The early epigraphical records of the Puri inscriptions of Anangabhima III(1211-1238 CE), which is considered to be as one of the earliest Odia inscriptions showing the Gaudi characters, not only shows the stage of the proto, early and medieval phase if the evolution of the Odia script, but also the numericals in early proto-Oriya type while others to be that of the Telugu-Kannada type.Khilor inscription of Anantavarman (12th CE) shows the Gaudi or Proto-Oriya script round shape on the upper part, almost developed like the modern ones.The differences in letters script seems to indicate of the script being in a transitional phase. The Antirigam plate of Yashabhanjadeva (12th CE) depicts Odia calligraphy influenced by northern Nagari.The stone inscription of the Pottesvara temple, Ganjam district (137 CE), is a notable example of Odia script influenced by Telugu-Kannada variety.The Gumsur copper-plate grant of Netribhanjadeva (11th CE) depicts the medieval phase of this script in square and round variety.Odia language in old Odia script is seen on the right side while Tamil in Grantha on the left side. The same applies to a bilingual and biscriptual stone inscription (Odia and Tamil) from the reign of Narasimhadeva (13th CE), found at Bhubaneswar. The language used in the inscriptions is a dialect spoken on the border regions of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. One of the earliest specimens of the Odia script is that of the Urjam inscription dating from the 11th CE (1051 CE).Some of them belonging to different centuries are as follows.
Numerous instances of the items depicting all the respective stages of the development of the Odia script during the illustrious dynasties of Eastern Ganga, Somavanshi, Bhanja, Bhauma-kara, Sailodbhava dynasties. With regards to the epigraphical sources, the antiquities which display the various historical forms of writing in Odia script include rock-edicts, temple inscriptions, stone-slabs, pillar inscriptions, sculptures, copper-plates, coins and palm-leaf manuscripts, illustrated manuscripts, ivory plates and allied materials. Where it is mixed with Nagari and Siddham(squarish shape in upper-part). In southern Odisha-where it is mixed with Telugu-Kannada round, cursive form.In Northern Odisha-where the letters are written in Odia, mixed in with Siddham-derived Gaudi style(that is the right vertical part of the letter is slightly bent inwards).The archaic and medieval forms of Odia are more influenced by the calligraphy of the scripts of neighbouring regions, such as, The periods of development are in the following order, Īs with all the Brahmic scripts in the region, the Odia script developed through four stages which can be seen from the stone inscriptions, copper-plates and the manuscripts. The curved appearance of the Odia script is a result of the practice of writing on palm leaves, which have a tendency to tear with the use of too many straight lines. The absence of the inherent vowel in the consonant is marked by a virama or halanta sign below the consonant.ġ5th century copper plate grant of Gajapati emperor Purushottama Deva, showing the distinct formation of the shape of the modern Odia script This absence of schwa deletion which is also seen in Sanskrit, marks it from the rest of modern Indo-Aryan languages and their equivalent usage in related Brahmic scripts. Also, when certain consonants occur together, special conjunct symbols are used to combine the essential parts of each consonant symbol.Īn important feature of the Odia language seen in the script is the retention of inherent vowel in consonants, also known as schwa, at both medial and final positions. When vowels appear at the beginning of a syllable, they are written as independent letters. Diacritics (which can appear above, below, before, or after the consonant they belong to) are used to change the form of the inherent vowel. Odia is a syllabic alphabet or an abugida wherein all consonants have an inherent vowel embedded within. The script has developed over more than 1000 years from a variant of Siddhaṃ script which was used in Eastern India, where the characteristic top line transformed into a distinct round umbrella shape due to the influence of palm leaf manuscripts and also being influenced by the neighbouring scripts from the Western and Southern regions. The Odia script ( Odia: ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅକ୍ଷର, romanized: Oṛiā akṣara) is a Brahmic script used to write primarily Odia language and others including Sanskrit and other regional languages.