Revival of the Punjabi
Past
Chandigarh-based the Panjab Digital
Library is locating, digitising, preserving and collecting
the rich heritage of the entire region
|
D |
avinderpal
Singh is a man on a mission. He has been working to conserve the
heritage of the Punjab by way of preserving and digitising
manuscripts, books, official records, newspapers, miniatures,
murals, periodicals, paintings, pictures and architecture at the
Panjab Digital Library (PDL). After eight years of hard work,
Singh has finally digitised six million pages, making PDL the
largest repository of manuscripts. With one camera and a
computer, and virtually no funds, it was Singh's love for Punjab's
rich heritage and culture, and also the fear that it will all be
lost in the future, that made him start PDL. Another reason was
the destruction of many libraries, in riots, floods and fires in
the past, says Singh that made him sit up and realise the valuable
role of preservation in today's time.
Davinderpal
Singh
"We must ensure that we don't lose the
treasure we have in the form of books and manuscripts. We owe it
to our future generations," says Singh. Starting with
important manuscripts, books and catalogues of the Punjab Language
Department and the Chandigarh Museum and Art Gallery, Singh has
developed 13 computer applications for the painstaking digitising
process, which has several back-ups. With a target of digitising
27 million pages, Singh now has a team in place. The PDL is not
limiting its work in Punjab, but also taking up projects in
Haryana, J&K and Pakistan. "We mount a digital camera
on the manuscript and then transfer these files in JPEG format, ensuring that nothing is lost
in the process. Technology has made our Endeavour easier,"
says Singh, who has now launched the digital online library, for
those who have an interest in reading rare documents.
It was by visiting villages, prominent
families and social and religious centres, that Singh got some rare documents to digitise. For
short-listing villages, Singh personally visited homes to get
across to people and explain the concept to them. "Our list
includes the first newspaper from Punjab—the Khalsa
Akhbar Lahore in Gurmukhi script, a book on the map of Hindustan
(1782) and six volumes written by Guru Gobind Singh from
Anandpur Sahib from a family of his descendants," says Singh,
who adds that personal libraries, letters and diaries of people
are a treasure-trove of information. More than 200 years
old, and a work of art which Singh has recently digitised, is the Quran
Sharif in calligraphy. The text is written in such a way that
an image is formed, with each page (150 in all) bearing varied
borders.
The collection also includes a rare manuscript
of Guru Granth Sahib in Urdu, apart from some from Benaras and
letters that open the pages of history. Singh feels that the
process will give a new lease of life to the documents, which
are on brittle paper and may be lost in time. "We are making
sure that the colours are intact and we can capture the texture
of the paper," says Singh. He adds that the miniature
paintings on Krishna, which are more than 200 years old, are now
part of the library. Photographs of all historical places from
Peshawar to Himachal captured by Bhai Dhanna Singh on a bicycle in
the early 1930s, are also a part of this prized collection.
The ever-expanding online library and
funding for the project is being provided by individual donors,
with the PDL working closely with intellectuals, library
colleagues and museum professionals to identify and deliver
digital content which will support current research and encourage
new investigations. "We hope people will pitch in with their
skills, help us locate manuscripts, adopt a book for digitisation
and sponsor a project, so that we can empower our future
generations," says Singh.
Scanning Punjabi newspapers
- Parul
Indian Express Nov 28 2011
For more information www.panjabdigiliborg