New Technology Advisor at BRC

Mr. Indranil Das Gupta of L2C2 Technologies has joined the BRC team as a consultant. He is a software architect and has been a Free and Open Source (FOSS) technology and is expert in Koha, the world’s first and also the largest Open Source Integrated Library Software.

He is working diligently along with BRC Librarian Angelo Pugliese (Acyuta Prabhu) to implement systems for our server to be able to upload huge amounts of content without crashing.

Currently, they are designing a framework for manuscripts; including a cataloging form where details are given (meta data) including title, author, and year to increase accessibility for consultation by scholars and library patrons online.

This manuscript framework is an entirely new contribution to library technology, and will be made available as open source to libraries worldwide that are using the Koha cataloging system. BRC is very pleased to be involved with such a exciting and cutting-edge project. 

Links to 2015 BRC Newsletter docs

Read BRC Newsletter, April 2015 here

Contents include:

Completion of Birnagar Collection restoration

Descriptions of preservation work

Visitors visiting BRC from all over the world

Read BRC Newsletter, September 2015 here

Contents Include:

New letters of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur found and preserved

Moving into new Publications Department office

Fireproofing efforts to protect rare and precious items

BRC's 5th Anniversary Newsletter

Read BRC's 5th Anniversary Newsletter, September 2014 here

The review includes overviews of:

Manuscript mission

Improvements to our facilities

Acquisition of new office space for translation department

New additions to BRC staff

Sundar Vidyabinode Collection cataloging progress, including Nadia Prakash

BRC celebrates 5th Year Anniversary, June 2014

We put together a special edition in honor of completing 5 years. Click on this link to read:

BRC's 5th Anniversary Newsletter

The review includes overviews of:

• Manuscript mission
• Improvements to our facilities
• Acquisition of new office space for translation department
• New additions to BRC staff
• Sundar Vidyabinode Collection cataloguing progress, including Nadia Prakash

Sadaputa Prabhu's Personal Collection Comes to BRC

We were delighted and honoured to receive the personal archives of Sriman Sadaputa prabhu at the beginning of this year. Sadaputa prabhu aka Dr. Richard L. Thompson, was a founding member of the Bhaktivedanta Institute in 1976 (seen here seated second from left with Srila Prabhupada and the other members during a visit to WDC in July 1976):

It was thanks to Sadaputa prabhu’s genius that we are now confident to present the S.B. 5th Canto cosmology in the Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium. His ground-breaking book Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy was brilliant fulfilment of Prabhupada’s order to his Ph.d. disciples to present the Vedic view of the universe to the scientists and scholars of the world:

Letter to: Svarupa Damodara — Auckland 27 April, 1976

Now our Ph.Ds must collaborate and study the 5th Canto to make a model for building the Vedic Planetarium. My final decision is that the universe is just like a tree, with root upwards. 

…The planets have their fixed orbits, but still they are turning with the turning of the great tree. There are pathways leading from one planet to another made of gold, copper, etc., and these are like the branches. Distances are also described in the 5th Canto just how far one planet is from another.

…It is not that we shall accept the theory that the sun is fixed up and the others are all going around the sun. That is not correct. …

So now you all Ph.D.s must carefully study the details of the 5th Canto and make a working model of the universe. If we can explain the passing seasons, eclipses, phases of the moon, passing of day and night, etc. then it will be very powerful propaganda."
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His untimely departure in 2008 was a great blow to ISKCON but fortunately by the grace of his widow Smt. Devamrta dd, and the diligence of Sriman Stithadhi Muni dasa and Sriman Krsna Krpa dasa we received all his research materials and writings at the beginning of January 2012.