INDIA
RURAL E-MAIL
Like a magic box, video e-mail will open up India's Internet revolution this fall to thousands of poor and illiterate villagers who have never seen a computer. E-mail booths will have been inaugurated in eight towns in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar–two of India's poorest and most populous states–by October 2, the birthday of Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi. The booths–complete with video cameras and voice recording facilities–will be wired to 20 similar booths hundreds of miles away in Mumbai, India's financial hub, said Dewang Mehta, head of the National Association of Software and Service Companies, the project's planner. It will cost 15 rupees (us35 cents) to send.
CD-ROM
VEDIC ARCHITECTURE
Now you can build your dream house according to ancient Vedic architecture with a CD by Deepak Bakshi of Architectural Design Services. Divided into four parts, "Sthapatya Ved Tutorial" takes you step by step through land selection, house design, fence design and the finishing touches. Each CD comes with at least one hour of free professional phone consultation by Deepak Bakshi, a senior architect for the huge Swaminarayan temple in Naesden, England. Buy the first CD for us$249.95. PC. Architectural Design Services, 305 E. Broadway Ave., Fairfield, Iowa 52556 USA. Web: www.ads-vastu.com.
RESOURCE
TIRUKURAL
Finally, the 2,200-year-old Tirukural is accessible to those who can't read or understand the ancient Tamil. Recently translated into articulate modern English, the ancient ethical gem is now on the web at www.himalayanacademy.com/books/weaver/, evidence that the profound verses are licensed to travel the information highway. The "user manual for life on Earth" website was designed in India, but the book was published in the US–part of a growing trend of web-wise global teamwork.
INDIA
TOTAL INDIA
Have you ever wanted to build the perfect shrine for your home? Now you can–without going to India. The website www.indiahandicraft.net makes it all possible with a huge selection of your favorite deities in both regular and rare forms. Art pieces are made in brass, silver, sandalwood, rosewood, cedar, soft stone, granite, green granite and more. Plus there is a large collection of fancy gold-plated jewelry and many silk paintings, all in a simple, clearly designed webpage