Bhubaneswar, Feb 2: The new edition -- reprinted version -- of 'Barnabodha' has been unveiled on the occasion of Shree Panchami and Saraswati Puja, which is also the birthday of 'Bhakta Kabi' Madhusudan Rao.

Rao, who was born on Shree Panchami in 1853, had written the 'Barnabodha', which was first published in 1895. The reprinted version was unveiled Sunday by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also released the digital copy of the book.

The new edition of the Barnabodha has been reprinted by the Institute of Odia Studies & Research (IOSR) on behalf of the Odia Language, Literature & Cultural Dept.

Deputy CM Prabhati Parida and Ekamra MLA Babu Singh were also present at the ceremony along with other dignitaries.

Barnabodha has a special place in Odia reading and writing. The Barnabodha was modified by the authors in 1912.

The first thing in any language is a letter, and then the words. Keeping the needs of children in mind, Rao wrote a timeless book in the Odia language. The 1901 edition of the Barnabodha is the new edition of 2025. The errors in the previous book have been corrected. Some new images have been added.

What CM Majhi said... (in his post on 'X')

"When India became independent, the literacy rate was only 12 per cent. It indicates, by 1900, the literacy rate was on single-digit. There was another problem with Odia language. Although the Odia language and literature were appreciated by many literary personalities, it could not be accepted as the language of the common people. And the main reason behind it was its complexity -- the structure, pronunciation, writing and purity of the written Odia language," wrote CM Majhi in the post.

"Therefore, in order to teach so many people, it was a must for the language to be prepared in a simple, understandable way. At the same time, the originality of the language has to be maintained. Therefore, 'Barnabodha' was written to solve it. 'Bhakta Kavi' Madhusudan Rao, the author of this book, has brilliantly demonstrated how to teach letters, phrases, words, formation of words and sentences to tender students in a simple way," added the Chief Minister.

"The language of the book was simple and easy to understand. By giving simple examples like animals, birds, morning, evening, surrounding scenes, he attracted the tender minds. This book became a part of every Odia family in a very short time. It was first published in 1895. Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that eight editions of the book were published between 1895 and 1901," wrote CM Majhi.

Concluding his post, CM Majhi wrote: "It is a matter of great pleasure that the Institute of Odia Studies & Research (IOSR) has brought out a new edition of Barnabodha to propagate it further. By printing the original text without altering it, its spirit and language have been respected. I hope that our children will enjoy this book. This will help them to learn the language easily."

read more Odisha News