Ancient Handwritten Guru Granth Sahib Manuscripts: Preserving Sikh Heritage

The Sikh Book Club is delighted to provide access to a collection of 650 ancient handwritten Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts from Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti's collection. These manuscripts have been instrumental in research endeavors. As the collection is of a sensitive nature, access is limited to researchers.

Unfortunately, several significant works are absent from the Sikh Reference Library, notably the HARJAS Swaroop, which holds immense value for researchers. Despite our persistent efforts spanning over two decades, we have been unsuccessful in persuading the SGPC to digitize all the historical manuscripts in the Sikh Reference Library.

Christian and Jewish organizations have admirably organized their respective treasures. The Vatican Apostolic Library boasts an invaluable collection of approximately 150,000 manuscripts and 1.6 million printed books, some dating back to pre-Christian and early Christian eras. Similarly, the Israel Union List (ULI) catalogs more than 9 million bibliographic records from university libraries, colleges, and other major libraries.

The Sikh Book Club would greatly appreciate any assistance in digitizing manuscripts or books to safeguard our precious heritage. Access can be requested by sending email to walnut@gmail.com