Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria while congratulating Jayanta Baruah for the record-making achievement of the ‘Hemkosh’ stated that the dictionary will encourage other language dictionaries to come up in Braille version.
Speaking at the occasion, Gulab Chand Kataria said, “First of all I thank Jayanta Baruah for having me here. Today is a very proud day for Assam. Last month, Assam etched its name into the record books for Bihu and this time ‘Hemkosh’ has successfully entered the Guinness World record which has taken Assam to the world stage.”
The Assam Governor said that effort to produce the largest bilingual Braille dictionary shows that nothing is impossible.
Addressing Jayanta Baruah, Governor Kataria “Your happiness today knows no bounds. Your grandfather worked on producing the ‘Hemkosh’ in 1919. The effort to produce the largest bilingual Braille dictionary ‘Hemkosh’ shows that nothing is impossible. I think your work is commendable.”
The Governor further said, “I think you and Pratidin Time are unbelievable. They have worked tirelessly and created history. Your family will be remembered for their commendable work for years to come. Your family gave a pedestal to Assamese language with ‘Hemkosh’ and you included the visually impaired people with the Braille version of the dictionary.”
Sadin-Pratidin Owner Jayanta Baruah on Monday received the official certificate from the Guinness World Records team for the record-making achievement of Hemkosh as the largest bilingual Braille dictionary.
It took a total of 90,640 words for the Braille version of the bilingual dictionary ‘Hemkosh’, the first etymological dictionary of the Assamese language to create history and enter the famed Guinness Book of World Records on April 24.
The process of creating the record began on April 20 (Thursday) and went on till April 22 (Saturday) at the Government of Assam Braille Press at Latakata in Guwahati’s Basistha area. The entire process to print the Braille version of the ‘Hemkosh’ dictionary began last year when Jayanta Baruah had the idea to carry forward the family legacy and make it inclusive for the visually impaired people. Jayanta Baruah comes from the family of Hemchandra Baruah, who is known for having compiled the first ever version of Hemkosh in the early 20th century.
