Punjabi University To Launch 'punjabipedia' Next Week

[Mehtab Singh]

Aiming to promote Punjabi language throughout the world, the Punjabi University is going to launch the first of its kind Punjabi encyclopaedia next week.

The announcement came during the naugural session of the three-day 30th international Punjabi conference on 'Punjabi Society and Media' that commenced Tuesday.

The conference is being organized by the Punjabi University's Department of Punjabi Development, which has been given the task to compile the world's first Punjabi encyclopaedia.

Vice Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh said taking a leaf out of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia's book, a 'Punjabipedia' will help internet users to get details related to the state's history, culture, literature, traditions and other information in Punjabi.

As per available information, in the first phase, university's own publications that are already available on CDs and DVDs will be uploaded on the website, including the Punjabi language encyclopaedia 'Mahan Kosh' compiled by Kahn Singh Nabha comprising 64,263 entries, besides the 'Encyclopaedia of Sikhism', 'Bal Vishav Kosh' (children's encyclopaedia) and a Punjabi conceptual dictionary, among others.

The four-volume Bal Vishav Kosh was the first Punjabi-based encyclopaedia published exclusively for the 6-14 years age group, while the Encyclopedia of Sikhism, also a four-volume publication with a total of nearly 20,000 printed pages, comprises nearly 3,500 entries on various aspects of Sikh life and literature, history and philosophy, customs and rituals, social and religious movements, art and architecture, locales and shrines.

"The basic motive of the launching Punjabipedia is to widen the reach of Punjabi literature, history and culture among the people across the Punjabi community settled in different parts of the world", Singh said.

Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, HK Dua, noted journalist and Rajya Sabha member, blamed the new-generation media persons for ruining the rich culture and traditional values of India by "showing ill attitude and using awful language" openly on Television.

"The paid news scenario which is deep-rooted in today's media organsiations is the main reason of the continuous downfall of media in public", he said.

Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Lt Gen (Retd) Dr Devinder Dyal Singh said that with Punjabis ignoring their own mother tongue, Punjabi language was becoming an 'endangered species'.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/patiala/punjabi-university-to-launch-punjabipedia-next-week/article1-1175362.aspx

[jasvendrasingh]

It is a very good & welcome news .Till now online Punjabi Wiki in Gurmukhi had been very poor presentation with only 9000 or so entries iI am looking forward to the new launch

[DiscoverSikhism]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

In general, there appears to be a lot of confusion regarding Punjabi and Gurmukhi.

People make the assumption that there is a language called Punjabi (what we use everyday) and there is the language called Gurmukhi - the language used to write the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

So are there two languages?? Did the Guru’s use different language called Gurmukhi?? The answer is No.

It would be more accurate to say one speak's Punjabi and read's or write's Gurmukhi. - See more at: http://www.discoversikhism.com/punjabi/punjabi_gurmukhi.html

There are a number of Sikh books/ articles in Gurmukhi here - http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_library/gurmukhi.html

and in English here - http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_library/english.html

The library section is new. There are thousands more books/ articles that will be released at regular intervals in due course.

(Also have books/ articles in a number of European languages)