Indic Wisdom

A modern web application that brings ancient Indian wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita to the digital age, featuring AI-powered insights and an interactive user interface.

Features

• Wisdom Cards: Browse through verses from the Bhagavad Gita with original Sanskrit text and English translations
• AI Insights: Get modern interpretations and insights for each verse powered by Google's Gemini AI
• Like System: Save your favorite verses for future reference
• Infinite Scroll: Seamlessly discover new verses as you scroll

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React.js with Vite
• Styling: Bootstrap 5 + Custom CSS
• Database: Supabase (with CSV fallback)
• AI Integration: Google Gemini API
• Backend: Node.js with Express

Data Source Configuration

The backend supports toggling between Supabase and CSV file as the data source. This is useful when Supabase free tier is disabled or unavailable.

Using CSV File

Set the USE_CSV environment variable to true:

USE_CSV=true

When enabled, the server will read from wisdom_posts_rows.csv in the root directory instead of Supabase.

Using Supabase (Default)

Leave USE_CSV unset or set to false:

USE_CSV=false
# or simply don't set it

Automatic Fallback

If Supabase is configured but fails (e.g., free tier disabled), the server will automatically fall back to the CSV file if available.

Environment Variables

# Data source toggle (optional, defaults to Supabase)
USE_CSV=true  # or false

# Supabase configuration (required if USE_CSV=false)
VITE_SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
VITE_SUPABASE_KEY=your_supabase_key

# Gemini API (required for AI insights)
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key

# Server port (optional, defaults to 5000)
PORT=5000

Running Locally

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• Google Gemini API key (for AI insights feature)

Step 1: Install Dependencies

npm install

Step 2: Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory:

# Backend API URL (for frontend to connect to backend)
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

# Data source toggle (optional, defaults to Supabase)
USE_CSV=true  # Set to true to use CSV file, false for Supabase

# Supabase configuration (required if USE_CSV=false)
VITE_SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
VITE_SUPABASE_KEY=your_supabase_key

# Gemini API (required for AI insights)
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key

# Backend server port (optional, defaults to 5000)
PORT=5000

Note: For local development with CSV, you only need:

• VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000
• USE_CSV=true
• GEMINI_API_KEY=your_key (if you want AI insights)

Step 3: Run the Backend Server

Open a terminal and run:

# Run backend server (with auto-reload on changes)
npm run server:dev

# Or run without auto-reload
npm run server

The backend will start on http://localhost:5000 (or the port specified in your .env file).

Step 4: Run the Frontend

Open a new terminal and run:

npm run dev

The frontend will start on http://localhost:5173 (Vite's default port).

Step 5: Access the Application

Open your browser and navigate to:

• Frontend: http://localhost:5173
• Backend API: http://localhost:5000
• Health Check: http://localhost:5000/health

Quick Start (Using CSV - No Supabase Required)

For the quickest local setup without Supabase:

1. Create .env file:

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000
USE_CSV=true
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key

2. Run backend:

npm run server:dev

3. Run frontend (in another terminal):

npm run dev

Troubleshooting

• Backend not starting: Make sure port 5000 (or your configured port) is not already in use
• Frontend can't connect to backend: Verify VITE_API_URL in .env matches your backend URL
• CSV file not found: Ensure wisdom_posts_rows.csv is in the root directory
• AI insights not working: Check that GEMINI_API_KEY is set correctly

Deployment

• Frontend: https://indic-wisdom.vercel.app
• Backend: https://indic-wisdom-backend.onrender.com