Cultural Informatics Laboratory (CIL) , is a pioneering unit of the IGNCA, established in 1994 with UNDP assisted multimedia documentation project titled “Strengthening National Facility for Interactive Multimedia Documentation of Cultural Resources” has emerged as world-class documentation unit that demonstrates the manner in which the heritage can be recreated virtually, in the holistic and integrated perception of culture. It also acts as a focal point of digitisation of manuscripts, slides, books, audio and video to preserve the entire repository of its present and future holdings in digital mode and to disseminate the contents in various digital formats to the scholars, researchers and the people in general. The contents developed by CIL, which serves as the end-point in the assembly line of the IGNCA’s activities are presented to the world through the thematic multimedia CD-ROM(s), in-house developed Kalasampada (Digital Library- Resources of Indian Cultural Heritage) and website (www.ignca.gov.in). The UNDP project completed successfully in 2001.
The Kalasampada:, a digital repository of content and information integrated with a user-friendly interface, has been developed to encompass and preserve the rare archival collections of the IGNCA. The Kalasampada facilitates the scholars (users) to access and view the materials - over a couple of lakh of manuscripts, over one lakh slide, rare books, thousands of rare photographs, audio and video along with highly researched publications - of the IGNCA, from a single computer interface (window).
The project has received the prestigious for Exemplary Implementation for e-Governance Initiative under category Best Documented Knowledge and Case Study for the year 2004 from the Ministry of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India.The IGNCA's projects on computer aided content exploration systems will intensify Cultural learning and visualisation. The CD-ROMs on Devadasi Murai, Mukteswara Temple, Rock Art and Ajanta: A world heritage site from the Maharashtra have been published by the IGNCA. The CD-ROMs on Devanarayana (an oral tradition from Rajasthan), Two Pilgrims (life and work of Hungarian painters Padmashree Elizabeth Brunner and Mrs. Sass Brunner), Agnichayana, Vishwarupa, Brhadiswara Temple and Gitagovinda are in the different stage of development.
CD-ROMs Available for sale
CD-ROM Projects in pipeline
Report Under UNESCO’s Programme on Cultural Industries and Copyright Policies and Partnerships
- Digitisation of rare manuscripts, paintings and photographs of Visva - Bharti, Santiniketan
- Digitisation of Ganjuur and Danjuur manuscripts at the National Library of Mongolia
- Digitisation of manuscripts at the National Museum, New Delhi
- Digitisation of Sanskrit and Persian manuscripts at the Oriental Research Library, Srinagar.
- Digitisation of manuscripts at the Shri Pratap Singh Library, Srinagar
- Digitisation of manuscripts at Allama Iqbal Library, Srinagar
- Design and development of Website for Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi
- Design and development of Website for National Museum Institute (NMI), New Delhi
- Report on Cultural Mapping of India Under UNESCO’s Programme on Cultural Industries and Copyright Policies and Partnerships
Multimedia CD-ROMs presented to Ex-President
Shri K. R. Narayanan by Mrs. Neena Ranjan, IAS, National Project
Coordinator, UNDP Project
