking.