US based Sikh Research Institute releases first part of Guru Granth Sahib Project for global audience

 According to Times  “ US based 

Sikh Research Institute

(SikhRI) has announced the first release of 

The Guru Granth Sahib Project

(TGGSP) website to coincide with the first 

Prakash Purab

(Illumination day) of Guru Granth Sahib, then known as Adi Granth in 1604. It is first of its kind project in which commentary, interpretative Transcreation, Literal Translation and Poetical Dimension of every hymn from Sikh holy book would be given for global audience so that from a lay seeker to a research scholar, everybody can turn to it. 

“We are excited to release complete work to date on Asa ki Var:it is about 300,000 words (equivalent of 629 pages). We will be releasing Banis in the coming weeks on TGGSP site,” the Institute said, adding, “Three years ago, the Guru Granth Sahib Project was envisioned as a curative-collaborative effort. Its research and development phase has completed eight different Banis (Compositions). Its technology, UX paradigm, and user persona were developed in the last few months. The current team consists of 31 members”.

In reflecting on the project’s vision, SikhRI Co-Founder and TGGSP Project Lead, Harinder Singh, said, “We are disrupting the Sikh theological space which is currently caught between binaries created by men. This is the first effort in history to include the female perspective in developing an understanding of the Sikh canonical text enthroned to the Guru-Perfection. The process intentionally integrates a diverse array of schools of thought, acknowledges their strengths and biases, and builds on the collective knowledge transfer to expand them for current times.It is for teenagers and seniors, for the religious and the atheists, and so on.” “Though our Institute is US based but our team includes experts and researches from different countries and it is like a global team work,” said Harinder while speaking to TOI on Wednesday. “We are taking all available interpretations into account and are not following a single school of interpretation. Work on a single hymn takes around five weeks,” he added.

“Translations, currently available in Panjabi and English of the Guru Granth Sahib, limit the profound depth, cultural opulence and poetic genius so eloquently revealed in the Guru Granth Sahib. In awe and reverence, we have attempted to converse and draft the verbiage that we hope is capturing the letter, message and spirit of the original language of the Guru Granth Sahib,” said 

Ishmeet Kaur Chaudhry

, Assistant Professor of English literature and TGGSP’s English Reviewer. 

“This is another SikhRI milestone on a twenty-year journey to complete the research on each word of Guru Granth Sahib: etymology, grammar, and meaning. The team of subject matter experts carves a literal translation and an interpretive transcreation. Then, a commentary is composed.All is done in contemporary English and Panjabi while incorporating musical, poetical, and historical dimensions,” added Jaswant Singh, TGGSP’s Content Lead.

“When I was approached about starting TGGSP, I took this on as a challenge that intermixes content, technology, and marketing. If we get this right, and I believe we will, this will become the most important initiative to scale Sikh teachings for global audiences,” remarked 

Prof Mohanbir Singh Sawhney

, global IT Marketing expert, and 

TGGSP Strategic Alliance

partner.