The text of the Yasna ī Rapihwin ceremony is already available in ADA, vid. complete ceremonies" The text of the Wištāsp Yašt ceremony is already available in ADA, vid. complete ceremonies" A new manuscript by Mihrābān Anošagruwān Wahromšāh Irdešīr Wahromšāh has appeared. Today we know already four Avestan manuscripts by this scribe. This copy is the oldest one (1004 20 Y.E., probably 1635) of the four. The manuscript was for sale in Iran and has been purchased by the Avestan Digital Archive in order to avoid that it disappears. I have to express my gratitude to Salomeh Gholami who has play a decisive role in the final process of the purchase of the manuscript. The book "The transmission of the Avesta" containing 23 contributions about the transmission of the Avesta and the problems and perspectives for a new edition is already available in the series Iranica of Harrassowitz. More info here



The First Dastur Meherji Rana Library

Navsari

The First Dastur Meherji Rana Library

Kangawad, Tarota Bazar, Navsari, Gujarat, 396445, INDIA

History

The library was founded in 1874 thanks to the efforts of Ardesar Framji Moos, Cursetji Maneckji Sethna, Jamsetjee Nasserwanji Petit and Khersedjee N. Seervar. The founder of the Library was a member of the Meherji-rana family, traditionally the head of the priests in Navsari. Several Dasturs in and around Navsari, like Sorabji Framji and Dastur Rustomji Kaikobad, donated their personal collections. Later the collections of Erachji Sorabji and Edalji Navroji Meherji-rana were added. In 2001 115 manuscripts were microfilmed by V P Microdata Pvt. Ltd. with the support of the UNESCO. A list of these manuscripts is available online.

Actual Board of Trustees

• Miss. Katy K. Antia
• Mr. Jimmy M. Tata
• Mrs. Zenobia T. Pesotanjamasp
• Mrs. Vera F. Choksey

Librarian

Bharti Ghandi

Catalogues

The catalogue of this library was published by B. N. Dhabhar (1925), Descriptive catalogue of all manuscripts in the First Dastur Meherji Rana Library, Navsari, Commercial Printing Press of the Tata Publicity Corporation, Bombay.

Kotwal, Firoze, Daniel Sheffield, & Bharti Gandhi. 2008. Preliminary Descriptive List of the Manuscripts Donated to the First Dastur Meherjirana Library since 1923 pdf

Avestan Manuscripts

These are the Avestan manuscripts in this library according to the published catalogues (Other Videvdad manuscripts have also been included):

• Pahlavī Yasna: F2, F3, F11, E6, E7, T6, T8, T54, T55
• Sanskrit Yasna: T7
• Pahlavī Vīsparad: F11, F13,, F14, E11, T12, T39, T40, T57
• Pahlavī Xwardag Abastāg: F5, F6, E8, E9, E11, E27, , T1, T2, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12, T15, T51, T52, T53
• P:āzand Xwardag Abastāg: F4, F7
• Sanskrit Xwardag Abastāg: T13 (with Gujarati translation too)
• Gujarati Xwardag Abastāg: T50, U2, U5, U6, U7, U8, U9
• Xwardag Abastāg Sāde: F36, F37, E1, E2, E3, E5, T3, T37, T49
• Pahlavī Vīdēvdād: F10, F11, E10, T42, T43, T44
• Gujarati Vīdēvdād: T56
• Vīdēvdād Sāde: F55, E4, T45, T46
• Nērangestān: F21, F22, E21, E22, T5, T17, T18, T58, T59
• Pahlavi Hadoxt Nask: F12, E12
• Hadoxt Nask Sade: F55
• Aog?madaeca: F33, T15
• Vae?a Nask: F3, F8, F54, F55, E20, T34, T38, T64
• Pahlavī Vīštāsp Yašt: F12, F13
• Gujarati Vīštāsp Yašt: F15
• Vīštāsp Yašt Sāde: T41
• Afrin i Zardušt: F35, E23, T61, T64

Furthermore, we have photographed the following Videvdad manuscripts, not present in Dhabhar’s catalogue:

• Pahlavī Vīdēvdād: G25, G34
• Gujarati Vīdēvdād: G10 (copy of T56)
• Vīdēvdād Sāde: G11, G42/1, G47, G102, G103