Kuthodaw Inscription Tipitaka

The World’s Largest Book — Interactive Web Viewer

☸️ Kuthodaw Inscription Tipitaka is a fully client-side web application for exploring the 729 marble stelae inscriptions of the Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay, Myanmar — widely recognized as the world’s largest book.

This project combines map-based navigation, high-resolution manuscript viewing, and modern reading aids to provide an elegant, scholarly-friendly experience for studying the Tipitaka inscriptions in digital form.

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✨ Features

🗺️ Map-Based Manuscript Navigation

• Built on Leaflet.js using a custom CRS.Simple coordinate system
• Each stela (slab) is treated as a navigable “page”
• Smooth pan & zoom with URL hash state support (deep linking)

📚 Complete Canonical Structure

• Covers all 729 slabs, including:
  • Cover & historical inscriptions
  • Vinaya Pitaka
  • Suttanta Pitaka
  • Abhidhamma Pitaka
• Hierarchical tree navigation mirrors the traditional Tipitaka structure
• Quick jump by slab number (including special prefatory slabs)

🎨 Reading Modes & Visual Filters

• Light (original)
• Sepia (vintage manuscript tone)
• Dark / Inverted (night reading)
• CSS-based image filtering for performance and clarity

🧭 Reading Aids

• Page boundary overlays
• Half-page split guides
• Multi-density line rulers for palaeographic reading
• Toggleable overlays without reloading images

🔍 Deep Zoom Mode

• Powered by OpenSeadragon
• Pixel-level inspection of inscriptions
• Seamless toggle between map mode and deep zoom
• Optimized for high-resolution .webp images

🧠 Smart Performance Design

• Lazy loading of images
• Neighbor preloading for smooth navigation
• Client-side only (no backend required)
• Designed for large datasets with minimal memory overhead

📱 Responsive, Touch-Friendly UI

• Elegant modern UI inspired by manuscript aesthetics
• Mobile-friendly floating navigation dock
• Slide-in control panel with contextual tools
• Keyboard navigation support

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🛠️ Technology Stack

• HTML5 / CSS3 / Vanilla JavaScript
• Leaflet.js – spatial navigation & overlays
• Leaflet Layers Tree – hierarchical Tipitaka structure
• OpenSeadragon – deep zoom image viewer
• Google Fonts (Noto Serif, Sarabun)
• Material Symbols for iconography

No frameworks. No build step. Just open and read.

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📂 Project Structure (Simplified)

/ ├── index.html ├── images/ │ └── clean/ │ ├── 000.webp │ ├── 001.webp │ └── ... ├── assets/ │ ├── leaflet.js │ ├── leaflet.css │ ├── L.Control.Layers.Tree.min.js │ └── openseadragon.min.js └── KIT729.pdf

yaml Copy code

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🎯 Design Philosophy

• Respect the source: preserve the physical logic of the inscriptions
• Zero abstraction barrier: slabs behave like real objects, not “pages”
• Scholarly usability: reading aids over visual gimmicks
• Longevity: static, portable, and archive-friendly

This project is intended not just as a viewer, but as a digital preservation interface for sacred textual heritage.

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🚀 Usage

1. Open index.html in any modern browser
2. Select a slab using:
   • Tree navigation
   • Page number input
   • Keyboard shortcuts
3. Toggle reading aids or visual modes as needed
4. Switch to Deep Zoom Mode for detailed study

No server, no installation, no dependencies.

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📜 Attribution & Cultural Context

The inscriptions originate from Kuthodaw Pagoda, Mandalay, Myanmar
Commissioned during the reign of King Mindon Min (1857–1878)

This project is a digital visualization tool and does not claim ownership of the original texts or inscriptions.

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⚖️ License

This project is intended for educational, research, and cultural preservation purposes.
Please verify image source licensing before redistribution.

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🙏 Acknowledgement

Dedicated to:

• The preservation of the Tipitaka
• Open cultural heritage
• Readers who value slow, careful reading

☸️ Sabba-dānaṃ dhamma-dānaṃ jināti

“The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts.”