Hindu Gods & Goddesses Digital Image Collection now available

Closeup of color lithograph illustration with four figures titled, “Annapoorna; Mohadeva and princess.”

What does it take to bring a century-old collection to life? Decades after it was donated to the library, the Hindu Gods and Goddesses Digital Image Collection is finally available to the world — and the story behind it is as rich as the collection itself.

The collection features 35 stunning lithographic prints and three typed manuscripts documenting Hindu mythology and religious narratives. Created in 1903 by Atul K. Basu, it offers a fascinating window into South Asian print and visual culture. Twenty-nine of the lithographs include Bengali text with handwritten pencil transliterations — a detail that makes each print a layered historical artifact in its own right.

Young woman holds open folder containing a print of the Hindu Goddess Saraswati. — *LIS Intern Munju Kim holds her favorite print from the collection she helped to digitize, which features Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom and learning.*

None of this would have been possible without an exceptional team. IT Specialist Alisa Kwok led the high-quality digitization effort and mentored LIS intern Munju Kim every step of the way. Kim also crafted the collection description with impressive skill and care.

“Working on this project was my first experience contributing to the creation of a digital collection and a meaningful opportunity to apply metadata and collaboration in practice,” Kim said.

Metadata Librarian Stasha Gardasevic ensured the collection is fully discoverable and beautifully documented, and Cataloging Chair Erica Chang provided subject analysis expertise. The project also broke new ground technologically.

Gardasevic said, “This project served as an excellent testbed for exploring the use of AI in supporting digital collections discovery with the transcription of non-Latin scripts. Gemini Pro did an excellent job interpreting Bengali script.”

Web Developer and Digital Collections Manager Daniel Ishimitsu, whose expertise is truly irreplaceable, made sure it all came together seamlessly online. Monica Ghosh, Chair of the Asia Collection and South Asia Studies Librarian, whose language expertise informed the project, said it was a pleasure to work alongside this outstanding team.

The collection is now available online and will hopefully spark new research in Hindu mythology, South Asian religious traditions, art history, and visual and textual culture.