Virasya — AI-Powered Heritage Marketplace

Virasya is a real, functional prototype that connects Indian artisans with global buyers. It uses Firebase for data/auth and Google Genkit (Gemini) for its AI features.

🚀 Tech Stack & Architecture

• Frontend: Next.js 15 (App Router) with Tailwind CSS & ShadCN UI.
• Authentication: Real Firebase Auth (Google & Email/Password).
• Database: Real-time Firestore database.
• AI Engine: Google Genkit + Gemini 2.5 Flash for Vision, Translation, and Content Generation.

  Users (Artisan / Buyer)
        │
        ▼
Frontend (Next.js UI)
        │
        ▼
Server Actions (Next.js Backend)
        │
 ┌───────────────┬───────────────┐
 ▼               ▼               ▼
Genkit AI        Firebase Auth   Firestore DB
(Gemini 2.5)     (Login/Roles)   (Products, Users)
 │                                 │
 ▼                                 ▼
AI Outputs                    Real-time Sync
Stories, Titles,              Marketplace Data
Marketing, Translation

🛠 Local Setup (How to implement it)

To run this locally, you need a Firebase project.

1. Firebase Console:
   • Create a project at console.firebase.google.com.
   • Enable Authentication (Google and Email/Password providers).
   • Enable Cloud Firestore in "Test Mode" (for development).
2. Configuration:
   • Create a "Web App" in your Firebase project.
   • Copy the firebaseConfig object into src/firebase/config.ts.
3. Environment Variables:
   • Create a .env file in the root.
   • Add GEMINI_API_KEY=your_google_ai_studio_key. Get it from aistudio.google.com.
4. Install & Run:

   npm install
   npm run dev

🌐 Deployment (Alternatives to Google Cloud)

Since you want to avoid Google Cloud's premium features, Vercel is the best alternative:

1. Connect to GitHub: Push your code to a GitHub repo.
2. Vercel Import: Import the repo into Vercel.
3. Environment Variables: In Vercel's project settings, add:
   • GEMINI_API_KEY: Your Gemini key.
   • NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_CONFIG: (Optional) If you want to externalize your Firebase config.
4. Firestore Rules: Ensure you deploy the rules in firestore.rules via the Firebase Console so your data is secure.

📂 Documentation

• docs/DATABASE.md: Deep dive into Firestore structure.
• docs/AI_INTEGRATIONS.md: How Genkit flows work.
• docs/DESIGN.md: The artisan-focused design language.