The first Braille edition of the esteemed Assamese Dictionary “Hemkosh” has been recognised as the largest bilingual braille dictionary by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The late Hemchandra Baruah edited the first Assamese dictionary in the nineteenth century. The Editor of Asomiya Pratidin, Shri Jayanta Baruah, came up with the idea and released the Braille version of “Hemkosh” after more than 125 years.
The first full-language dictionary in Braille after Oxford is this version of Hemkosh.
The Guinness Book of World Records has designated this dictionary as the biggest multilingual Braille dictionary ever published. There are a total of 21 volumes and 6 sub-volumes in this dictionary. There are 90,460 words total.
For the benefit of the state’s visually impaired students, this Braille version of Hemkosh has already been given away for free to several educational institutions, including Gauhati University. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President Ram Nath Kovind have received the braille dictionary.
About Hemchandra Baruah
Hemchandra Baruah was an eminent Assamese lexicographer, writer, and playwright from Assam, India. Born on June 22, 1854, in Kamrup, Assam, he is best known for his significant contributions to the Assamese language and literature. One of his most remarkable achievements is the compilation of the first-ever Assamese dictionary, “Hemkosh” (also known as “Asamiya Abhidhan” or “Hemchandra Baruah Abhidhan”), which was published in 1900. Hemchandra Baruah was also an active participant in social and cultural activities, working towards the development and preservation of Assamese language, culture, and heritage.