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INTRODUCTION.
W HILE presenting to the world of scholars this first
Y V volume of the “ Descriptive Catalogue” of the Sanskrit manuscripts contained in the Government Oriental Library, Mysore, a few words about the work done so far by the Library may not be out of place. The Oriental Library was founded by the Government of Mysore in September 1891, and was housed in the Jubilee Hall, which is one of the most attractive buildings in the Capital City of Mysore. The object of the Government in establishing the Library was to collect rare and valuallo manuscripts of ancient works from all parts of the State, to conserve them and to edit and publish such of them as would be of interest to oriental scholars. The Library with its large collection of nearly twelve thousand manuscripts of rare and important works in Sanskrit and Kannada as well as with its well-known series of publications, may be said to have fulfilled this object to a considerable extent.
2. This Library, formerly known as the Sanskrit and Oriental Library, was brought under the direct control of the Mysore University in 1917. Under its auspices, the Library has become the nucleus of oriental studies in the State, being the sole resort not only of pandits, students and scholars connected with the University, but also of others engaged in oriental research and in the study of oriental subjects on modern lines, and is now playing even a more important role than before.
3. The series of Oriental Library Publications which is regarded as one of the most important Indian series, has won praise from scholars of foreign countries like the late Dr. Sylvain Levi of the University of Paris, the late
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
