Delhi Gurdwaras go hi-tech, log on

WHAT'S AN IBM server doing in a gurdwara? Strange as it may sound, desktops and servers will be the latest sewadaars in four of the largest gurdwaras of the Capital.

In an attempt to revolutionise the working of religious institutions, a web-enabled IT project has been undertaken by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) that will result in complete automatation and online integration of four gurdwaras -- Bangla Sahib, Rakab Ganj, Nanak Piao and Sis Ganj.

"The main purpose of the project is to make the functioning of the gurdwaras transparent," says Avtar Singh Hit, president of the DSGMC. "Now every penny donated to the gurdwara will be accounted for. Worshippers can even find out how and where their money is being used," he adds.

A customised ERP (enterprise resource planning) software called the Integrated Gurdwara Management System (IGMS) has been created by a Delhi-based software consultant for this project. The ERP software has 14 different modules including Prasad Slips System, Langar Donation Management System, Golak Accounting System and Volunteer Coordination Module.

Kawal Kehlon, Director of Webuzz Software Pvt. Ltd, says, "The software will ensure that every activity in the gurdwara is recorded and maintained."

So, don't be surprised if on your next visit to the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, you get a computer-generated receipt when you donate money or buy prasad.

At the prasad counter, for instance, you will now find a tech-savvy sewadaar at a desktop. "A separate programme has been created just for the management of pinni prasad," says Kehlon. Even the weekly offerings into the golak will be bar coded and keyed in.
So far, no records were being maintained as these transactions were manual.This despite the fact that on a normal day, more than 20,000 prasad slips are processed at one counter; on festivals and holidays, the number crosses 1.5 lakh.

Now, all this data will be keyed in regularly and stored in the server. "Two high-capacity central servers have been installed at the Rakab Ganj Gurdwara. These are linked on a Wide Area Network (WAN) to local servers in the other three gurdwaras," explains Manpreet Singh, MD of Multiple Zones India Pvt. Ltd., the system integrators of the project.
In all, more than 55-60 desktops have been used for wiring up the four gurdwaras.

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