The Vasco da Gama Research Institute, housing rare documents and manuscripts, among which are documents from 1498 when Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrived in Kozhikode in Kerala, will be formally declared open here on February 3.

"The institute will give an opportunity to scholars and students to study the documents and use it as reference material," Cochin Bishop John Thattumkal told reporters here. The church has tied up with Portuguese Catholic University to translate some documents which are in Portuguese.

The university recently gave 32 volumes of documents. The Bishop said the church archives have thousands of documents, which have been fumigated and preserved. There are also plans to digitalise the documents for future use. Documents dating to the 13th century on the formation of Kollam diocese are in the archives. Dr Francis Kurisinkal, church chancellor, said the institute will also have documents relating to Indian history, culture, and church history. Letters written by Portuguese settlers in Kochi to the King of Portugal have also been preserved here, he said.

The Institute was blessed by the Kochi bishop today. It will be formally inaugurated by Dr Emilio Rui Vilar, president of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal. About Rs 15 lakh has already been spent by the church for collecting documents and manuscripts and there are plans to collect more rare documents from the local people.

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