PUNE, INDIA, November 17, 2006: Scientists from New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology under the leadership of Dr. PR Mukund, a professor of electronic engineering, are tackling a project to digitally restore the Sarvamoola Grantha that was written in Sanskrit by Sri Madvacharya (1238 – 1317 AD). Sri Madvacharya is reputed as one of India’s greatest theologians who wrote 36 commentaries (based on teachings from the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Puranas, Brahma-sutras, Mahabharata and others) expounding the Hindu view on God and the significance of life. Dr. Mukund says, “Among the various scholars and spiritual leaders in India during the last millennium, Sri Madvacharya had a profound impact on the society. He analysed all aspects of Hindu holy texts and showed the structure of the spiritual world that serves as a backbone of the world’s diversities. As a result, preservation of this collection for future generations is essential.”
The delicate palm leaf manuscripts are stored at Phalimaru Matha, a monastery near the town of Udupi in Karnataka. Dr. Mukund says, “Over time, many of the original manuscripts were lost or were badly damaged due to deterioration of the palm leaves. The palm leaves have darkened over time and are now dark brown in color. This has made it difficult to read the manuscript with the naked eye.” However technology has come to the rescue as the news release explains,” Initially, high-resolution images of the manuscripts are acquired. Depending upon the size and format of the manuscript, each leaf can be captured in five or more sections. These sections are then connected to make an image of the complete palm leaf. After this, the images are processed to enhance the readability of the text. The team is also preparing to use a novel long-term storage technique. For the first time, images of the palm leaves will be etched on the silicon wafers normally used in the microelectronic industry. Silicon wafers can withstand very high temperatures and are not affected by the presence of water. It will also be possible to read these images without using additional equipment.” Dr. Mukund adds, “We need about $100,000 per year for the next three years. We have started the project, but have no money to pay staff and lab fees for silicon processing.”