About

Jainpedia is a five-year project to create an online, accessible resource for the Jain community and beyond. This will be a first for Jain heritage as there is no other online public resource that has worked with the key holders of Jain artefacts in the UK or worldwide.

Over five years Jainpedia will:

  • selectively digitize approximately 2000 pages of the c.4000 manuscripts
  • provide access to the digital resource via a rich multimedia website, providing translations of the text and a wealth of contextual information about the Jain religion and its host society
  • include a dedicated educational interface designed for schools and learners
  • offer a programme of exhibitions and events based in the host repositories, Jain temples, schools, local museums and other cultural heritage facilities, all of which will be based on the website
  • have an active outreach and supported learning programmes delivered in schools and other locations throughout the UK.

Research concluded that the main beneficiaries of Jainpedia will be:

  • the Jain community in Britain
  • schools and students who study the plethora of religions in the multi‐faith community that is Britain today
  • the general public of Britain who are interested in the wide range of cultures that make up Britishness in the 21st century
  • academics and manuscript scholars who study the manuscripts
  • visitors to the holding repositories (British Library, the Bodleian Library, Wellcome Trust library, Victoria & Albert Museum)

JAINpedia is funded by:

The Institute of Jainology, The Heritage Lottery Fund and private sponsors

Technical research partner:

Centre for Computing in the Humanities, Kings College London

Partner institutions: