Naraikadu and Dohnavur Papers

Content Description

Accession record 2025P-SA-01 represents one part of the institutional history of The Dohnavur Fellowship (TDF), the Donor. The material was loaned to Saythu (represented by both Krupa Rajangam and Kuili Suganya) on August 21, 2025. They were placed in the Computer room and organised in two separate trunks for digitising along with other materials that were sifted earlier. Since our last visit on-site to sift material, two more logbooks were added to the pile. Additionally, more song books, field notes, and botanical specimens were added to various cupboards of the Computer Room, so we had to revisit our earlier attempts to classify and describe the material. The sifted material is largely hand-written in pen and ink, with a few sketches here and there, and some typed sheets. Textual material includes, (a) hand-written (English, Tamil & Musical notation), (b) typed, and (c) printed. Visual material includes, (d) watercolour sketches, and (e) photograph slides. (a) The hand-written materials added to the pile are largely daily logbooks by various members of TDF family. (b) The field notebook (untitled) that we found added to the other field notebooks (by unknown authors) also contained information on flora, fauna and expeditions to Naraikadu. The Senior Trustee established the entries were made by Dr. Woolcock alias Kiruba Sittie – a doctor who lived in Dohnavur. (c) The handwritten weather records which we had briefly seen earlier were sifted with the help of NCBS material conservation experts (Ms Sindhu N and Ms Kinjal) who joined us on-site. The weather records were in two boxes, one a small wooden box with weather charts, graphs, and diaries with soft bound cover along with newspaper clippings and loose leaves. The other a big wooden box (since moved into the Computer Room from the CEO’s quarters) contained newspaper clippings, and weather diaries, handwritten by ‘Siratha Annachie’, largely in Tamil and some English words and by other members of TDF (to be identified). (d) The typed material added to the pile was ‘Wonder Songs and Other Songs’, a copy owned by David Rajamaniam (dated 18 March 1981). The book contains songs like the ones we sifted earlier as nature songs and forest songs. (e) One of the handwritten materials was a song book owned by Naveena C titled ‘Forest songs, round songs and other songs’. (f) The printed materials were largely the newspaper clippings in the two wooden boxes. (g) We found another book added to the shelf, a bound long book in fragile condition. We sifted through the book with the help of the NCBS conservators. It was a combination of typed, and handwritten pages, titled ‘Amma songs and paintings by Pyarie Sittie.’ Each page had a song on the environment with original watercolour illustrations. The songs appear to be the first compilation of the forest, wonder, round and other songs noted above. Oral history attributes the book to Amy Carmichael (Amma) (Senior Trustee interview). (h) One brown book like the ones sifted on previous visits and titled ‘Jeevanantha Transitions’ appears to be the only copy of ‘nature songs’ that continue to be taught in the primary school classroom. The text is typed. (i) There was a bunch of loose papers with musical notations for songs on flowers (according to the Senior Trustee it was probably compiled by Naveena C, a TDF family member well known for her musical abilities). (j) One herbarium (pressed botanical specimens) of the flora at Muppanthal (place nearby) was also added to the shelf. (k) The photographs by unknown photographers, depict daily life and people of the Fellowship. They are about 70 nos, approx. size 2” x 2”, B&W prints mounted on slides. These are inside a made-to-purpose wooden box.

Condition Description

Few papers need physical conservation as they are very brittle and cannot be handled safely while few others cannot be unrolled without damaging the material. Some papers can be scanned though the edges are dog-eared and have been stiffened with protective paper strips. Sketches will need basic preventive measures of being removed from their protective plastic sleeves to being placed between plain white sheets. Few materials are actively being eaten by pests making preventive conservation a must to avoid further decay.

Accession Date

2025-08-21

Disposition

Removed material dating to this visit: a) Both logbooks, like the other logbooks we sifted earlier, contain a mix of notes, largely daily life. It is not being considered as it appears to be the beginning of a new collection which is well beyond the scope of this project. b) The brittle weather charts (along with the newspaper cuttings) and diaries need preservation and will not be scanned. The handwritten weather diaries have been set aside for preservation and then sifting safely. Hence, they cannot be included. c) ‘Amma songs and paintings by Pyarie Sittie’ are set aside with the weather records in the smaller wooden box as its brittle state first necessitates preservation. However, a few sample pages of the former will be selected for scanning. d) Muppanthal herbarium is removed from this accession for it appears to be the beginning of a new collection which is well beyond the scope of this project. Other removed material from the papers sifted earlier: a) Naraikadu logbooks (except the two short listed – see below) b) Book of Tamil idioms c) Published books (including the two books annotated by Godfrey Webb-Peploe (GWP)) d) The 3D materials, e) Usha-stalam logbooks, f) Photographs in made-to-purpose wooden box at the CEO’s quarters, g) Weather records (charts, diaries and hand-written weather diaries) except the graphs, h) Technical drawings The undecided material from the papers sifted earlier (during the 1st and 2nd visits) and now removed are: a) the files of correspondence (in Jeevanandam), as we do not have permission to sift them. b) Maps, after careful scrutiny by the conservators from NCBS. Removed materials from previous visits, but now included after careful scrutiny (for preservation) by the conservators from NCBS and the Saythu team are, a) weather graphs from the box with weather records b) two of the published books, (i) the Naraikadu centenary volume of 1983 is now included while the 2017 one is removed. The latter will only be used to provide background information for the catalogue description, (ii) the volume on boys‘ lives at TDF, residing within the ‘Vanacharbu‘ compound, is included for scanning as it helps contextualise the archival material to be digitised by providing background information on the Fellowship’s institutional history and ways of working, Both books were reviewed by and approved by the Donor for scanning. In summary, all the finalised material as per this accession record 2025P-SA-01 (selected for digitisation): 1. A few sample pages from ‘Amma songs and paintings by Pyarie Sittie’. 2. Dr. Woolcock alias Kruba sittie’s Naraikadu field notebook. 3. Two other field notebooks positively identified as written by GWP and earlier loosely arranged with GWP’s papers. 4. The weather graphs (loose sheets, 24 nos. A2) 5. David Rajamaniam’s ‘Wonder Songs and Other Songs’ and Naveena C’s ‘Forest songs, round songs and other songs’ and ‘Jeevanatha transitions’ song book. 6. Flower songs musical notations 7. Other material sifted earlier and finalised include: a. GWP collections (Diaries and field notes) b. Forest House visitor logbook I: 1918-33 (with handwritten notes by Amy Carmichael) and Forest House logbook II: 1933-43 (with Godfrey Webb-Peploe’s notes). These are part of the logbooks on Naraikadu. c. Nature song book collections (‘Rounds song books’ and ‘Forest songbooks’ – typed, published and handwritten from different time periods) d. Published books (i) Naraikadu pamphlet (1983), (ii) Vanacharbu pamphlet, and (iii) ‘Dohnavur Fellowship Rounds and Forest Songs’ pamphlet. e. Loose-leaf sketches on life at Naraikadu and Dohnavur

Acquisition Type

Loan

Provenance

As we are given access to more material it is becoming clear that the materials are from different institutional locations, including both Naraikadu and Dohnavur main campus. Accordingly, the conceptual origin of the collection shifts to an institutional archive rather than a person-based archive of the founder. The material thus refers to papers by various other TDF family members, as they are referred.

Retention Rule

Only digital copies of the finalised collections are to be permanently loaned to the Archives at NCBS. The Donor retains ownership of all physical material and will permit bonafide on-site access to the finalised material only (listed on the finding aid).

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

Yes

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.

Use Restrictions

The Dohnavur Fellowship holds copyright to all materials. It is being loaned to NCBS PAST 2025-26.