The Bhasha Project
The Bhasha Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the Telugu language through the creation of a comprehensive voice sample database. Our mission is to collect voice recordings capturing the diverse dialects spoken across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, thereby fostering linguistic research and cultural heritage. We currently have a database of over 2000 samples making it the largest free database that we know of.
Background
Telugu is the official state language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is spoken by almost 100 million people around the world. It is one of the 22 official languages of India. It is estimated to have split from the Proto-Dravidian language around 1000 BCE. It has a literary tradition of over a thousand years and archeological evidence of inscriptions date back to 400 BCE.
Problem
A key requirement for linguistic research is the availability of a large catalog of spoken words for a language. Such databases are difficult to come by and are expensive to buy. The Bhasha Project intends to address this challenge by collecting 10,000 voice samples from all 49 districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Currently most research on Telugu is primarily focused on the three main dialects - Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana. This database will enable researchers to look at a larger number of highly localized dialects. The database will be made available for free to anyone to promote Telugu related linguistic research.
Status
The Bhasha Project is actively recruiting volunteers to capture voice samples. The technology platform is launched and consists of a cloud database to house the voice samples and an Android Application to capture voice samples along with basic information about the person providing the sample. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to us. If you are a researcher looking for voice samples to conduct Telugu language research you can request access by following the instructions here.