Jainpedia Project Blog » Jainpedia

Fascinating and fragile: a contemporary approach to making manuscripts accessible

jgudka — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:35:42 +0000

One of the major parts of the JAINpedia project has been to make it easier for people all around the world to access the huge treasure trove of Jain Manuscripts that has been produced over hundreds of years. We thought that one of the most effective ways for us to do this was to digitise them – helping us to preserve the ancient knowledge, and share it with people everywhere.

We would like to invite you to a special Jain Study Day on Saturday the 24^th of March at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, where we shall share our inspiring story with you. Tickets for this very special event can be booked through the V&A website.

Media & Editorial Internship

jgudka — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:42:44 +0000

This is a fantastic chance for a New Media, Computing or Humanities student to gain essential work experience working with King’s College London on a project of global importance. The candidate will gain an insight into the day-to-day running and duties of a busy team whilst developing their own skills in content development. This opportunity will be an invaluable to their CV when applying for future roles.

About JAINpedia

JAINpedia is a 5 year project taking Jainism into the 21st century. Besides a rich online website showcasing rare and sacred manuscripts, the project is conducting a series of exhibitions, cultural events, and educational activities. The technical work for this project is undertaken at King’s College London. (For more information, visit our new beta-site at www.jainpedia.org )

Main tasks

Assist the content manager
Media sourcing
Populating the website
Compiling data

Skills/experience required:

An excellent command of English is essential
Advanced computer skills
Editing and journalistic writing experience is useful
Excellent attention to detail
Knowledge in Jainism, Indian Art, Indian languages, Manuscripts and History is useful
Excellent organisational skills and a flexible approach to work

You must:

Be able to commit to a minimum of 4 months working
Be available to work 4-5 days a week (at King’s College London)
Previous research experience (highly desirable)
Flexible (role will include occasion travel)
Be able to take direction and report progress on your work with others
Be able to manage projects independently, with limited management direction, as required

To Apply for this role, please send a CV and covering letter to jayni.gudka@jainpedia.org. Interviews will be held on the week commencing the 23rd of January.

12th December 2011 – launch of JAINpedia beta-site!

jgudka — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:43:46 +0000

The moment you have all been waiting for is finally here!

We are pleased to announce that we shall be launching our JAINpedia beta site on Monday the 12^th of December 2011.

The website features digitised pages from Jain manuscripts, articles written by Professor Nalini Balbir and other academics from around the world, and much much more.

For those of you who can’t wait till the 12^th of December, we have a sneaky peak of website for you to enjoy…

Watch this video on YouTube.

JAINpedia site demo at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Race Course on Friday 14th October

jgudka — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:14:45 +0000

Friday 14^th October marked a very special date in the Jainpedia calendar, as the trustees of the Institute of Jainology demonstrated the new JAINpedia beta site at a launch in Mumbai’s prestigious Gallop’s Banqueting Halls, Mahalaxmi Race Course. The website, which has taken over three years to build, was demonstrated by JAINpedia Director Dr Mehool Sanghrajka.

For all of you who are eagerly awaiting the release of the website - we will be launching it sometime in the end of November. To be the first to find out, why not follow us on twitter or join our facebook page ?

Ahimsa Day to be Celebrated on 12th October 2011

bmehta — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:46:04 +0000

Yet another year of Ahimsa Day at the House of Commons and we look forward to the announcement of the winner of the Ahimsa Award this year.
Last year’s winner, Nalini Balbir a renown Indologist and scholar honoured the Institute of Jainology and most graciously accepted the award, with a detailed and interesting account of her beginnings in Jainism and her special relationship with the Institute of Jainology. Her continued work with the Institute will soon be portrayed at the demonstration and launch of the Jainpedia Beta site in Mumbai, India on 14th October 2011. For more details on the Launch please contact us on info@jainpedia.org. A Launch in London is also planned in a few weeks, look out for more details on this.
This year’s event at the House of Commons, has key note speaker Mr Phil Wynn Owen, Director General, International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, from the Department of Energy and Climate Change will be the keynote speaker. He will be speaking about Climate Change and The Contemporary World. Look out for a report on the event next week.

Marvellous Manuscripts at the V&A

bmehta — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:54:46 +0000

A reminder to everyone, that to celebrate the upcoming Paryushana Festival, the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington, London are having a series of events and activities at the museum on Sunday, 21^st August

Drop-in Design

Make your own manuscript

10.30–17.00, Lunchroom 1, Sackler Centre

Pick up a design challenge, hunt for ideas in the galleries, and then create your own fantastic manuscript using eco-friendly paper and lentils.

Jain Storytelling

11.00, 13.00 & 15.00

South Asia Gallery

Join storyteller Seema Anand for an interactive tale about animals!

Jain Family Tours

12.00, 14.00 and 16.00

South Asia Gallery

The V&A is home to a world renowned collection of Jain manuscripts and objects. Join a free guided tour especially for families by Jainpedia volunteers.

This day of free events is presented by the V&A in partnership with Jainpedia and supported by the Jain Art Fund

Find out more at http://www.vam.ac.uk/families

An Eventful ‘Mela’

bmehta — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:30:50 +0000

The Oshwal Association of the UK organised a large ‘mela’ on Sunday, 24th July with a funfair, trade stalls, vegan food and games galore, it was an eventful day out for all who attended.

An estimated 6000 people attended the event, with many coming in to see us at the colourful JAINpedia stall. Raising awareness of the commendable project was one of our objectives, and achieved substantially, with hundreds signing up for the future JAINpedia e-newsletter.

: The Institute of Jainology and Jainpedia team talk to event attendees about the Jainpedia project at the Oshwal ‘Mela’

The Institute of Jainology team, as always stood out in the orange JAINpedia t-shirts, and talked to people about the project objectives, achieved milestones and showed people screenshots of the upcoming comprehensive and well – designed JAINpedia website. All were impressed at how much would be viewable on the site from digitized manuscripts zoomable to the minutest details, to ample information about Jainism through related articles, written by scholars and experts from around the world.

Further to this, young university students were encouraged to spend some time during their holidays, volunteering for JAINpedia events and website work; several signing up just to know more about their own culture.

A fruitful day for the project and much fun for the team. A full article of the event can be found on the Institute of Jainology Site soon.

JAINpedia and the IoJ at Oshwal Centre’s Mela Event on 24th July 2011

bmehta — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:19:57 +0000

The Oshwal Association of the UK are holding a ‘Mela’ event on 24^th July 2011 at their renown Śvetāmbara Temple site in Potters Bar.

This cultural gathering is the biggest event in the Oshwal Calendar, with an outdoor stage event and several stalls of food and activities. The Institute of Jainology, will be there showcasing their various publications and activities from the past year, including the JAINpedia project and its achievements. The ‘Mela’ opens at 12.00pm and closes at 8.00pm. Come and see us at Stall B31 and see what is happening at JAINpedia including some screenshots of the upcoming authoritative and elaborate website.

V&A Inside Outing Event enjoyed thoroughly by participants

bmehta — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:15:16 +0000

On Thursday 16th June a group of Victoria & Albert Museum visitors; some with a basic knowledge about Jainism, who had never visited the V&A before; studied Jain manuscripts at the V&A and visited the Shikharbandhi Temple at the Oshwal Centre in Potters bar.

Nick Barnard, curator of the Jainpedia display at the V&A began the day with a presentation on Jain manuscript iconography, style and behind the scenes stories of Jain manuscripts not on display at the museum.

Thereafter, Mike Wheeler, the senior paper conservator explained the analysis of pigments in manuscripts and identifying any damage to them. The visitors were most fascinated when he showed this to them practically allowing them to see the raw mineral pigments.

The afternoon was commented to be the highlight of the day, with 15 visitors going to the Shikharbandhi Temple in Potters Bar. Arshna Sanghrajka gave an inspirational tour of the temple and its grounds, including a clear account of Jain principles and worship. The beauty of the temple was appreciated immensely.

A positively received event in general; ‘I enjoyed the visit to the Potters Bar temple and access to manuscripts in Storage’ (Inside Outing event visitor)

Spreading JAINpedia news to Hindus

bmehta — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:37:11 +0000

The Institute of Jainology was invited to the Hindu Svayamsevak Sangh’s senior citizens’ camp held over the weekend of 3rd to 5th June 2011 at Beaumanor Hall Park in Leicestershire. The Institute of Jainology’s honorary secretary, Dr Harshad N. Sanghrajka, was requested to speak about JAINpedia and Jainism in general.

Harshad Sanghrajka at the Hindu Svayamsevak Sangh senior citizens' camp

With over 100 people at the event, JAINpedia received some good coverage, and all attendees were very interested in the project. The presentation resulted in several questions about Jainism and Hinduism.