In a powerful call to protect Odisha’s priceless cultural legacy, Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Friday urged every citizen, temple, monastery, and family to come forward and help preserve the state’s ancient palm-leaf manuscripts and pothis.
Speaking after a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, the Chief Secretary said, “These manuscripts are not just old books — they are the living memory of our civilisation. Every pothi in your attic or family collection could hold answers that future generations will cherish. We need your cooperation.”
The meeting, chaired by Garg, reviewed the progress of the national Gyanbharatam Mission — the Government of India’s ambitious project to locate, document, conserve, and digitise manuscripts scattered across the country and upload them to a central National Digital Repository.
Odisha, with its extraordinary tradition of palm-leaf writing in Sanskrit, Pali, Odia, and regional languages, is playing a leading role. So far, 53,950 manuscripts have already been registered in the state. The Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department is now moving fast to survey, digitise, and safeguard them.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary Rashmita Panda and Special Secretary Deba Prasad Dash were present along with senior officers. The department has been asked to give special focus to districts that have reported the highest numbers — Ganjam, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Nayagarh, and Puri.
To make participation easy, the government is promoting the user-friendly Gyanbharatam mobile app. People can register their manuscripts themselves in minutes. Those who cannot register online will receive personal visits from survey teams. Manuscripts can be digitised on-site or temporarily handed over to the state museum for professional scanning before being returned safely.
The three-month statewide survey began on March 16, 2026, and will continue till mid-June. The Chief Secretary directed district collectors to form special committees, coordinate with local temples, libraries, and private collectors, and ensure the survey reaches every corner of the state.
In a landmark announcement, the Odisha government has also decided to establish a dedicated Pothi Museum — a major step towards permanently preserving and showcasing the state’s unique manuscript heritage. Garg emphasised that citizens have three easy options:
✅ Register voluntarily through the app
✅ Allow the survey team to visit and digitise at your location
✅ Temporarily lend manuscripts to the state museum for high-quality digitisation
The department has launched a massive awareness campaign through media and community networks to reach every village and town.
This is more than a government project — it is a people’s movement to protect thousands of years of Odisha’s knowledge, literature, philosophy, and history. Every palm leaf matters. Every citizen can be a guardian of this priceless legacy.
The Chief Secretary’s message was clear and emotional: “If you have even one old pothi at home, please register it today. Your small step will help preserve Odisha’s soul for centuries to come.”
