When I look back at December 2024, the first thing that comes to mind is the feeling of anticipation—the kind that quietly builds in the background while you wait to see if your efforts truly matter. The Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Bhubaneswar 2024 became the moment where all those months of contributing, experimenting, and learning suddenly felt seen.

The Beginning: A Simple Application, A Quiet Hope

It all started with a form.

Indic MediaWiki Developers User Group announced that applications were open for the upcoming hackathon. I remember filling it out late at night, thinking about the mini-hackathon at IIIT Hyderabad during 3rd WTS 2024 earlier that year—the spark it lit, and how much more I wanted to do for the movement. This time, I wasn’t just showing up to explore; I wanted to contribute with intention.

Three weeks passed. Then one afternoon, the email arrived.

“We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected…”

I read that line again. And again. It was a mix of disbelief and quiet pride. Not a loud celebration, but a moment where I felt the Wikimedia technical community whisper back, “We see what you’re doing. Keep going.”

Arriving in Bhubaneswar

The hackathon venue felt alive the moment I walked in—groups huddled around laptops, conversations flowing across tables, contributors greeting each other like old friends even if they were meeting in person for the first time. The energy wasn’t chaotic; it was purposeful.

What struck me most was how instantly the room made you feel like you belonged. Whether you were a long-time technical contributor or someone still finding your footing, there was space for you to learn, build, and ask the questions you were afraid to ask elsewhere.

Finding My Flow

The first few hours were a mix of exploring issues, syncing with mentors, and choosing where to begin. Very quickly, I found myself diving into familiar territory—the Wikisource contest backend.

My Contributions

Wikisource Contest Backend

• PR1 — https://github.com/indictechcom/wscontest-backend/pull/2
• PR2 — https://github.com/indictechcom/wscontest-backend/pull/12

Indic Wiki Stats

• PR3 — https://github.com/indictechcom/indic-wsstats/pull/26

But the turning point of the event came unexpectedly.

A few community members shared a need: A simple, reliable way to transliterate between Indic languages and scripts.

That conversation stayed with me. And under the guidance of Satdeep Gill (WMF), the idea started taking shape. What began as a casual discussion gradually grew into a tool.

Indic Wiki Transliteration Tool

• Tool: https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tool:Indicwiki_Transliteration_Tool
• Sandbox: https://indicwiki-transliterate-api.toolforge.org/docs
• User Script: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Agamyasamuel/Indicwiki-Transliterate-User-Script.js
• Demo: https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indicwiki-Transliterate-User-Script-Demo.webm

Building the tool wasn’t just a technical exercise for me—it was a reminder that community conversations often contain the seeds of real impact. When I finally demoed it during the lightning presentations, I could feel the room leaning in with curiosity. A few nods. Some smiles. People taking notes. That moment meant more to me than I expected.

Learning From People Who’ve Been Building Longer Than I Have

Throughout the hackathon, I found myself in conversations that stayed with me long after the sessions ended.

Talking with KCVelaga (WMF) about scaling contributions. Discussing GSoC stories with Vasanth Gopa. Exchanging ideas with Abijeet Patro (WMF), Jinoy, and Ranjith Siji.

These weren’t just mentorship moments—they were reminders that every contributor, no matter where they start, is part of a lineage of people building for open knowledge.

Some of these conversations even spilled into social media, where we continued sharing updates, celebrating each other’s work, and cheering for every small win. It felt like community in the truest sense.

The Moments in Between

Not everything was clean and structured. Some hours were messy—chasing a stubborn bug, switching tasks, rewriting logic, or finding out a fix broke something else downstream. But the best part? You were never debugging alone.

There was always someone willing to help. Always someone offering context. Always someone ready to ask, “Want to walk through it together?”

For me, that’s the real magic of a Wikimedia hackathon.

What I Took Back Home

As the event wrapped up, I found myself replaying the three days in my head: the laughter over coffee, the intensity of final commits, the satisfaction of merging a PR after two reviewers gave the green light, the encouragement after a presentation.

I left Bhubaneswar not just with contributions—but with clarity. Clarity that I wanted to invest more deeply in Wikimedia tech. Clarity that my work was meaningful. Clarity that I had a community standing beside me.

A Heartfelt Thank You

To everyone who made the event possible—

• The Indic MediaWiki Developers User Group Organizing Team
• The Odia Wikimedians User Group
• Volunteers and mentors

Thank you for building a space where contributors like me can grow, learn, and feel valued. Without your work, none of this would have been possible.

Closing Reflection

Some events teach you skills. Some events give you memories. But a few rare ones shift your direction just enough to change what you want to do next.

The Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Bhubaneswar 2024 did that for me. And I’m grateful I got to be part of it.

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