Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India] March 22: The website was launched in the presence of Pujya Moraribapu, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, veteran actor Paresh Rawal and famous Gujarati writer Raghuveer Chaudhary

The Rekhta Foundation launched the website rekhtagujarati.org for the preservation and promotion of the rich heritage of Gujarati language-culture and literature at a function held in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. ‘Rekhta Kids Learning App’ was also launched for Gujarati children to learn and understand Gujarati language well.

In a program organized by Rekhta Foundation, ‘Rekhta Gujarati’ website rekhtagujarati.org was launched by Pujya Moraribapu in the presence of language lovers and literary and public life leaders at Thakorbhai Desai Hall, Ahmedabad. Actor Paresh Rawal, Senior Literary Raghuveer Chaudhary, Solicitor General OI India, Tushar Mehta and Rekhta Foundation Founder Sanjeev Saraf were present as the guests of honour at the launch event.

In launching event, founder of Rekhta Foundation, Sanjeev Saraf said, ‘Rekhta Foundation was started 12 years ago and today ‘Rekhta.Org’ has become the biggest treasure of the Urdu world. Tushar Mehta told me that there should be such a website for Gujarati too. Something should be done for Gujarati children who can speak Gujarati but find it difficult to read and write. Because of this, we were working on this project for past one and a half years.

Gujarati language has an old and deep relationship with Urdu. After Urdu, most ghazals are written in Gujarati. This website will become the world’s largest source for Gujarati literature. I am proud that today we have started digitization of books like Urdu. Rekhta Foundation is digitizing historical libraries like Bho. J. Vidyabhavan in Ahmedabad, Dahilakshmi Library in Nadiad and Raichand Deepchand Library in Bharuch free of charge. We make full use of technology to easily reach Gujarati language-literature lovers all over the world.’

He further said, ‘We are thankful to those who have helped us carry out this work with great enthusiasm and dedication’ According to Sanjeev Saraf, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta suggested working on Rekhta Gujarati. Tushar Mehta talking about the need of Rekhta Gujarati said, ‘When the generation after us asks us what is pona bey, papa? How much is Navyashi? If anyone feels ashamed of such questions, then Rekhta Gujarati is necessary.

The generation before us made us aware of Harish Nayak’s teenage books. We could not pass this thing on to our next generation so this generation started reading Harry Potter. Current Gujarati authors are also creating excellent literature but they somehow cannot engage readers of post 90s generation. Rekhta Gujarati will bridge the gap. Gujarati language has to be relaunched as Gujarati 2.0 and that medium is Rekhta. Rekhta will be the means of handing over Gujarati to the next generation. Rekhta Gujarati song ‘Haiye Harakh Gujarati’ was launched by Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta. The song is penned by poets Mehul Manguben and Udayan Thakkar and composed by Deval Mehta.

Jnanpith Award winner noted writer Raghuveer Chaudhary said, ‘A lot of work is being done in Rekhta Gujarati. They have also travelled extensively in Gujarat and have recorded poems. This content will further enrich and Gujarati language will get national pride. Bengali poetry is very advanced. You will be able to sit at home and listen to the work done by extracting the excellent literature in Gujarati and enjoy excellent content’ reknowned artist Paresh Rawal recited some poems in Gujarati language in this event. On this occasion, he recited the poetry of Ramesh Parekh, Nayan H Desai, senior poet Sitanshu Yashaschandra and poet Nirav Patel. ‘Rekhta Kids Learning App’ was launched by renowned artist Paresh Rawal.

While launching Rekhta Gujarati website ‘rekhtagujarati.org’ Pujya Moraribapu said, ‘Rekhta means mixture and ‘prayog’ is done but ‘prayag’ is also necessary. He told Gujaratis to do experiments but also create ‘Prayag’. The beginning of Rekhta Gujarati is an auspicious beginning. Rekhta went to Vrajbhasha, went to Hindi and today this organization has come at the doorstep of Gujarati.’

Rekhta Gujarati’s program ended with a musical evening by renowned singer Osman Mir. Gujarati poet and researcher Raish Maniyar conducted the program brilliantly.

What is Rekhta Gujarati?

Rekhta Foundation has launched an initiative to promote Gujarati language and literature through the website rekhtagujarati.org and the ‘Rekhta Kids Learning App’. Rekhta Gujarati’s website has a diverse collection of selected poems by more than 800 poets from the middle Ages to the present day. These include songs, ghazals, chhands and achhandas poems. It also includes sacred literature and folk literature, showing the richness and diversity of the Gujarati literary tradition. Literature is expanding new horizons to cover.

The aim of Rekhta Gujarati is to bring Gujarati literature to Gujaratis and Gujarati literature lovers spread across the globe. Rekhta Foundation aims to spread Gujarati literature through social media and technology. Apart from this, he also advocates the preservation of Gujarati language.

Digitization of literary works was started to preserve the cultural heritage of Gujarat not only in written form but also in digital form.

Free digitization of libraries like, Bho.J. Vidya Bhavan in Ahmedabad, Dahilakshmi Library of Nadiad and Raichand Deepchand Library of Bharuch has been started. Rekhta Gujarati is working to make these resources accessible to the general public by uploading them on the website. Rekhta Gujarati’s aim behind doing this is to protect the cultural treasures of Gujarat and bring them to literature lovers all over the world.

Rekhta Gujarati will try to bring many things like Gujarati prose, stories, essays, dramas, interviews to the lovers of Gujarati language and literature at the global level by using information technology in the coming days.