``Granthali's ambitious innovation is the first major Indian venture assessing possibly the most revolutionary and eventful millennium in human history. The millennium also saw the evolution of the lingua-group that is Marathi,'' Anil Shidore, a project coordinator for the project, told The Indian Express.

The project envisages encyclopaedic evaluation of thediverse facets of Marathi culture in the light of events, developments and lives of major personalities that have left a lasting impact on the people, rather than remaining confined to the pages of history books.

Among the topics selected for the first few books are the conquest of the Everest, a look at the industry from Lokmanya Tilak's Paisa Fund glass factory to Dhirubhai Ambani's Reliance, Maharashtra's contribution to India's Antarctica expeditions, space programme and super computers, Bhoodan movement, natural calamities and epidemics, social reformers and their movements, classics in Marathi literature and doyens of art and culture besides different `isms' and sant literature.

Elaborating on the project, which was conceived at a Granthali meeting a few months back, Shidore described it as a modern dnyana yadnya aimed at preserving the treasure of the collective knowledge, achievements and culture for the generations to come, first in the printed form, and later in the modern electronicformat.

Now celebrating its silver jubilee, Granthali which started as a movement to make available quality literature at affordable cost, will enroll 1000 individuals and institutions as subscribers. The books will be couriered to every subscriber each morning, beginning August 15, 1999, except on Sundays and a few major national holidays. The 1,001st book will be a comprehensive reference index and will be distributed free.

Sponsorship is expected to mobilise the major part of the funds, apart from subscriptions. The project is estimated to cost over Rs. 3.3 crore, Shidore said. The advance one-time subscription for individuals will be Rs. 15,000 for the 1000-book set worth Rs. 18,000. It will be Rs. 30,000 for institutions.

A crown committee comprising about a dozen respected veterans from different fields will monitor the project, for which Granthali is now in the process of establishing a full-fledged structure of activists. Panels of writers and editors for book as well as series are beingformed, Shidore said.The project was given a final shape after an extensive study, Shidore said making a point that it would certainly mould a new order of young researcher-writers.

``Constructing a house has been a popular idea of creating wealth; these books preserving our forefathers' wisdom would be an apt asset for the generations to come,'' Shidore summed up.

Volumes on lavani, the traditional folk art, agricultural revolution set in through grape and sugarcane cultivation, Mulshi and Narmada anti-dam agitations -- first in the early part of this century and another at its end which set the ball rolling for alternative development policies and development of automobile industry since Lalchand Hirachand set up his car manufacturing unit, would be among the few first books, Shidore said.