Culture is an integral part of one’s identity. However, with modern influences, culture and its most essential roots are losing touch with modernity. It is imperative to maintain culture and its nuances so that generations in the future can stay connected with ancestral traditions and virtues. In order to preserve culture and keep it going, the Odisha state government has launched the Odia Virtual Academy website – a resource platform to preserve resources of Odia language and culture of the State.
Through this scheme, the state government will present Odial as the language of Knowledge and Science before the Current and future generations which will preserve the Dignity of the state.
What is the Odia Virtual Academy website or OVA portal?
The OVA portal contains library books, magazines, dictionaries, information on cultural dance and music and even translations for the Odia language. The website also contains links for other Odia websites, OVA webinars, virtual classes, online certification courses, citizen book upload, Odia software, Odia font, workshops, Odia blogs and Basic Odia language learning.
All these services and more details are present on the official Odia government website https://ova.gov.in/en/. This website will provide all the necessary information about the language and all that you need to know about it.
Objectives of the OVA
- Digitization of approximately 5000 rare and copyright-free books and establishment of a free digital library by 2021.
- Digitization of various dictionaries available presently and uploading on Odia Virtual academy website for Free access of citizens.
- Promotion of Odia Unicode font faces through the standardisation of typing keyboards and making those affordable for the public in the coming 6 months.
- Development of primers and uploading on Odia Virtual academy for easy learning and speaking of Odia by English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish people.
What is the purpose of the Odia Virtual academy?
- The main purpose of the OVA is to digitise and preserve rare Odia books, lexicon, ancient magazines-journals, traditional music, ancient documents, literature on science and history, folk culture, tribal language and literature, History-oriented essays, folk culture, the speech of great Odia personalities and dignitaries, Sri Jagannath culture, temple, architecture, etc.
- To preserve the noteworthy contributions of poets, writers, playwrights, journalists, critics, translators and literary stalwarts, those who enriched and protected the cultural treasure of the Odia language.
- To focus on and promote the recent trend of computer and internet-based application of language resources.
- To make online and internet-based linguistic and cultural resources available by looking at the growing popular trends of attaining service and information online.
- To provide software or typing tools at reasonable and affordable prices or free of cost for aking the Odia computer typing easy and affordable across levels.
Summing it up
Odia is one of the oldest languages and the cultural heritage traces back to decades of centuries. It is imperative to preserve the language and its cultural nuances as the world increasingly embrace modernity with arms wide open. To increase the popularity of the language and make it loved by all, the Odisha government has introduced this amazing scheme.