Gurbani search on Nokia!

After working on this for more than two months, I am successful in setting up my Nokia N97 phone to be able to search Gurbani. I normally use SriGranth.org for this, but Gurmukhi characters would not show.

Nokia N97
Nokia N97
After working on this for more than two months, I am successful in setting up my Nokia N97 phone to be able to search Gurbani. I normally use SriGranth.org for this, but Gurmukhi characters would not show.

One easy way to fix this, without adding Gurmukhi Unicode fonts to the mobile, is to install Opera Mini (not the full version, Opera Mobile). Now, enter config: as a URL which takes you to advanced settings page. Set Use bitmap fonts for complex scripts to Yes and then Save. That’s it, now visit SriGranth.org.

If you want to add Gurmukhi support to other applications also, the solution is here; in short:

  1. Download this file http://rapidshare.com/files/327695116/Full_character_support_in_every_language_s60v5.zip.
  2. Unzip, and upload the four TTF files to the /resource/fonts folder on the memory card. Retain the file names.
  3. Restart the phone!

Now, visit SriGranth.org using the default browser. It works! (although the rendering is still incorrect but its better than nothing). Opera Mini based method advised first has correct rendering also, although it will involve higher data download.

I use a combination of both, for best results. However, the second solution comes with a caveat: once the phone is using these fonts, if you connect it to the PC in the mass media mode, the phone reboots. To avoid this each time you need to connect, you will need to remove the card (by pressing the power butting, going all the way down and selecting the remove card option; and then physically removing the card) and then attach the phone to the PC. If you want to connect the card itself to the PC, you will need to use a card reader.

This should also work for other Nokia phones, including 5800EX although I have tried it only for N97.

Once I did this, I was also able to read Gurmukhi emails using the Gmail mobile app. Also, there is a nice browser called UC which can be downloaded from here and also can render Gurmukhi once these fonts are used.

Note that once you update fonts using this approach, all content on the phone will be displayed using this font. If you do not like that, you can always go back and remove these four files and restart the phone.

I am also eagerly awaiting the release of Symbian version of GurbaniAnywhere which will allow me to search Gurbani even without Internet access.

NOTE: Please do post comments if you know of other, better ways of doing this, especially those that do not require an internet connection.

UPDATE 17th Jan 2012: There is now an App for NOKIA for this purpose (please see comment below). Can be installed from http://store.ovi.com/content/227787.

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Fresh air fund :-)

The Fresh Air Fund is looking for runners and sponsors to join their Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Marathon on on November 7th. Volunteers can register until September 30th – so let us hurry!

Over the past four years as a NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, their 325 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund!

For more information and registration, please visit:

http://freshair.org/racers

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What is life…

Some of these thoughts were penned by me a few months back when my maternal grandmother left for her heavenly abode.

Transit
Transit

The Guru’s viewpoint, both on Life as well on Death is very different from a normal person’s viewpoint. While the world sees birth as a beginning and death an an end, the Guru sees them as transitory moments in His Existence. Says Kabir:

ਕਬੀਰ ਜਿਸੁ ਮਰਨੇ ਤੇ ਜਗੁ ਡਰੈ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨਿ ਆਨੰਦੁ ॥
Says Kabeer, the world may fear death – but for me, it fills my mind with pleasure
ਮਰਨੇ ਹੀ ਤੇ ਪਾਈਐ ਪੂਰਨੁ ਪਰਮਾਨੰਦੁ ॥੨੨॥
It is only by death that perfect and supreme bliss is obtained. ||22||

If you spend each moment of your life remembering Him, then Death does not make you afraid. Such was my grandmother:

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਾਲਾਹਿ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਵਾਰਿਆ ॥
Praising the Naam, the Name of the Lord, the Gurmukhs redeem their lives.
ਆਪਿ ਹੋਆ ਸਦਾ ਮੁਕਤੁ ਸਭੁ ਕੁਲੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਿਆ ॥
They themselves are liberated forever, and they save all their ancestors.

She was 86 and is survived by my Grandfather. It seems purpose-less to stay in this false world. These decisions though, are not ours to make. The Guru confirms its purposeless:

ਨਰੂ ਮਰੈ ਨਰੁ ਕਾਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥
When a man dies, he is of no use to anyone.
ਪਸੂ ਮਰੈ ਦਸ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
But when an animal dies, it is used in ten ways. ||1||
ਅਪਨੇ ਕਰਮ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਮੈ ਕਿਆ ਜਾਨਉ ॥
What do I know, about the state of my karma?
ਮੈ ਕਿਆ ਜਾਨਉ ਬਾਬਾ ਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
What do I know, O Baba? ||1||Pause||
ਹਾਡ ਜਲੇ ਜੈਸੇ ਲਕਰੀ ਕਾ ਤੂਲਾ ॥
His bones burn, like a bundle of logs;
ਕੇਸ ਜਲੇ ਜੈਸੇ ਘਾਸ ਕਾ ਪੂਲਾ ॥੨॥
his hair burns like a bale of hay. ||2||
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਤਬ ਹੀ ਨਰੁ ਜਾਗੈ ॥
Says Kabeer, the man wakes up,
ਜਮ ਕਾ ਡੰਡੁ ਮੂੰਡ ਮਹਿ ਲਾਗੈ ॥੩॥੨॥
only when the Messenger of Death hits him over the head with his club. ||3||2||

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