International Museum DayAhmedabad: To mark International Museum Day, celebrated annually on May 18, the LD Museum has on display a rare Jain manuscript that dates back to the 14th century. It’s the Shantinatha Charita, part of the Unesco Memory of the World (MoW) register. This is the first time that the manuscript has been showcased for the general public, say museum officials.The Unesco MoW register identifies and pushes for conservation of documentary heritage of the world and currently has 570 inscribed collections and documents. It describes Shantinatha Charita as “…an example of the finest expression in the art of miniature paintings in manuscripts. The ink used in the manuscript is gum lampblack and white paint made from mineral silver”.LD Museum officials said that the text was written by Acharya Ajitprabhasuri in 1396 CE (1453 Vikram Samvat), in Devnagari script and Sanskrit language. “The manuscript vividly describes the 12 births of the 16th Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha. The Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology received this as one of the 10,000 manuscripts donated by Aagam Prabhakar Muni Shri Punyavijayaji in 1961. This rare, illustrated 14th-century Jain manuscript of the Shantinath Charitra is on display for the first time,” said a senior official. The display will run till the first week of June.This unique manuscript contains as many as 10 images of scenes from the life of Shantinatha in the style of Jain paintings from Gujarat, according to the MoW register. The MoW document indicates that the manuscript has 156 folios (312 pages) of texts and illustrations.Museum officials added that an an exhibition has also been curated at the premises to add context to the manuscript and Tirthankara Shantinatha. Titled ‘The Lord of Peace,’ the exhibition throws light on his life, legacy, the derasar dedicated to him, and his message of non-violence, compassion, and friendship.The International Museum Day was instituted by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This year’s theme, ‘Museums Uniting a Divided World’ highlights the role of museums as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides.Other musuems in the city too will see events to mark the day. The city has over 15 well-known museums with themes ranging from kites to tribals, utensils to cars, and textile to Jainism.
