‘e-Pothi’ launched in Odisha; 40, 000 palm leaf manuscripts now available online

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Sept 29:

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘e-Pothi’ programme at the Odisha State Museum premises here today.

Under the programme, nearly 40,000 palm leaf manuscripts have been digitized and uploaded in the State Museum portal www.odishamuseum.nic.in for the benefit of readers and research scholars worldwide.

With this, Odisha has become the first state in the country to digitize ancient manuscripts.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said Odisha has nearly 40,000 palm leaf manuscripts on Veda, Tantra, Purana (mythology), Ayurveda, Astrology, Literature, Mathematics, Grammar, Shilpa Sastra, Natural Wonders and Gita Govinda in 27 segments.

“With their proper conservation, these rare manuscripts available online would be a great advantage to the researchers, intellectuals, students and common man across the world and an excellent medium for the massive propagation of the pristine culture and tradition of Odisha,” he pointed out.

The manuscript digitisation is developed by the State Museum in association with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Odisha.

Tourism and Culture minister Ashok Panda informed that the State Museum will soon have new galleries that would showcase Patta Chitra paitings, the history of freedom struggle in Odisha and Odisha over the ages.