Source : Times of India
Kashiram Das’ translation ofMahabharata created a sensation in 17th century Bengali literature. A few days ago, wind literally turned the pages of history as some parts of one of his manuscripts were found from an old house in West Bengal’s Burdwan.
The handwriting of the manuscript, found in Burdwan’s Katwa, matched with the works of the poet kept in Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, a literary society in Bengal. Katwa also happens to be the Das’ birthplace.
“During the winds, some of the manuscripts were scattered around a very old residence. We collected these pieces and found it very similar to the works of the great poet who was born here,” said Khudiram Dutta, the secretary of Kashiram Das Memorial Committee.
As the enthusiasts looked further, they found a manuscript from the Bhattacharyas’ residence in that area. It contained almost 5,000 pages with most of the words inscribed being in Sanskrit and Bengali.
“The manuscripts were found in the stable of the residence,” said another committee member. The contents of the manuscripts will be deciphered by experts. But some instances suggest some topics related to health, Ayurveda and mathematics.
“The manuscripts contain some information on knowledge, health, mathematics, and Ayurveda of that time,” said historianTushar Pandit.
