The 1000 Names of Vishnu

The exhibition
The donation of the manuscripts to the University of Tübingen by Heide and Wolfgang Voelter and the restoration of the volumes were the occasion not only to make the manuscripts the subject of a seminar in Indology, but also to dedicate two exhibitions and a publication to them. The exhibition in the cabinet room of the MUT | Ancient Cultures at Hohentübingen Castle shows the originals of the manuscripts in its center. They are presented in a colorful scenography of an Indian-like temple atmosphere, designed and realized by Stephan Potengowski. The chambers surrounding the "sanctum" are dedicated to the donation and provenance contexts of the manuscripts, their restoration history, the contents of the texts and images.

The accompanying exhibition in the university library shows large-format reproductions of the illustrations. Furthermore, another Sanskrit manuscript as well as selected prints with texts of the Bhagavadgītā and the "1000 Names of Vishnu" from the library's own collection will be presented. In addition, an insight into the restoration history of the two manuscripts on display at the MUT will be provided.

The manuscripts
The two manuscripts comprise about 500 and 700 pages. They contain several Sanskrit texts, including the famous Bhagavadgītā, the "Song of the Exalted One," and the "1000 Names of Vishnu," as well as excellently preserved, colorful and expressive miniatures with scenes from the mythology of the Indian gods Vishnu and Shiva. Thus, they stand in the tradition of Hindu "devotional books". The manuscripts date from the early 19th century and found their way over 40 years ago from Pakistan, as a gift from the then Minister of Education Muhammad Afzal, to Wolfgang Voelter and his wife Heide Voelter, who are now handing them over to the manuscript collection of Tübingen University Library. On the occasion of this donation, the two magnificent volumes were lavishly restored, which now makes their presentation in the Museum of Ancient Cultures of the MUT at Hohentübingen Castle possible.

Catalog
The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated publication "The 1000 Names of Vishnu", edited by Heike Oberlin and Frank Köhler, designed by Christoph Dohse. It was produced as part of a practical seminar of the Department of Indology of the Asia-Orient Institute AOI of the University and can also be ordered via the MUT webshop.