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Project to Record the Entire Veda - Vedic literature on the electronic medium



Maha Bhava - Tue, 22 Nov 2005 18:59:03 +0530







Nov 21, HYDERBAD, AP (THE HINDU) — He started with no resource except his will. Almost a decade later, he is aware that only small steps in the journey have been completed. Yet the man is unflinching in his commitment of digitising Vedas.


"It may take a decade or more but I am determined in my pursuit to put the available Vedic literature on the electronic medium," says R.V.S.S. Avadhanulu, working as a Deputy Director (Computers), Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).


"It's an alarming situation since most of the vast Vedic material has been lost. I would say that only one per cent of the original material is available. That too would be lost if we do not take steps to conserve it," says the scholar.


Personal finances


A post-graduate in nuclear physics, he has dipped into his personal finances for the mission. A few others joined the endeavour and some donations too have trickled in. But all that is not enough. "A lot of money is needed for the project as we are recording each and every hymn of the Vedas that we can lay our hands on."


Since he could not afford recording studios, the operation was recently shifted to a rented room which was made soundproof as best as it could be. There are 11 different types of chanting the Vedas and locating a person who could render them in all the styles was quite a task.


In Pandit Narendra Kapreji, he found his man and together, they are pooling free time to record the hymns. The Herculean effort Dr. Avadhanulu has taken up can be gauged from the fact that it is estimated to cost Rs. 5 crores for recording the available Vedic material and expected to run into 3,000 hours of recording.


Vedic material


Through `Shri Veda Bharathi' that the intrepid scholar in his late 50s had set up along with a few other enthusiasts, he has released several packages of Vedic material including a five audio-CD set of `Abhisheka', nine CD-set of `Yajurveda' chantings, 32 CD-set of `Rigveda Samhita' apart from multi-media CDs of `Yajurveda' and `Rigveda'.


"We have succeeded in recording three modes of chanting. Eight more have to be completed. But for the support of `pandits' who are making their scholarly contributions without really looking for remuneration it just would not have been possible to record our great Vedas," says Dr. Avadhanulu (Ph.No. 23812577). He also started free Sanskrit classes and a training programme in Vedic sciences recently.