Bengali Language Resources on the Web

Thanks to many people, mostly anonymous, who continue to send in links, updates and bug reports to help keep these pages going. [^N= New link] [^B= Broken link] Report any errors, changes or additions

Basic Information

Fonts and Software

Proprietary:
- C-DAC, Pune: Unix, DOS, Windows, Mac; a range of wordprocessing and related software.
- Harof Bangla: IBM PC 386 or higher; Adobe Postscript Type 1, CorelDraw and TrueType fonts.
- Indian Languages Keyboard Program: Windows 3.1 and Windows 95; simplified keyboard assignment and TrueType fonts for use with any editor (by Avinash Chopde).
- InProS:
- Kalam: Any GEM product (?); text editing and desk-top publishing software with keyboard mapping and fonts.
- Krishnasoft Hindi Word Processor: Windows 95/98, Windows 3.x, Windows NT, all with at least 4MB RAM; TrueType full wordprocessor, able to export to other programs like MS-Word etc, and can import graphics in several formats. Font set includes Assamese, Bengali, Devanagari, Gujarati and Gurumukhi.
- LaserBengali: Mac system 6.0.7 or later; TrueType or Type 1 plain, bold italic or bold-italic styles in various sizes; InduScript keyboard mapping; consistent with other languages.
- Sonar Gaon^#&169; Mac, OS/2, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, NeXT and Unix; TrueType and Type 1 Bengali fonts in unlimited type sizes; phonetically similiar letters are grouped together on the keyboard. Thought has been given to construction of compound letters (juktakhar). May be used with various software. The cost is not high [2/99]; see below for freeware version.
- Unitype: Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0; multi-language software including translations between supported languages.
- The Universal Word: Windows 3.1 or Windows 95; multilingual word processor, including mail merging.
- Vijay: Mac and IBM PC; fonts with phonetic keyboard mapping.
Shareware/Freeware:
- Bengali TeX: is available either from CTAN (UK), or from any of the CTAN mirror sites. Check also the mirror site at the University of Beyreuth.
- Bengali Writer: transliteration package with one font set, has a TeX interface (These links are not broken, but are very hard to reach).
- ITRANS: rather widespread package for transliteration of Indian languages. The home page has links to further information. This reference supercedes the older reference for ITRANS.
- IWrite32: Windows 95/98/NT 4.0; transliteration tool, basic text editing, fonts and much more.
- Muhammad Muquit's groff fonts for use with GNU's groff.
- Arosgn (Aro Sonar Gaon) is an extension of Sonar Gaon^#&169; with postscript documentation

Language Tutorials, Dictionaries and Teaching Aids

Language Tutorials:
- On-line Bengali Tutor at the West Bengal pages.
Short Hindi->Bengali converter.

History and Relationship to other Languages

The Language, Literature and Songs

The Bengali language:
- from the W. Bengal pages or its
Bengali literature:
- from the W. Bengal pages.
Bengali poetry:
- In translation: [W. Bengal pages]
- In the original: [W. Bengal pages]
Bengali songs^N in real audio.
Development of Bengali urban music.

Trivia

Cooking for the Gods: the art of home ritual in Bengal.
Greetings to the universe in Bengali (from the Voyager spacecraft).
Examples of the Bengali script: [W. Bengal page] [Idris.com]
20 years of the Bengali program on Deutsche-Welle Radio (in German).

Mumbai