The aim of the institute is to collect and preserve manuscripts and other research material in the Braj region and make it available to scholars from different parts of the country. The collection of the institute now has over 30,000 manuscripts of Sanskrit, Hindi, Bangla, Oriya, Gujarati, Urdu and Punjabi languages available and the collection is continuously increasing. Apart from this, there are about 200 miniatures, 200 historical records in Nagari and Persian script, a large number of old postage stamps, postcards, envelopes, coins and statues.
Most of the manuscripts of the collection date from the 17th to the 17th century and are important from the point of view of medieval literature of Uttarabharata. Some of these are very ancient and valuable such as the manuscript written by Sanatan Goswami of 1537 AD. The institute has a large number of manuscripts belonging to the Gaudiya sect, many of which are unpublished. Most of the contents of the collection are of special importance for the history and literature of the Gaudiya sect. The institute is proud that it has signed manuscripts of Roop Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Jeeva Goswami and Krishnadas Kaviraj. The first three of them are contemporaries of Chaitanya (14-1533 AD) and the founder of the sect. There are also important manuscripts related to other sects in the collection of which the manuscripts belonging to the Nimbark, Ramanandi, Vallabhi, Radhavallabhi and Haridasi sects are particularly notable. In Oriya, Bangla and Nagari scripts, there are about 150 manuscripts written on palm papers and manuscripts written on Bhojpatra. Most of these are illustrated. There are also rare and important manuscripts.
The Vrindavan Research Institute was originally established with the goal of collection, preservation, research and publication of manuscripts. In fact, since the birth and Leelasthali of Shri Krishna, from the very beginning, it has been the center of attraction and reverence for the devotees and pilgrims. In addition to being the focal point of the devotional stream that has prevailed in various provinces of the country, countless devout creators of Chaitanya, Vallabh, Nimbark, Ramanuja and Nikunjopasak Radhavallabhiya and Haridasi sects continued to come to Braj and Kalind in Braj Vrindavan on the picturesque banks of Nandini Yamuna, Sitting between the trees and creepers of Tamal, Vrinda and Karil, he continued to write the book by giving a taste of Sri Krishna's Leela Madhuri. Braj Kshetra was the center of literature creation of many Vaishnava Acharyas and Sampradaya promoters including Mahaprabhu Chaitanya, Mahaprabhu Vallabh, Mahaprabhu Nimbark etc. and their followers, Conspiracy Goswami Gana, devotees of Ashtachap, etc. Apart from this, Rasopasak Swami Haridas, Mahaprabhu Hit Harivansha and Hariram Vyas and his disciples Blessed devotee creators of the tradition, blessed by Renuka of Braj, attested the number of scriptures. All this book was reserved in the collection of various temples, monasteries and ashrams in the Braj region. Being the worshiper like his worship towards the texts or because of the possibility of misuse of them, these book masters did not want to give these texts to anyone other than themselves. But due to lack of proper maintenance and maintenance, this book started getting dilapidated and degraded due to the influence of the Rashi period. These Granth masters used to make these texts also flow in the Yamuna in the event of chronic dilapidation, but it was not acceptable to provide them to anyone. In 1968, Mt. Ramdas Gupta, a resident of Hathras, started the extensive work of collection of rare texts with the aim of preserving them with proper scientific method and making them live longer. Along with this, for the purpose of scholars and researchers, they can also be made available for research, editing etc. so that unpublished and unprocessed manuscripts can be researched and published. On the basis of the 'Aksharamana Akarojasmi' sutra sentence described in the Gita, Dr. Gupta determined the basis of the Vrindavan research institute "The scriptures are the Deities of the Lord". Taking inspiration from this base speech, this manuscript library of the institution was established.
In fact, the manuscript library is the heart of the Vrindavan research institute. Through this library, the academic activities of the institute are energized. The collection of books from many temples, monasteries, etc. of Vrindavan and Braj are preserved in more than 30,000 Granthajars today. Among them Sanskrit, Hindi, Oriya, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic and Persian languages, this book written on handmade paper, palm leaf, bamboo paper, banana bark etc. gives evidence of its antiquity and rarity. Apart from these manuscripts composed by many famous saints, masters, scholars in the subjects of Bhakti poetry, Purana, Tantra-mantra, Astrology, Ayurveda, Niti, Grammar, Dharma-darshan etc., a collection of rare documents also exists in this library of the institute. Apart from this, the decrees of medieval Mughal rulers are also included, through which the land of saints was provided as a donation to build the temple in Vrindavan. Use of researchers by the institute
Glimpse of manuscript library
