The holy book has been prepared by former Hazuri Raagi Bhai Gurmej Singh, who too is visually impaired.
Addressing a gathering at an event to mark the occasion, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh announced that the Guru Granth Sahib in Braille was being installed in room number 13 on the back side of Sri Akal Takht.
Lauding Bhai Gurmej Singh for his effort, the Jathedar said the SGPC had recommended that he be felicitated with an award. He said several historians had contributed towards Gurbani translation, but nothing could be comparable to the one prepared in Braille.
The Jathedar and SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar also felicitated Bhai Gurmej Singh by presenting him a ‘siropa’ (robe of honor).
Later, Bhai Gurmej Singh narrated how he toiled for 12 years to achieve the feat. The Guru Granth Sahib in Braille has 2,153 pages in 18 volumes with a page size of 11x12 inches.
According to him, it isn’t possible to get the entire work in a single volume due to technical difficulties involved in it. He has already prepared three copies of it, the first of which he presented for the visually impaired children studying at Central Khalsa Orphanage in Amritsar where he spent his childhood and grew up to become a “raagi”.
He also intends to present the digitized form (CD) of Guru Granth Sahib in Braille to either the Central Khalsa Orphanage or the SGPC, which may utilize it for facilitating its printed copies to the visually impaired. He said a printed copy will cost anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000.
Looking back at his journey, he said he had started making efforts for it way back in 1999, a year after he retired from his service with Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. However, he could actually start working on the project much later.
“Getting the first copy in Braille was most difficult as we had a tough time zeroing in on a printing facility for the same before finally reaching Helen Keller Institute for Deaf and Deaf-Blind in Mumbai. The institute was kind enough to offer its services on no-profit-no-loss basis.” It took him almost two-and-a-half years to get the first copy of Guru Granth Sahib in Braille. The first copy of Guru Granth Sahib in Braille that he prepared had 24 volumes as the size of paper used in it was small (11x7 inches).
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has announced that the SGPC will set up a Braille printing press so that religious literature can be published for the visually impaired. He said they will also open a school for the blind at Gurdwara Shri Manji Sahib, Alamgir, in Ludhiana where they will be educated while extending them lodging and boarding facility as well."
