App converts Tamil script into its ancient versions

Want to see how your name might look in Tamil-Brahmi or Vatteluttu? Here’s an app that can convert the present Tamil script into its ancient epigraphic counterparts of Tamil-Brahmi and Vatteluttu. ‘Jinavani’, the app is developed by a post-doctoral researcher from Chennai. Using this app, one can also check how Tamil classics such as Thirukkural and Tholkappiyam might have read when they were originally composed centuries ago in both scripts.

Vinodh Rajan, who developed the app, said it allows direct sharing of Tamil-Brahmi or Vatteluttu texts on social media apps. The idea is to popularise old Tamil scripts today. Rajan had developed a Unicode font for Tamil-Brahmi eight years ago. Even though his Unicode found an audience, it was a limited one. This ignited Rajan’s thought and he decided to develop an app which could make Tamil-Brahmi accessible and recognisable to all.

Developing an app for Tamil-Brahmi and Vatteluttu was not easy. Rajan first had to sort out the font.

“Pretty much what I had to do was conceptualise the user interface and create a user-friendly and ergonomic interface to make converting and sharing of Tamil-Brahmi and Vatteluttu texts easy,” said Rajan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hamburg.

It was only then he realised that the process involved downloading a font, installing it, finding a keyboard to type (or a converter somewhere), taking a screenshot and sharing it online. “This involved so many steps and this was preventing most people from using it. I just wanted to package everything into a single app. You type Tamil text and instantly it will give you the Tamil-Brahmi text. No installation, nothing. It’s just a single click. And with a single click, you can share the Tamil-Brahmi text online as well,” he said.

This ensures accessibility and greater reach. “When you make something accessible, people take to it. Anyone can see how their name might look in Tamil-Brahmi or Vatteluttu with a single click,” he said.

While this was the aim, Rajan also wanted this to be educational so that people can also learn to read the script and practice it, not just copy and paste a few lines or words. There are sections to learn the scripts and practice them using simple interactive games and thus gain some familiarity with ancient Tamil languages.

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