FOR a region not famous for its literary tradition, the findings of this University of California scholar come as a surprise. A Professor of Sikh and Punjabi Studies at the University in Santa Barbara, Gurinder Singh Mann has devoted a lifetime to prove how undivided Punjab set great store by its literature. While Sialkot was the centre of paper-producing industry in north India, Lahore was the centre of book-binding. Armed with worm-proof ink and religious fervour, scholars as far back as the 16th century wrote tomes, which have managed to withstand the passage of time.

Visiting Chandigarh last week as part of the delegation of the Smithsonian Institution working on a cultural preservation initiative in Punjab, Mann presented his findings on Gurmukhi manuscripts to a stunned audience.

‘‘There is not a single historical text that is referred to and is not available,’’ declared Mann. This is all the more surprising since many of these texts have weathered temperatures of 100º F and 99 per cent humidity.

DEBUNKING the popular belief that the Punjabis care two hoots for their literary figures, he says: ‘‘The two most revered figures in Sikh history after the Gurus happen to be scribes, Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Mani Singh’’. Bhai Gurdas has a status next only to the Sikh Gurus. ‘‘And even the second Sikh Guru was asked by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, to write down the hymns’’.

Mann adds that though the status of preservation of Sikh manuscripts needs to be given some serious thought, the original manuscripts still survive. Even before the Guru Granth Sahib was anointed as the Guru, handwritten pothis (texts) containing hymns had already made their appearance. The Guru Harsahai Pothis of 1550s, the Goindwal pothis of 1570s and manuscripts at Guru Nanak Dev University and most importantly the original Kartarpur pothi in 1604. Punjabi writers too seem to have placed an emphasis on making their ink ‘‘worm proof’’. For instance, the recipe of the ink used was unique. Copper Sulphate was dissolved in neem wood to make the ink bitter, which made it worm proof.

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