Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated the official website of the Odia Virtual Academy-- www.ova.gov.in-- at the state secretariat here.

In the initial phase, as many as 160 popular Odia books related to literature have been digitized and placed in the website with an aim making those reach the lovers of the language and Odia literature, not only in the state but also across the globe.

A total of three MoUs were signed today with the University of Chicago Library, C-DAC and Centre for Internet and Society, Bengaluru to expedite digitization of Odia literature and development of Odia software.

The prime objectives of the website are digitization of approximately 2000 rare and copyright-free Odia books and establishment of a free digital library; digitization of various Odia dictionaries available presently and uploading them on the website for free access; promotion of Odia unicode font faces through standardization of typing keyboards and making those affordable for public in coming 6 months and development of primers and uploading those for easy learning and speaking of Odia by English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish people.

Odia Virtual Academy's purpose is to digitize and preserve rare Odia books, lexicon, ancient magazines-journals, traditional music, ancient documents, literature on science and history, folk culture, tribal language and literature, history-oriented essays, folk culture, speech of great personalities, Sri Jagannath culture, temple and architectures.