Bhubaneswar, May 9: For the first time in Odisha, the fundamental Odia language learning book ‘Barnabodh’ will be published in a regional and tribal language-Santali. This new initiative is being launched by Odisha Book Emporium, marking a significant step toward promoting indigenous languages.
The content of the book will remain the same in terms of structure and design, but instead of Odia, the text will now be printed in Santali.
The Odia ‘Barnabodh’ is a core educational resource used to teach the Odia alphabet, basic vocabulary, and grammar to school children. Every year, Odisha Book Emporium sells around 3.5 million copies of this book. Responding to a request made a few months ago by Gajendra Hansda of Keonjhar, who works in the field of Santali language research, the publisher has decided to produce a Santali edition. Hansda had approached Shivashish Kar, the proprietor of the publishing house, with a manuscript of the translated version.
Initially, 5,000 copies of the Santali Barnabodh have been printed and are expected to be available in the market within a week. The cover photo of the book has already been released by the publisher ahead of the market launch.
The Santali language is widely spoken in districts such as Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Balasore in Odisha. Additionally, it is prevalent among the Santal population in Jharkhand and in regions of West Bengal (including Medinipur, Bankura, and Purulia) as well as eastern districts of Bihar. In 2003, Santali was officially recognized in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The Santali script, Ol Chiki, was created by the legendary poet Pandit Raghunath Murmu. In 2024, Maheshwar Soren was honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his play written in Santali.
The publication of Barnabodh in Santali is seen as a landmark event that will contribute significantly to enriching the linguistic and literary heritage of the Santali-speaking tribal communities.
