The Archive Collection

The Archive Collection

 

Different types of documents

 

  - Manuscripts - More than 2000          

  - Printed books - More than 9000

  - Folios with letters-More than 10000

  - Palm leaves More than 10 Grandhas   and Bundles of processed Leaves

  -Photo Albums

 

 

A Peep into the Rich Collection

              The bulk of the materials in the possession of the centre have come from the collection of early books and documents in Mannanam Monastery. The earliest of the collection from the Monastery which dates back to 1829 include manuscripts, printed books and palm leaves. Most of the manuscripts are in Syriac and Malayalam. There are several documents in English, Latin, Tamil and other languages also. The centre is a wellspring of data for future research into Kerala history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A special reference may be made about the first printed material in St. Joseph’s Press, Mannanam, which was founded by St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara in 1846. These are affirmations of the tireless endeavor of the CMI Priests in fostering the print media.

The archival collections include Catechism by Dr. Joseph Kariattil, First Account  Book of St. Joseph’s Monastery, Mannanam 1829 to 1930, the Chronicles (Nalagamangal) composed by St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara 1831 to 1870, Chronicles written by Fr.Varkey Parpurathu, Raza of the Syro-Malabar Rite prepared by Bishop Roz S.J., Diaries of Fr. Bernard Alencheril, Canons of Synod of Diamper, Fr. Placid Collection, Kallantharium (Liturgical Calendar made by St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara), Anasthashyaudae Reakthasashyam (Written by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara), Letter Collection of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Bible translation manuscript notes by Manikkathnar, Syriac-Karsuni Dictionary by Fr. John Perarios S.J., Biography of  CMI Founding Fathers by Fr. Palakkal Thoma Malppan and Fr. Thomas Porukkara, notes on CMI Congregation’s  history by St.Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Fr. Thomas Porukkara, works of St.Augustine (Printed in Paris 1555), First printed version of Aatmanuthapam (1871) and Njanapeeusham composed by St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Biblia Poliglotta, the first Syro-Malabar Missal printed in 1774 in Rome and used by Fr. Thomas Porukara and St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara.