Bhubaneswar: The three-day Biswa Odia Bhasa Sammilani or the first World Odia Language Conference is going to be held from 3rd February to 5th February at Janata Maidan in Capital Bhubaneswar. The first and largest ever event associated with Odia language will see a host of activities and attendance by many distinguished participants from across the country and international delegates. In this context, a press meet was organized that was attended by the Minister for Tourism, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Ashwini Kumar Patra, Principal Secretary, Department of Information & Public Relations Sanjay Kumar Singh, Commissioner Cum Secretary, Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Sujata R. Karthikeyan, Department Director, Dilip Routray and Director, I& PR Department, Saroj Kumar Samal were present.
Speaking to media, Minister Ashwini Kumar Patra requested the cooperation of all Odias from within and outside the State to make this global conference being organized under the guidance of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik a grand success. Commissioner Cum Secretary, Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Sujata R. Karthikeyan gave detailed information about the contours, objectives and various programmes to be organized during the three day event.
The Conference will be attended by a number of internationally renowned scholars such as Padma Shri Prof. Harman Kulke, Prof. Uwe Skoda, Prof. Arlo Griffiths, Prof. Ante Schmedichen and many national-level scholars.
During the event, Dr Debi Prasanna Pattanayak will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Odia language and linguistics. Apart from this, Jnanpith award winners, Padma award winners, Sahitya Akademi awardees, Kabir Samman awardees, and the highest award winners of the State Academy will also be honoured.
The Conference will showcase a well-crafted exhibition of Odisha’s glorious past, dynamic present and inspiring future. The exhibition is organized on three broad themes and timelines i.e. ancient, middle and modern.
The exhibition will showcase the origin and evolution of Odia language and script, ancient stone carvings, copper plates, palm leaf pothis, Kalinga-style temple architecture, and paintings related to Odisha’s maritime trade through beautiful paintings. A renaissance of medieval Odia literature will be showcased and the State’s art and sculpture, dance and musical traditions will be on display.
The Conference will also see a brainstorming session that will discuss the arrival of the printing press and its impact on the spread of Odia language and showcase appropriate artworks and photographs. Contemporary newspapers, magazines and modern thinkers.
The present era is driven by Science and Technology. The Odia language and literature will meet the challenges of the future by joining hands with the rapidly changing world. This Conference will not only deliberate on these issues but will also demonstrate the progress of Odia language towards the larger world.
It will highlight Odia Virtual Academy displays, Wikipedia and Odia fonts. Showcase the journey towards the Digital age of Odia language.
A special tribute will be paid to Utkala Gauraba Madhusudan Das on the second day i.e., 4 February 2024 during the Conference.
In order to inculcate and promote the habit of reading among school students and youth, a concept called Asa Padhiba – Let’s Read, will be taken up through a mobile library, bus and mobile book art. Statues and oil paintings of the distinguished personalities will be displayed commemorating their contributions. Odia signatures of eminent personalities will also be displayed.
Special Dak rooms and information boards will be displayed to make the exhibition more vibrant for children. A full-fledged ‘Konark Ashva’ statue will be placed at the centre as a symbol of the conference. Intellectual sessions and conference programmes will be broadcast live.
On this occasion, an International Poetry Festival will be organized at KIIT, and Sikhsha O Anusandhan will organize an International Literature festival. Likewise, Revenshaw University Cuttack will organise a festival on Cinema and Theatre and a seminar on the role of Odia Cinema. Apart from this, BDA and BMC will organize Ekamra Utsav in Bhubaneswar.
The conference is a collective festival of the people of Odisha. On this occasion, various programs, competitions are being organized among the students at the University, College and School level.
A special ‘Gram Sabha’ will be organized in all Panchayats interested in Odia language and literary activities to partner with the Conference. These programmes will also be conducted at the Block Level. Instructions have been issued for paying homage to the eminent personalities and great sons of Odisha. This conference is being organized with all Departments, stakeholders, organizations, individuals and volunteers. In order to commemorate the conference, the State Government has requested the Odia brothers and sisters living in the state and abroad to sing “Vande Utkal Janani” simultaneously on February 3rd at 11.30 a.m. on the occasion of the inauguration of the Festival.