An epic finds its place online

Thanks to the efforts of high school students, Ramachandra Vilasam has been digitised , making it accessible to all.

At work: Digitisation under way. Photo: Special Arrangement

How do you go about being creative in using the various software that is used to study geometry and image programming? High school students from Chavara sure know to have a little fun with such software that is usually used for learning mathematics.

Digitalisation

Ramachandra Vilasam , the first Malayalam epic poem that confines to all rules of composition, will be produced by the high schools students in digitalised version, from the poet's native place — Chavara, Kollam, under the aegis of IT @School and Vidhyarangam Kala Sahitya Vedi. The digitalisation of the complete book, which is free of copyright regulations, is expected to be completed shortly.

The project will be digitalised using open free software that include OfficeWriter, GIMP (Graphical image manipulation programme), and Geogibra.

The students have become competent enough to use the GeoGibra software for drawing ‘chitrasargam' which is used in teaching and learning geometry in mathematics

Ramachandra Vilasam , considered to be one of the first poetry that strictly adheres to all the rules of composition, has 21

sargas ,1832

slokas and

chitrasargam — a must for epic poetry that depicts verses under the

sargas in the form of pictures.

The theme of the poem is based on Ramayana, except the part called “Utharakandam”, which has been omitted in the epic poetry. The first book composed by Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup was published in 1907.

The project is being developed by the student members of the IT club and Vidyarangam Kala Sahitya Vedi members of 15 schools (Government and aided) in the sub-district of Chavara.

“I make sure I find free time during school hours to involve myself in this work. Since I am proficient in typing in Malayalam, the work is much easier and fun too,” says Emilin P. Rapheal, a Std X student of St.Agnes High School who is involved in the digitalisation process.

Easy access

Currently all the copyright-free text, except the Chitrasargam , is made available in the Malayalam free content wiki library, “wikigrandha shala”.

IT @ School project master trainer and Vidyarangam Sahitya Vedi secretary V.M.Rajamohan is coordinating the project.

The text is available at: www.ml.wikisource.org/wiki/Ramachandravilasam.ITclub.