Report on an seminar on “Source Materials in India ... for the Study of Arab History”

New Delhi: "A three-day international seminar on Indian Archives and Libraries as Source for the History of Arabian Peninsula began today at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. Before the formal inauguration of the seminar, Vice-Chancellor Najeeb Jung welcomed Hassan Faisal Trad, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in India and the delegation consisting of scholars from Saudi Arabia, who have come to participate in this seminar. ..."

"Dr. Ebraheem Al-Batshan, Cultural Attache, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Delhi delivered the key note address on this occasion. He stressed that this international seminar, the first of its kind being organized in India, would go a long way in strengthening ties between the two countries. His speech mainly focused on the historical dimension of the relationship between India and Saudi Arabia."
"Dr. Abdullah Arraqeebah, Director, King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia welcomed the idea of organizing this seminar and stressed the importance for greater cooperation between the Archives and Libraries in India and in Saudi Arabia." Continue reading the first day report: Seminar on Indian libraries as source for history of Arabian Peninsula, 6 October 2009 - By TwoCircles.net News Desk

• Seminar's Concept Paper: Full description [pdf]: Centre for West Asian Studies, JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA, New Delhi 110025; brief outline: Anil Pinto

On the same shelf:

• Conference: The conservation and preservation of Islamic manuscripts, 18-19...
• Islamic Librarianship: A Bibliographic Survey
• Persian manuscripts kept in two Indian libraries to be digitized


• Who destroyed the Alexandria Library?
  
• Islamic Studies in India : A survey of the human, institutional and documentary sources, by Mohamed Taher, New Delhi , Concept Publishing, 1991; Amazon.com
  

Report: Reagan library can't find items

Thu Nov 8, 7:59 AM ET
LOS ANGELES - The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum can't locate or account for tens of thousands of valuable mementos of Reagan's White House years according to a published report.

An audit by the National Archives inspector general concluded that the library in Simi Valley was unable to properly account for more than 80,000 objects out of its collection of some 100,000 artifacts, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site Wednesday night. continue reading

• see also: Thousands Of Items Missing From Reagan Library CBS 2 / KCAL 9 Los Angeles

Rare manuscript, textile from Northeast holed up in museums abroad

Times of India, 25 Sep 2007

GUWAHATI: A number of objects from Northeast India, much more ancient than Mahatma Gandhi's handwritten letter recently recovered from a British auction, are preserved in museums and private possessions in Europe and Southeast Asian countries, researchers have claimed.

Samiran Baruah, a researcher in the Assam State Museum says manuscripts of Brahmabaibhatta Purana belonging to the 18th century is in the British Museum.

" Vrindavani Vastra -- the figured silks from Assam -- from the 16th-18th century are found preserved in the British Museum, Chepstow museum in UK and Gemau Museum in France," he told reporters.

Sachipath Puthi (manuscript book) is occupying a place in British Museum.

Vrindavani Vastra are rare silk textile fragments depicting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna in a floral, naturalistic and preciously elegant style. They were used in the worship of Vishnu in the ancient Assamese monasteries.

Baruah had earlier documented 33 manuscripts including 3,000 paintings scattered in many satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) in Assam.

"Probably during the British rule, researchers found these objects and took them to their country," claims Baruah.

On the Vrindavani Vastra , belonging to the times of Assamese Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankaradeva, Baruah cited the findings by Rosemary Crill, author and a curator in the Indian Department at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.