The Palm Leaf Manuscripts

Let’s talk about the palm leaves used for palm leaf manuscripts!

There is a large amount of different information written in the nadi astrology palm leaves and prophecies. Here you’ll learn about the “What’s, Why’s, and When’s” regarding palm leaves. This is essentially an introduction to the Indian palm leaf manuscripts, so let’s dive in!
What is a Palm Leaf Manuscript

The palm leaves are created from the leaf of a palmyra palm tree.

Want to learn more about the actual palm leaf trees? Check out this article on the Borassus flabellifer tree.

Palm trees are found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates, and they are native to both the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

In the early days of the written language in India, many mediums were used to store information, including stones slabs, copper plates, tree bark and of course, palm leaves. Using the correct preservation method, a palm leaf can withstand around 300 years! and last through the ages!

How Palm Leaves Become Manuscripts
A special method is used to choose the leaves used for a palm leaf manuscript. The leaf should not be too tender or too matured. Once an appropriate leaf is chosen, it is cut into the required shape, and is then heated in sacred water (pure river water) or milk. After this they are shade-dried, which is important because direct sunlight can make the palm leaf too brittle to write upon. Dried leaves are then pressed with wooden planks to level and flattened, the corners trimmed, and the leaf is polished.

Following this, small holes are made at the ends and chords are passed through the holes. Two wooden planks are then prepared according to the dimensions of the palm leaf and placed on both ends. This binding process is similar to the way we would bind books to protect them. Now the palm leaf is ready for the author to express his knowledge upon it. The author writes onto the leaf using a pointed metal stylus.

For the most part, these leaves were used in the olden days, just like we would use paper in the present day. Palm leaf manuscripts were used from as far back as 80 thousand years ago!

Normally the palm leaf manuscript, and the palm leaf prophecy contained within it, has a lifespan of 300-350 years. Before a palm leaf decays the manuscript is carefully copied on to a new palm leaf. Thus the information and wisdom it contains is preserved for the next generation. To hear the wisdom contained in your own leaf head on over to our booking page.

In our case, the palm leaf manuscripts were created by Rishis and their scribes. They used the leaves to record details about the lives of a great number of people. They hoped that one day the contents of the leaves would make it to the one the leaf was written for and their life would benefit.

After talking through many aspects regarding these fascinating palm leaves, we hope you have learnt something new today! Please continue to this post about the Authors of the Palm Leaves.