Palm-leaf manuscripts housed at the Kuti [abode] of Pha Khamchan Virachitto

The largest repositery is based in the old Kuti (abode) of Pha Khamchan Virachitta Maha Thera (1920–2007), the former abbot of Vat Saen Sukharam. Roughly three-quarters of the manuscripts deal with religious matters. Doctrinal teachings (Suttanta), Jataka tales, but also Anisong (blessing) texts figure most prominently among the genres represented in this collection. Most of the manuscripts containing secular texts (such as medical treatises and astrological manuals) are multiple-text manuscripts and recorded under the categories “miscellaneous“ and “unclassified”. The collection is guarded by monastery administration, along with the Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization, Luang Prabang province. Date of original material: The fast majority of manuscripts have colophons which record the date when the scribe had finished the writing process. The dates are given in Culasakaraja (CS), the “minor era”, in Myanmar also called the “Burmese era” which was widely used in Laos until the early 20th century. In some cases also the year of the 60-year-cycle is indicated in round brackets. Manuscripts from the second half of the 20th century are sometimes also dated in the Buddhist Era (BE) or even the Common Era (CE/AD).; . A total of 281 palm-leaf fascicles were digitised.