Manuscriptology and Digital Humanities Digitally Conserving Bengaluru’s Stone Inscriptions: Technology, Data, and Public History | Session 1: Technology, Epigraphy & Public Engagement

Digitally Conserving Bengaluru’s Stone Inscriptions: Technology, Data, and Public History. How 3D Scanning, Data Science, and Citizen Collaboration Are Reshaping Epigraphy

Session 1: Technology, Epigraphy & Public Engagement
This session explores how inscriptions reveal Bengaluru’s rich history—and how digital tools are transforming their preservation:

• Discovery in a Disappearing Landscape: The challenges of locating and documenting inscriptions amid rapid urbanization
• Digital Preservation in Action: How 3D scanning, high-resolution imagery, and geospatial tools capture inscriptions in unprecedented detail
• Bringing History to the Public: Engaging communities through Wikipedia, exhibitions, short films, and storytelling
• Case Study – The Hebbal-Kittayya Inscription: A powerful example of citizen-led mobilization to protect a 9th-century record

Why This Matters
This project demonstrates how digital humanities can bridge the gap between academic research and public history. It offers a replicable, inclusive framework for preserving cultural heritage in the digital age—combining scholarly rigour with wide accessibility.

Speaker Bio:
Udaya Kumar P. L. is a Bangalore-based heritage conservationist, independent researcher, and the Honorary Director of the Bengaluru Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project at the Mythic Society. He leads one of India’s most ambitious citizen-driven digital humanities initiatives, combining field epigraphy, 3D documentation, and public engagement to document and preserve over 1,500 stone inscriptions from the Bengaluru region, dating from 200 to 1750 CE. Originally trained as an engineer, Udaya holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Mechanics from IIT Madras and spent over three decades in leadership roles with Tata, General Electric, and Schneider Electric. He brings his interdisciplinary expertise to the field of heritage preservation, applying data science, geospatial analysis, and open-access technologies to reimagine epigraphy for the digital age. In recognition of his contributions to cultural heritage, he was awarded the Namma Bengaluru Citizen Individual of the Year in 2019.

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