Editing Ranjana script

{{Short description|Abugida writing system}}
{{Redirect|Lantsa|the motorboat|Launch (boat)}}
{{Infobox writing system
| name        = Rañjanā
| type        = [[Abugida]]
| languages   = [[Newar language|Newar (Nepal Bhasa)]]<br />[[Sanskrit]]<br />[[Standard Tibetan|Tibetan]]
| time        = c. 1100–present
| region      = Nepal and India
| fam1        = [[Proto-Sinaitic script]]
| fam2        = [[Phoenician alphabet]]
| fam3        = [[Aramaic script]]
| fam4        = [[Brāhmī script|Brāhmī]]
| fam5        = [[Gupta script|Gupta]]
| fam6        = [[Siddhaṃ script|Siddham]]<ref name="masica">{{cite book |last1=Masica |first1=Colin |title=The Indo-Aryan languages |date=1993 |page=143}}</ref>
| fam7        = [[Nepalese scripts|Nepalese]]
| sisters     = [[Prachalit Nepal alphabet|Prachalit]]<br />[[Bhujimol script|Bhujimol]]
| children    = [[Soyombo alphabet|Soyombo]]
| iso15924    = Ranj
| sample      = Shukla Ranjana Lipi II.svg
| imagesize   = 250px
| caption     = 'Ranjana Lipi' in Ranjana script
| direction   = Left-to-right
}}
{{brahmic}} 
The '''Rañjanā script''' (Lantsa<ref name="Omniglot">[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/ranjana.htm Omniglot]{{Sps|date=May 2017}}</ref>) is an [[abugida]] writing system which developed in the 11th century<ref name="Jwajalapa">[http://www.jwajalapa.com/lipi/index.php Jwajalapa]{{Sps|date=May 2017}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310222353/http://www.jwajalapa.com/lipi/index.php |date=2007-03-10 }}</ref> and until the mid-20th century was used in an area from Nepal to Tibet by the [[Newar people]], the historic inhabitants of the [[Kathmandu Valley]], to write [[Sanskrit]] and [[Newar language|Newar (Nepal Bhasa)]]. Nowadays it is also used in [[Buddhist]] monasteries in [[China]], especially in the [[Tibetan Buddhist]] areas within the [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], [[Sichuan]], [[Yunnan]], [[Qinghai]] and [[Gansu]]; [[Mongolia]], and [[Japan]].<ref name="Jwajalapa"/> It is normally written from left to right but the Kutakshar form is written from top to bottom.<ref name="Jwajalapa"/> It is also considered to be the standard Nepali [[calligraphic]] script.

==History==
Rañjanā is a [[Brahmic scripts|Brahmic script]] which developed around 1100 CE. It was used in [[Nepal]] and is still used in Nepal by the [[Newar people]] to write the [[Newar language]].<ref name="Omniglot"/> The script is also used in most of the [[Mahayana]] and [[Vajrayana]] monasteries.<ref>Folk tales from the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal: Black rice and other stories, p.47, Kesar Lall, [[Ratna Pustak Bhandar]] </ref> Along with the [[Prachalit Nepal alphabet]], it is considered one of the scripts of Nepal.<ref>[http://www.asianart.com/articles/inscriptions/index.html Nepalese Inscriptions in the Rubin Collection]</ref> It is the formal script of Nepal duly registered in the United Nation while applying for the free Nation.{{cn|date=May 2017}} The ''[[Prajnaparamita|Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra]]'' lettered in gold ink by Bhiksu Ananda of Kapitanagar and dating back to the [[Nepal Sambat]] year 345 (1215 CE) is an early example of the script.<ref>[http://nagarjunainstitute.com/bs_hiranya.htm Nagarjuna Institute: Buddhist Sites of Nepal – Hiraynavarna Mahavihara]</ref>

After falling into disuse in the mid-20th century, the script has recently seen an increased use. It is used by many local governments such as those of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City, Bhaktapur Municipality, Thimi Municipality, Kirtipur Municipality, Banepa Municipality, in signboards, letter pads, and such. Regular programs are held in the Kathmandu Valley to promote the script and training classes are held to preserve the language. The script is being endorsed by the [[Nepal Bhasa movement]] and is used for headings in newspapers and websites.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} A Nepalese-German project is trying to conserve the manuscripts of Rañjanā script.<ref>[http://malaiya.tripod.com/ranjana/ Ranjana Script<!--Bot-generated title-->]{{Sps|date=May 2017}}</ref>

==Alphabet==

===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:Ranjana a.svg|24px]] a अ || [[File:Ranjana ah.svg|24px]] aḥ अः || [[File:Ranjana aa.svg|24px]] ā आ || [[File:Ranjana aah.svg|24px]]āḥ आः || [[File:Ranjana i.svg|30px]] i इ ||[[File:Ranjana ii.svg|24px]] ī ई || [[File:Ranjana u.svg|24px]] u उ ||[[File:Ranjana uu.svg|24px]] ū ऊ ||[[File:Ranjana ri.svg|24px]] ṛ ऋ || [[File:Ranjana rii.svg|24px]] ṝ ॠ 
|-
| [[File:Ranjana li.svg|24px]] ḷ ऌ || [[File:Ranjana lii.svg|24px]] ḹ ॡ || [[File:Ranjana e.svg|24px]] e  ए ||[[File:Ranjana ai.svg|24px]] ai ऐ||  [[File:Ranjana o.svg|24px]] o  ओ || [[File:Ranjana au.svg|24px]] au औ || [[File:Ranjana script अँ.jpg|30px]] ã  अँ ||[[File:Ranjana am.svg|24px]] aṃ अं ||  [[File:Ay.JPG|30px]] ay अय् || [[File:आय्, Ranjana script.jpg|30px]] āy आय् || [[File:एय्, Ranjana script.jpg|30px]] ey एय्
|}

===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:Ranjana k.svg|24px]] k क|| [[File:Ranjana kh.svg|24px]] kh ख|| [[File:Ranjana g.svg|24px]] g ग|| [[File:Ranjana gh.svg|24px]] gh घ|| [[File:Ranjana ng.svg|24px]] ṅ ङ
|-
| [[File:Ranjana c.svg|24px]] c च|| [[File:Ranjana ch.svg|24px]] ch छ|| [[File:Ranjana j.svg|24px]] j ज|| [[File:Ranjana jh.svg|24px]] jh झ|| [[File:Ranjana ny.svg|24px]] ñ ञ
|-
| [[File:Ranjana tt.svg|24px]] ṭ ट|| [[File:Ranjana tth.svg|24px]] ṭh ठ|| [[File:Ranjana dd.svg|24px]] ḍ ड|| [[File:Ranjana ddh.svg|24px]] ḍh ढ|| [[File:Ranjana nn.svg|24px]] ṇ ण
|-
| [[File:Ranjana t.svg|24px]] t त|| [[File:Ranjana th.svg|24px]] th थ|| [[File:Ranjana d.svg|24px]] d द|| [[File:Ranjana dh.svg|24px]] dh ध|| [[File:Ranjana n.svg|24px]] n न
|-
| [[File:Ranjana p.svg|24px]] p प|| [[File:Ranjana ph.svg|24px]] ph फ|| [[File:Ranjana b.svg|24px]] b ब|| [[File:Ranjana bh.svg|24px]] bh भ|| [[File:Ranjana m.svg|24px]] m म
|-
| [[File:Ranjana y.svg|24px]] y य|| [[File:Ranjana r.svg|24px]] r र|| [[File:Ranjana l.svg|24px]] l ल|| [[File:Ranjana v.svg|24px]] v व|| style="background:#dddddd;"|
|-
| [[File:Ranjana sh.svg|24px]] ś श|| [[File:Ranjana ss.svg|24px]] ṣ ष|| [[File:Ranjana s.svg|24px]] s स|| [[File:Ranjana h.svg|24px]] h ह|| style="background:#dddddd;"|
|}

{| class="wikitable" align="center"
|-
| [[File:Ranjana ksh.svg|24px]] kṣ क्ष|| [[File:Ranjana tr.svg|24px]] tr त्र|| [[File:Ranjana jny.svg|24px]] jñ ज्ञ
|}

===Vowel diacritics===
<gallery>
File:Gagaa.JPG|<div align="center">Vowel diacritic of Ranjana letter 'ग'.</div>
File:Babaa.JPG|<div align="center">Vowel diacritic of Ranjana letter 'ब'.</div>
File:Kakaa.JPG|<div align="center">Vowel diacritic of Ranjana letter 'क'.</div>
</gallery>

The shape of the combining marks indicating the vowels आ ā, ए e, ऐ ai/ē,ओ o, and औ au/ō  in Ranjana script take a different form when combined with the eight consonants  ख kha, ग ga, n ञ nya, ठ ṭha ण ṇa, थ tha, ध dha or श sha(or where one of these is the first consonant in a combination)<ref>{{cite book |last=Shakya |first=Robison |date=2002 |title=Alphabet of the Nepalese Script:Nepāla lipi varṇamālā|location=Nakabahila Lalitpur |publisher=Motirāj Śhākya, Thayakalaya |page=23 |isbn=9993334367 }}</ref> (In addition the vertical marks indicating  आ ā or ī may take a shorter form when combined with the consonants क ka, ज्ञ ja, or ठ ṭha.)  

<!-- 
*ख, ञ,ठ,ण,थ,ध,श uses the rule of ग
*घ,ङ,च,छ,झ,ट,ड,ढ,त,द,न,न्ह,प,फ,ब,भ,म,य,र,ह्र,ल,ल्ह,व,व्ह,ष,स,ह,त्रuses the rule of ब 
*ज,म्ह,ह्य,क्ष, ज्ञ uses the rule of क -->


== Numerals ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:Ranjana 0.svg|24px]] 0 ० || [[File:Ranjana 1.svg|24px]] 1 १|| [[File:Ranjana 2.svg|24px]] 2 २ ||[[File:Ranjana 3.svg|24px]] 3 ३ || [[File:Ranjana 4.svg|24px]] 4 ४|| [[File:Ranjana 5.svg|24px]] 5 ५ ||[[File:Ranjana 6.svg|24px]] 6 ६ || [[File:Ranjana 7.svg|24px]] 7 ७|| [[File:Ranjana 8.svg|24px]] 8 ८ || [[File:Ranjana 9.svg|24px]] 9 ९
|}

==Use==
<gallery>
File:Shukla Ranjana Om.svg|<div align =""center">'Om' in Ranjana script</div>
File:Jing An Temple Stone Sanskrit Om.jpeg|<div align ="center">Rañjanā "Oṃ" syllables flanking the implements of the [[Four Heavenly Kings]]. [[Jing'an Temple]], [[Shanghai]], China.</div>
File:Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Maitreya Folio.jpeg|<div align ="center">Sanskrit manuscript in the Rañjanā script. ''[[Prajnaparamita|Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra]]'', India, 12th century.</div>
File:Maru tol street sign.jpg|<div align ="center">Street sign in Kathmandu in Ranjana, Devanagari and English.</div>
File:Tianjin Temple Sanskrit Ranjana Script.jpeg|<div align ="center">Mantra in Rañjanā script, on the ceiling of a Buddhist temple in [[Tianjin]], [[People's Republic of China|China]].</div>
</gallery>

=== Use in Nepal ===
Rañjana is mostly used for printing Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and literature in Sanskrit and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit used by the [[Newar]] community. Rañjana is also in current use for printing "high status" documents (wedding invitations, certificates, etc) in Nepal in the Newar language and for Newar language book titles.<ref name="Proposal-2009">{{Cite web|url=https://unicode.org/wg2/docs/n3649.pdf|title=Preliminary proposal for encoding the Rañjana script in the SMP of the UCS|author=[[Michael Everson]]|date=May 4, 2009|id=n3649}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pnclink.org/annual/annual2000/2000pdf/6-4-2.pdf|title=Preservation of Sanskrit Buddhist Manuscripts in the Kathmandu Valley: Its importance and future|author=Min Bahadur Shakya}}</ref> In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, it is famously used to write various [[mantra]]s including the "[[Om mani padme hum]]" mantra of [[Avalokiteśvara]], the mantra of [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tara]]: "Om tare tuttare ture svaha", and the mantra of [[Manjusri]]: "Om a ra pa ca na dhi."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.teachingsofthebuddha.com/om_mani_padme_hum.htm|title=Teachings of the Buddha}}{{Sps|date=May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dharma-haven.org/tibetan/meaning-of-om-mani-padme-hung.htm|title=Dharma Haven}}{{Sps|date=May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312205010/http://www.geocities.com/ranjanafont/introduction.htm|title=Ranjana font}}{{Sps|date=May 2017}}</ref> The script is also used in Hindu scriptures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/svision/i49.html|title=Asian art}}</ref>

=== Use in East Asia ===
In [[Chinese Buddhism]] and other East Asian Buddhism, the standard Sanskrit script for mantras and [[dhāraṇī]]s was not the Rañjanā script, but rather the earlier [[Siddhaṃ script]] that was widely propagated in China during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref name="Chattopadhayaya, Alaka 1999 p. 201">Chattopadhayaya, Alaka (1999). ''Atisa and Tibet: Life and Works of Dipamkara Srijnana'': p. 201</ref> However, in [[History of China#Imperial China|late Imperial China]], the influence of [[Tibetan Buddhism]] popularized the Rañjanā script as well, and so this script is also found throughout East Asia, but is not as common as Siddhaṃ.<ref>Jiang, Wu (2008). Enlightenment in Dispute: The Reinvention of Chan Buddhism in Seventeenth-Century China: p. 146</ref> In Vietnam, Rañjanā script is often used during Buddhist rituals especially by monks in the central region such as Huế. [[Talisman|Talismans]] are often made using Rañjanā mantras read "Om mani padme hum" or "Om cale cule cundi svaha"  the mantra of [[Cundi (Buddhism)|Cundi Bodhisattva]]. The script has also been adopted by [[Vietnamese folk religion|Vietnamese folk shamans]] in their use of amulets such as Lỗ Ban phái, a Taoist folk sect that arrived from China named after [[Lu Ban]], patron god of carpenters.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ma Phương :: Tinh Hoa Đông Phương|url=https://maphuong.com/Print_article/print_page/311|access-date=2021-08-24|website=maphuong.com}}</ref>

=== Use in Tibet ===
{{Anchor|Tibetan}}
When Rañjanā was introduced to Tibet, it was referred to as ''Lantsa'' ({{bo|t=ལཉྫ་}}), which is simply a Tibetan transcription of the Sanskrit word {{langx|sa|लञ्ज }} or ''Lañja'' (which means 'tail' or 'foot').<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/lany+dza |title= lany+dza|date= |website=Dharma Dictionary |publisher=Tsadra Foundation|access-date=2022-03-19  }} </ref> Lantsa varies somewhat from the standard Rañjanā as written in Nepal today. In particular the glyph shapes of some consonants and ligatures differs and vowel diacritics do not usually change with the consonants  ख kha, ग ga, n ञ nya, ठ ṭha ण ṇa, ध dha  श sha ''as described above''~ with the sole exception of the letter ठ ṭha. The shape of the numerals or digits also differs.  

In Tibet, the Lantsa variant is used to write Buddhist texts in Sanskrit.<ref>[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/ranjana.htm Ranjana script and Nepal Bhasa (Newari) language]</ref> Examples of such texts include the ''[[Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti]]'', the ''[[Diamond Sutra]]'' and the ''Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra''. The Lantsa script is also found in manuscripts and printed editions of some Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicons such as the ''[[Mahāvyutpatti]]''. and it  is frequently used on the title pages of Tibetan texts, where the Sanskrit title is often written in Lantsa, followed by a transliteration and translation in the Tibetan script. The script is also used to prepare [[Mantra]] and  [[Dharani]] inserted into Buddhist images and [[Stupa]] for consecration, as well as in the drawing of certain mandalas ( similar to the Japanese use of the [[Siddhaṃ script]]). 

Lantsa is frequently seen on  the outside of [[Prayer wheel|prayer wheels]], and decoratively on the gateways, walls. beams and pillars of Tibetan temples and monasteries.

Numerous alternative spellings of the term ''Lantsa'' exist, including the following:
* Lanja
* Landzha
* Lantsha
* Lentsa
* Lendza

==Monogram (Kutākshar)==
[[File:Kutākshar - Jana Bahal 01.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A Kutākshar monogram on the facade of the [[Jana bahal|Jana Bahal]].]]
Kutākshar is a monogram of the Ranjana script. It is only one of the [[Nepalese scripts]] that can be written in monogram.

==Unicode==
A [[Unicode]] block for the script has first been proposed in 2009 by [[Michael Everson]]<ref name="Proposal-2009"/> and updated in December 2013,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2013/13243-ranjana.pdf|title=Preliminary proposal to Encode Ranjana Script in ISO/IEC 10646|author=Dev Dass Manandhar, Samir Karmacharya and Bishnu Chitrakar|date=December 31, 2013}}</ref> and last revized with additional details in January 2023 by Anshuman Pandey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2023/23028-ranjana.pdf|title=Preliminary proposal to encode Ranjana in Unicode|author=Anshuman Pandey|date=January 5, 2023}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Karnataka Nyingma temple en.jpg|<div align ="center">[[Nyingma]] Tibetan Buddhist temple with decorative use of the ''Lantsa'' variant of Rañjanā .</div>
File:Vajra Guru Mantra.svg|<div align ="center">[[Padmasambhava#Vajra Guru mantra|The Vajra Guru Mantra]] in the ''Lantsa'' variant of Rañjanā  and in the [[Tibetan script]].</div>
File:OM TARE TU TTARE.svg|<div align ="center">[[Tara (Buddhism)|The Mantra of Tara]] in the ''Lantsa'' variant of Rañjanā  and [[Tibetan script]].</div>
File:Invitation card.jpg|<div align ="center">Invitation card.</div>
File:sandhya times scan.jpg|<div align ="center">''Sandhya Times'' daily.</div>
File:Kmc3.jpg|<div align ="center">Signboard of [[Kathmandu]] Metropolitan City Office in Ranjana script (second row).</div>
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://www.mediafire.com/file/ddwsgd36b8g5il6/Ranjana%20Regular.zip Download Ranjana Newari Regular Font]
<!-- *[https://webdeveloper.com.np/fonts/download-ranjana-newari-regular-font/ Download Ranjana Newari Regular Font] -->
*{{cite web|last1=Everson|first1=Michael|authorlink=Michael Everson|date=2009|url=https://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3649.pdf|title=Preliminary proposal for encoding the Rañjana script in the SMP of the UCS|id=n3649}}
*{{cite web|last1=Everson|first1=Michael|authorlink=Michael Everson|date=2009|url=https://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3692.pdf|title=Roadmapping the scripts of Nepal|id=n3692}}
*Fynn, Christopher John. [http://malaiya.tripod.com/ranjana/ Ranjana (Lantsa) script]
*{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2016/16015-ranjana.pdf|last1=Pandey|first1=Anshuman|date=2016|id=L2/L2016/16015|title=Towards an encoding for the Ranjana and Lantsa scripts}}
*[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/ranjana.htm Ranjana script on Omniglot]
*[http://www.lantsha-vartu.org/ranjanascript/index.html Ranjana script]
*Saerji. (2009). ''[http://www.fanfoyan.com/resour/pale/astasahasrika.pdf Rañjanā script: Akṣara List of the Manuscript of Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā (ca. the 11–12th Centuries)]''. Research Institute of Sanskrit Manuscripts & Buddhist Literature, Peking University.

{{Newar}}
{{list of writing systems}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranjana Script}}
[[Category:Newar]]
[[Category:Brahmic scripts]]
[[Category:Newar language]]
[[Category:Writing systems of Newar language]]