Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday inaugurated ‘Akshar Bhumi’ (Odia language park) ahead of the three-day ‘Biswa Odia Bhasha Sammilani’ (World Odia Language Conference) beginning here Saturday.
The conference, which will be inaugurated by Patnaik at Janata Maidan here at 11am Saturday, will have 16 sessions and a special session on Jagannath consciousness, said Sujata R Karthikeyan, secretary, Odia language, literature and culture department.
A walk-through museum has also been set up to showcase the history of Odia language. Language experts from different parts of India and abroad and Odia associations will attend the conference, she said.
The secretary appealed to all Odias living in the state and abroad to sing “Vande Utkal Janani” simultaneously at 11am on February 3 to mark the conference’s inauguration.
The recommendations and outputs of the conference will be implemented by the Odisha government as per the direction of the chief minister, she added.
Officials said it will be attended by a number of internationally renowned scholars including Padma Shri Hermann Kulke, Uwe Skoda, Arlo Griffiths, Ante Schmedichen and many national-level scholars.
Uwe Skoda and Arlo Griffiths were given a rousing welcome after their arrival at Biju Patnaik International Airport here.
Renowned Odia writer Debi Prasanna Pattanayak will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Odia language and linguistics.
Apart from this, several Jnanpith award winners, Padma awardees, Sahitya Akademi awardees, will also be honoured during the conference.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) have organised a series of events in Bhubaneswar on the sidelines of the conference.
Ekamra Utsav will also start on Saturday to celebrate the rich heritage of Odisha.
Through thoughtful curation, the festival will serve as a vibrant demonstration of the state’s diverse and enduring heritage.
PTI