HISTORY & OBJECTIVE

The Institute of Oriya Studies, also called the ODIA GABESHANA PARISHAD was started in October, 1980 and has been functioning since then with its various programmer then envisaged. Most of what is known as research in the field of Oriya language and literature has usually been through the Oriya departments of the five or six Universities functioning in the State and most of it again has been by aspirants, who wanted to earn a research degree for a boost in their career. More than half a century ago, there has been the ‘Prachi Samiti’, a pioneer organization for research in Oriya, started by Prof. Artaballabha Mohanty and a few other associates. There was no University existing at that time in Orissa. Research in Oriya literature was not yet in vogue. The Prachi Samiti undertook the publication of old manuscripts after duly editing them and thus brought to light the rich store of poetry and wisdom, that was once Orissa’s legacy.

The efforts of the ‘Prachi Samiti‘ stopped short after the demise of its worthy pioneers, and with education and research in independent India becoming more and more institutionalized through officially recognized agencies, independent group effort was almost thrown overboard. The Institute of Oriya studies has been, as it were, an effort to fill up exactly that gap and a group of likeminded friends have come together  to make it into a real fact. Unlike the ‘Prachi Samiti’, it has also modern literature within its terms of reference. It has now in its fold about two hundred members and they constitute mostly those, who teach language and literature at the College and University level and are also interested in research. The affairs of the Institute are coordinate and seen through by a working committee, consisting of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Joint-Secretary, a Treasurer together with four other members. The working committee is reconstituted in a general body meeting once in five years.

Among the conspicuous activities of the Institute of Oriya Studies, is its journal ‘Esana’, brought out twice a year. It is the only journal in the state completely given to criticism, research and review of books. To date, Ninety issues of the ‘Esana‘ have come out and the first fifty eight issues have been compiled into twenty-nine volumes, called ‘Esana Prabandhabali’. During its annual meets, the Institute has also organized seminars, on themes like Creative Criticism, Comparative Criticism, An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of Literature, Feministic Criticism, Stylistics and Aesthetics, Dalit Movement and Dalit Literature etc. The papers of the most of the seminars are already available in book-form and the rest are either in press or under preparation. The Institute’s other publications include Adhunika Ababodha (The Modern Sensibility), Odia Bhasacharchara parampara (A Short History of the studies about the Oriya language), ‘Nandan Tatwa’ (essays on aesthetics), ‘Loka Sahitya’ (folk literature) as well as critical editions of ‘Shrirodha’ by Balaram Das, a celebrated name of 16th Century, ‘Haravati’ by Ramchandra Pattanayak of 18th Century, ‘Rasamanjari’ by Upendra Bhanja of 18th Century and ‘Ramkrushna Kavya-Sangrah’ of 19th century Oriya Literature, Karatali by Pandit Gobinda Rath, Utkal Bhramanam by Phakir Mohan Senapati, etc. so far institute has published thirty research books till date. Needless to say, these publications have been well-received by all who may care.

The Institute has regular occasions for reading of prepared papers, where a member presents a critical essay on a subject and after that the theme is kept open for discussion. Till now we have had seventy six such occasions and the venues have been in different places in the State. Besides, the Institute has initiated ‘Kshetrabasi Sahitya- Vidya Puraskar, a prize awarded every year to a critic or researcher.

The programme of the last forty five years of the Institute has nothing to be disappointed about. It is true that with greater financial resources, it could have achieved more. Yet, in spite of the many limitations, it has definitely come to stay and will continue for the years to come. Friends and well-wishers, both within the Government and otherwise have all along looked upon our needs with sympathy and understanding. We have only gratitude to express. We are convinced that, as long as more and more of us are willing to give our best efforts, assistance will be forthcoming and things will not suffer for want of money.