India, home to an unparalleled collection of ancient Vedic manuscripts, faces a race against time to preserve these invaluable cornerstones of its civilizational heritage from the ravages of decay. Leading this crucial fight is Professor P.R. Mukund, an Indian-American Professor Emeritus from the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, who has harnessed a unique, NASA-inspired technology to safeguard these texts for millennia.

Professor Mukund, an electrical engineer by training, founded the non-profit organization Tara Prakashana with a singular mission: to protect India’s vast textual legacy. His patented innovation, Waferfiche, draws directly from the Apollo 11 moon landing. During that historic mission, silicon wafers were used to archive messages from 73 nations on the Moon – a concept Mukund adapted to create a durable, semiconductor-based preservation method.

This cutting-edge approach, combined with Multi-Spectral Imaging (to reveal faded text) and 3D printing on advanced polymers (to reconstruct delicate fragments), has already achieved remarkable success. To date, Tara Prakashana has preserved over 3,000 rare manuscripts, including the highly significant Sarvamoola Grantha of Acharya Madhva. These meticulously preserved texts are now secured against threats like fire, water, and natural deterioration, ensuring their survival for thousands of years.

A Presidential Endorsement and National Mission

The profound impact of Professor Mukund’s work recently garnered national recognition. On March 27, 2025, Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya presented a 750-year-old Sarvamoola Grantha, preserved using the Waferfiche technology, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reportedly deeply impressed, the Prime Minister directed his team to consult Professor Mukund for the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a national endeavor specifically designed to safeguard India’s rich knowledge traditions.

Through Tara Prakashana’s Vedic Manuscript Library and Research Centre in Udupi, Karnataka, his work continues to bridge ancient wisdom with modern scientific application, guiding communities in both preserving and applying Vedic principles.

Expanding the Footprint: A Call to Action

Currently in India, Professor Mukund is scheduled to engage with officials from the Culture Ministry on these critical preservation initiatives. His presence offers a unique opportunity for broader integration of his NASA-inspired technology into national manuscript preservation strategies.

This understated yet transformative work holds the potential to spark a historic movement, fostering a confluence of advanced technology and India’s immense cultural heritage. By bringing wider public attention to Tara Prakashana’s selfless efforts, private collectors and institutional custodians of ancient texts could be encouraged to utilize these specialized services. This, in turn, would equip broader preservation initiatives with truly innovative and long-lasting archival solutions.

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