Bhubaneswar: One of the most ambitious digital programs of the Odisha Government, the Odia Virtual Academy has become an important source of information to millions of people around the world who are associated or want to be associated with Odia culture, heritage, language and literature.
Launched in November 2021 by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as part of the 5T initiatives, the OVA website has today become an obvious destination for scholars and general public alike.
With its rich digital collections of famous literary collections, biographies and information on a wide range of topics, the OVA has also given a lease of life to the fading traditions of Odisha.
The Odia Virtual Academy is set up as an organization for development, promotion and popularization of Odia language, literature and lexicography for general use. It is an organized initiative to encourage expeditious evolution and popularization of Odia books, magazines, journals, old songs, manuscripts, assembly speeches, archival records etc., by digitizing and providing internet based resources and opportunities for all the Odias living across the globe.
Through this website, people can also collect more information regarding Sri Jagannath Culture, various temples of Odisha, monuments, information on tribes and traditions of Odisha. The first and foremost objective of OVA is to portray the past and present in front of the future generations to recognize and popularize Odia as a language of knowledge and science.
Since the launch of the site an year ago, it has been able to digitize and preserve rare Odia books, lexicons, old magazines-journals, traditional music, old documents, literature on science and history, folk culture, tribal language and literature, history oriented essays, speeches of great personalities, Sri Jagannath Culture, temples and architectures. It has also digitally preserved the note-worthy contributions of illustrious poets, writers, playwrights, journalists, critics, translators and literary stalwarts who enriched and protected the treasure of Odia language and literature.
In this digital world of Internet, the Odia Virtual Academy has focused on making itself a part of the growing trend of computer and internet-based application of language resources. In order to enrich the experience of the readers, the OVA has tried to ensure simple and easy to use Odia language in computers and its liaison with competent govts/private organizations, institutions, academies and universities of the country and the state for relevant research work.
In a short period of time, it has been able to create a suitable environment for developing and promoting creativity of contemporary and upcoming generations in order to enrich the Odia virtual treasures.