PM Modi Launches 'Abhilekh Patal' with 200M+ Digitised Indian Historical Documents

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the National Archives of India's new portal, 'Abhilekh Patal', in his Mann Ki Baat address. The portal features over 200 million digitised documents, including 7th-century Gilgit manuscripts and letters of Rani Lakshmibai. Modi urged citizens to visit the site for an immersive experience of India's history. He also paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore ahead of his birth anniversary and remembered the 1857 War of Independence.

Key Points: PM Modi Hails 200M+ Digitised Documents on Abhilekh Patal

  • National Archives digitises over 200 million documents
  • Portal includes 7th-century Gilgit manuscripts
  • Features letters of Rani Lakshmibai from 1857
  • Contains documents on Netaji, Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Constituent Assembly
3 min read

"Over 200 million invaluable documents digitised": PM Modi hails National Archives' database; urges people to visit 'Abhilekh Patal' to access India's historical legacy

PM Modi urges citizens to explore 'Abhilekh Patal', the National Archives' portal with over 200 million digitised documents, including 7th-century Gilgit manuscripts.

"It will give you a wonderful experience of our history. - Narendra Modi"

New Delhi, April 26

Seventh century Gilgit manuscripts written on Bhoj Patra, an eighth-century text, 'Siribhoovalay' and some important letters related to Rani Lakshmibai were among the various ancient texts present in the database of the National Archives of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday while urging people to visit the 'Abhilekh Patal' website to get what he described as a "wonderful experience" of the country's history.

In his monthly Mann ki Baat program, PM Modi reflected on the unique database shared by the National Archives of India on the special portal, which comprises over 200 million digitised documents related to India's patriots, along with ancient manuscripts and texts.

"Just a few days ago, the National Archives of India shared a unique database on a special portal. This organisation has digitised and made public over 200 million invaluable documents. Some of these are very interesting, 7th-century Gilgit manuscripts written on birch bark. Here, you will also find an interesting 8th-century text, Shri Bhuvalaya. This text, based on numbers, is in the form of a grid. You can also view some important letters related to Rani Lakshmibai. These reveal some of the decisions she made in 1857, which reflect her bravery," he said.

"For those who are great admirers of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, there are many documents related to Netaji's life, the Azad Hind Fauj, and his speeches. You will also find many documents related to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. These include important information related to the founding of BHU and the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan. Many unique documents related to our Constituent Assembly are also available here. I urge you all to visit www.abhilekh-patal.in . It will give you a wonderful experience of our history," he added.

Abhilekh is a Sanskrit term used in India for records since ancient times and Patal is a Sanskrit word meaning a board, platform, or a surface. A combination of both these words has been adopted as an acronym for Portal for Access to Archives and Learning.

Meanwhile in his Mann ki Baat address today, the Prime Minister also emphasised the contributions by Rabindranath Tagore ahead of his birth anniversary and Pochchishe Boishakh on May 9. Reminiscing about his visits to Shantiniketan, PM Modi paid homage to Tagore.

"My dear countrymen, this month, many parts of the country celebrated numerous festivals, including the New Year. A few days later, on May 9th, on the occasion of Pochchishe Boishakh, we will celebrate Gurudev Tagore's birth anniversary. Gurudev was a multifaceted personality. He was not only a great writer and thinker, but also shaped many renowned institutions. Gurudev Tagore advocated for industries that provided sustainable employment and fostered the welfare of villages. The influence of his Rabindra Sangeet continues worldwide. My visits to Shantiniketan were unforgettable. This is the institution he nurtured and nurtured with complete dedication. Once again, my humble tribute to him," he stated.

Further noting the momentous occasions in the month of May, the PM paid tribute to all patriots as the anniversary of the First War of Independence of 1857 approaches.

"The month of May also reminds us of the First War of Independence of 1857. I salute all the brave sons of Mother India who awakened the spirit of patriotism among the people," he said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

V
Vikram M
Good initiative but I wish the portal had better navigation. The search function is a bit clunky and I couldn't find many documents related to regional history from South India. Also, some documents are in languages that need translation. Hope they add more regional language support and better metadata. Still, 200 million documents digitised is no small feat. Progress is progress.
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Priya S
I tried accessing the portal last night and it took ages to load some files. But honestly, it's amazing that we can see original documents from the 7th century from our phones! My grandfather was a history teacher, he would have loved this. Showing my kids the letters from Netaji's Azad Hind Fauj yesterday - they were blown away. Digitisation of history matters for future generations. ❤️
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James A
As an academic researcher based abroad, this database is a goldmine. I've been working on colonial-era documents and being able to access the National Archives remotely saves months of travel. The Siribhoovalay text you mentioned is fascinating - a mathematical grid from the 8th century! India's intellectual history deserves more global exposure. Kudos to NAI and PM Modi for pushing this.
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Kavya N
Mann ki Baat mentioned this nicely but I feel they should also talk about the need for preservation of physical documents. Digitisation is great but the original manuscripts need proper climate-controlled storage. Also, I hope they include more documents from the freedom struggle beyond the well-known figures - what about the tribal uprisings or peasant movements? But overall, this is a step in the right direction. Proud of our heritage.

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