Bhandarkar research institute plans to conserve three old buildings
Mid-day: In a bid to conserve its heritage structures, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), which is one of the finest repositories of old Sanskrit and Prakrit manuscripts, is spending Rs 5 crore for the conservation of its three 75-year-old buildings.
The organisation is also planning to construct two new buildings in its 13-acre plot. Dr Saroja Bhate, honorary secretary of BORI, told MiD DAY that the institute had appointed conservation architect Hemant Mahajan to renovate these three heritage buildings that include Tata Hall, Nizam Hostel and Press Building.
Dr Shrinand Bapat, head of the manuscript division of BORI, said that these buildings were made in 1933 in typical Hyderabadi style of architecture while the actual construction with the stones started in the year 1917.
“We are making a structural audit of these stone made buildings to implement our conservation plan,” said Dr Bhate. She added that the conservation plan would be then submitted to the heritage cell of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for its final approval.
“Also, we are planning to setup an auditorium of a capacity of around 300 people and a hostel with all the latest modern amenities,” she said. The new construction will be made after seeking assistance from Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
Meanwhile, the conservation architect Mahajan said the idea is to maintain the originality of the structures and also to make it useful for a unique museum of BORI. “The Nizam Hostel and Press Building too need some renovation,” he said.
Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, the foremost pioneer of scientific Orientology in India founded this research institute, which has over 30,000 old manuscripts. Recently the Union commerce ministry declared a Rs 9 crore grant to modernise the institute.
The centrally funded aid will also be used to digitise the treasury of 30,000 manuscripts with the institute.
BORI is also making progress in projects like forming the cultural index of Mahabharat and critical edition of Kashika, which is a comment on Panini’s grammar work.
“Work on making a dictionary in Prakrut language is making good progress,” Dr Bhate said.
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