Bhubaneswar, June 9: The Bhubaneswar chapter of the National Archives of India will focus on collection of old papers and documents related to the state's royal families.

During the celebrations of the International Archives Day, an official of the archives' Bhubaneswar chapter today said archival papers of the royal families could provide many missing information about the history of the state.

The officials have already started contacting members of the erstwhile royal families regarding the documentation.

"We have contacted the descendants of a few royal families to help us conserve ancient records or documents of their families. Administrative documents will be very helpful for researchers working on various aspects of the state's history," said Lalatendu Das Mohapatra, assistant director of the Bhubaneswar chapter's eastern zone records centre.

The members of Keonjhar and Sareikela royal families have been contacted, while it has become difficult to identify members of other families residing in various localities of the state, said Das Mohapatra.

"The libraries of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar are in a bad shape, but they still have a rich collection of books and documents. There are royal families in west Odisha and Ganjam districts among others. But, we have not been able to find many of these families' representatives, who would co-operate and understand the significance of archiving their documents," he said.

Along with the occasion of the International Archives Day, 125th year celebrations of the National Archives of India were also announced. Workshops and lectures as well as collection and exhibition of special articles and documents will be featured throughout this year at the Bhubaneswar centre.

A special four-lecture series on the role of archives and digitisation of records and manuscripts at the centre were also announced on the occasion.

Historian Nibedita Mohanty, who was present, donated the paintings of her father, Bipin Bihari Choudhary. The collection of the famous painter, who was also an educator, includes autographs and letters of prominent figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Mira Ben, C.F. Andrews and many more to the National Archives.

The day was also celebrated at the Odisha State Archives, where a conservation laboratory for the preservation of paper-based records was inaugurated.

A discussion session on Nabakalebar with historical experts from the state was also organised.

To promote oral archives, two kiosks were inaugurated - where people can listen to the recordings of 28 freedom fighters of the state sharing their experiences.