233-year-old Valmiki Ramayana manuscript gifted to Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya

Historic Sanskrit manuscript of the Valmiki Ramayana finds permanent home at Ayodhya’s Ram Katha Sangrahalaya

January 21, 2026

Cultural milestone: Valmiki Ramayana manuscript donated

Manuscript dated to 1792 CE transferred to International Ram Katha Museum

A rare 233-year-old Sanskrit manuscript of the Valmiki Ramayana has been permanently gifted to the Antarrashtriya Ram Katha Sangrahalaya (International Ram Katha Museum) in Ayodhya, the Ministry of Culture said on Tuesday.

The historic manuscript was formally handed over by Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit University, to Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Prime Ministers Museum and Library, in what officials described as a landmark cultural moment.

Authored by Adi Kavi Valmiki and accompanied by the classical commentary Tattvadipika Tika by Maheshvara Tirtha, the manuscript is written in Sanskrit in Devanagari script. It dates back to Vikrama Samvat 1849 (1792 CE) and represents a rare and well-preserved textual tradition of the Ramayana.

According to the Culture Ministry, the manuscript comprises five principal kandas of the epic — Balakanda, Aranyakanda, Kishkindhakanda, Sundarakanda, and Yuddhakanda — reflecting the narrative, philosophical, and spiritual depth of the Itihasa.

The manuscript had earlier been on loan to Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. It has now been permanently transferred to the Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya to ensure long-term preservation and wider public access.

Officials said the gesture would strengthen the museum’s development as a global centre for Ramayana heritage and scholarship.

“This gift immortalises the profound wisdom of the Valmiki Ramayana, making it accessible to scholars, devotees, and visitors from across the world in the sacred city of Ayodhya,” Varakhedi said.

Misra termed the donation a landmark moment for devotees and for the Ram temple complex, calling it a significant contribution to India’s cultural and civilisational legacy.

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