Dara Shikoh’s book that bridged Vedic, Sufi thought

Lucknow: Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh’s quest for finding a common mystical language between Hinduism and Islam through the Upnishads that led to creation of a rare book called Sirr-i-Akbar evoked interest of scores of history students at a commemorative exhibition organised by the UP-State Archives to mark their 77^th foundation day here on Wednesday.Faculty, political history department, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Prof Sushil Pandey, explained, “Title of the book means ‘the Great Secret’. The work sought to build a philosophical bridge between Sufism and Vedantic thought by a deep study of 54 Upnishads. Dara Shikoh is known to believe in spiritual unity and interfaith dialogue.” Pandey also lectured the students on the importance and utility of manuscripts in Indian Knowledge System.Setting context for the special lecture, chief guest and vice-chancellor, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Prof Ajay Taneja said: “India’s manuscript tradition stretches back thousands of years and continues to serve as an important knowledge source for researchers and students.”Later, referring to the event, culture minister Jaiveer Singh said: “Manuscripts represent some of India’s most important intellectual treasures and preserving them for future generations remains a priority.”Additional chief secretary, tourism, culture and religious affairs, Amrit Abhijat said the state is promoting digitisation and research access to encourage greater academic engagement with archival collections.Subject experts including head of Pali and Buddhist Studies Department at Banaras Hindu University Prof Arun Kumar Yadav spoke at length on various aspects of Indian manuscripts while others showcased a live preservation of old books. Certificates were distributed to participants at the end of the programme.Some rare exhibits· Purushottam Mahatmya, a nearly 200-year-old Sanskrit manuscript written on palm leaves and based on stories of Lord Vishnu from the Skanda Purana· Vaidyak Ramvinod, a Hindi manuscript dating back to 1663 that documents remedies for 201 ailments· Gaj Chikitsa, a Sanskrit text on elephant healthcare· A number of ornately calligraphed and illustrated manuscripts on Ramcharitmanas and Vedas