Encounter in the Croatian Library for the Blind: Jane Sha (India), Jelena Lešaja (Head of the Lending Department), Karolina Zlatar Radigović (Director of the Library),

Joginder Singh Nijjar (president of Croatian-Indian Society). Photo by Darko Žubrinić, a member of the Society. March 2024.

Mr. Jogdiner Singh Nijjar, president of the Croatian-Indian Society in Zagreb, accompanied with Jane Sha and Darko Žubrinić, have visited the Croatian Library for the Blind in Zagreb. Except of the library, this institution contains a printing house for the needs of blind persons. The building where the library is placed contains also The Blind Theatre Company "New Life" (the oldest blind theatre company in Europe! Founded in 1948), the Typhlological Museum, Radio Club, Chess Club, as well as Sports Club for the blind persons. Logo of the Croatian Library for the Blind, Zagreb

A table of Braille script for Hindi, brought by Jelena Lešaja from India to Zagreb.

The last two lines in Hindi read as: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts

Jelena Lešaja and Karolina Zlatar Radigović describing the activities within the Croatian Library for the Blind in Zagreb.

Note that Mrs. Lešaja is wearing her sari, for the occasion of this encounter with guests

representing Croatian-Indian Society: Jane Sha and Joginder Singh Nijjar (left and right).

On the left, Ms Ivana Vinka, who has a special laptop inf front of her, suitable for blind persons (using the Braille input and transcription).

Braille book of a famous Croatian fairy tale, written by Ivana Brlić Mažuranić:

Strange Adventures of Laptich the Apprentice.

Joginder Singh Nijjar and Jane Sha in the Typhlological Museum in Zagreb.

The name of the museum is derived from the Greek tuphlos, meaning blind.

Tamburitza orchestra consisting of blind children! Photo from about 1910, Zagreb. On the wall behind the bass player

is the relief of Vinko Bek, the founder of the Croatian Middle School for blind children in Zagreb in 1895.

A recognition issued to Vinko Bek in 1891. Note the Coat of Arms of the

United Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia (Trojedna kraljevina) at the top.

Another recognition to Vinko Bek from 1882.

Matriculation diploma for Vinko Bek issued in Zagreb in 1887.

Primer for blind children, needle-printed in Croatian in Zagreb in 1896.

The Klein printing machine was constructed in Austria, adapted to Croatian language.

Jane Sha and Joginder Singh Nijjar on the right, in the Theatrical Company "New Life",

the oldest blind theatre company in Europe, founded in 1948.

Jane Sha and Joginder Singh Nijjar at the main entrance to the building in Zagreb which hosts several

institutions for the blind in Croatia: Croatian Union for the Blind, Typhlological Museum,

Croatian Sports Union for the Blind, Sports Club "Zagreb" for the Blind,

Chess Club "Polet" (Zest) for the Blind, Radio Club for the Blind.

A part of the Library team, with three guests from Croatian-Indian Society, Zagreb:

Joginder Singh Nijjar, Jane Sha, Jelena Lešaja, Ivana Vinka, Karolina Zlatar Radigović, Ljerka Dinjar, and D.Ž.

Jane Sha, Darko Žubrinić, and Ivana Vinka, a young lady employed at the Croatian Library for the Blind,

fluent in four languages: Croatian, English, German, and Italian.

We express our gratitude to the staff of the Croatian Library for the Blind for their hospitality.

(Jogdiner Singh Nijjar, Jane Sha, and Darko Žubrinić)