A five-day workshop on text editing commenced at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), a deemed-to-be university (SOA), here on Wednesday. Research scholars of the Odia language are being trained in the art of deciphering ancient manuscripts, editing them, and converting the text into books.
Fifteen research scholars from SOA, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, and Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, are participating in the workshop, which is the first of its kind in Odisha.
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Deciphering ancient manuscripts and text editing is not taught in any university in Odisha at present, and organising a workshop to train research scholars is a timely step taken by SOA, Prof Jatindra Kumar Nayak, eminent critic and translator, who attended the inaugural function as the chief guest, said.
The workshop has been organised by the SOA Centre for Propagation, Preservation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN). Three experts in the domain—Prof Gouranga Charan Das, Prof Pradipta Kumar Panda, and Prof Santosh Kumar Rath—are serving as trainers. The workshop comprises three sessions each day, including a practical session.
PPRACHIN, which is presently engaged in editing the Sarola Das Mahabharata, intends to churn out efficient editors in the state to bolster the efforts to preserve and propagate texts written centuries ago.
Prof Gayatribala Panda, Head of PPRACHIN, who addressed the inaugural ceremony, said such a workshop had not been organised anywhere in Odisha before. Dr Nihar Ranjan Mishra and Jiban Kumar Panda conducted the inaugural session.
