Uttankita Vidya Aranya Trust was constituted by the Sage of Kanchi Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswamiji, for recording India’s ancient history and culture, especially from epigraphs, which are the original source of our history.
With the long span of Indian history, with rich heritage and culture from time immemorial, India has its own civilization.
The country’s rich, multi cultural and renowned heritage have been periodically recorded by our ancestors in many ways. The most reliable source of Indian history is the epigraphic records on stones, copper plates, clay tablets, coins and such other imperishable materials. Due to efflux of time, many of such epigraphs are extinct. Even the available ones are in ancient languages of this country like Sanskrit. Such valuable inscriptions in Sanskrit, if get into print and translated in to modern languages will help posterity with authority. Also the greatness of Sanskrit, as a part of our rich civilization will go on record.
In the words of Dr.S.Radhakrishnan,
Sanskrit has molded the minds of our people to the extent to which they themselves are not conscious. Sanskrit literature is national in one sense, but its purpose has been universal. That was why it commanded the attention of people who were not followers of a particular culture.
The history of this great country is punctuated by constant integration of migrating people with diverse cultures. Even as early as 4000 B.C., our country has emerged as a region of highly developed civilization with all its colourful canvas, portraying a unique assimilation of ethnic groups, displaying varied cultures and religions. In fact, this uniqueness in the ethnicity of the country is the factor that makes our country a different from others.
Realizing the value of all these epigraphs, Sri Mahaswamiji, desired to have a repository of such information and entrusted the work with the Uttankita Vidya-Aranya Trust (Uttankita – chiselled; Vidya Aranya – Forest of Knowledge) for collection, collation, chronological serialization and presentation in Naagiri Sanskrit with English translation on notes of important epigraphs. Thus Sri Mahaswamiji made the whole world know,
India has created a special momentum in world history as a country to be searched for knowledge
This monumental work has been sincerely and seriously undertaken by the Trust, with the blessings of Sri Mahaswamiji and Their Holiness, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal and Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal and have already brought out 4 volumes.
Recently, the IV Volume – Part II (650 AD – 700AD) and IV Volume – Part III (600AD – 700AD) and Volume V were released by the Trust.
This website is hosted to provide details the list of publications brought out by the Trust. Some scanned epigraphs with description in English are also available online. The order form can be downloaded from the website. Contact details of the Trust’s administrative office and liaison office are available in the website.
