A Major Activity Of The Sahitya Akademi Is The Preparation Of An Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature. The Venture, Covering Twenty-Two Languages Of India, Is The First Of Its Kind. Written In English, The Encyclopaedia Gives A Comprehensive Idea Of The Growth And Development Of Indian Literature. The Entries On Authors, Books And General Topics Have Been Tabulated By The Concerned Advisory Boards And Finalised By A Steering Committee. Hundreds Of Writers All Over The Country Contributed Articles On Various Topics. The Encyclopaedia, Planned As A Six-Volume Project, Has Been Brought Out. The Sahitya Akademi Embarked Upon This Project In Right Earnest In 1984. The Efforts Of The Highly Skilled And Professional Editorial Staff Started Showing Results And The First Volume Was Brought Out In 1987. The Second Volume Was Brought Out In 1988, The Third In 1989, The Fourth In 1991, The Fifth In 1992, And The Sixth Volume In 1994. All The Six Volumes Together Include Approximately 7500 Entries On Various Topics, Literary Trends And Movements, Eminent Authors And Significant Works. The First Three Volume Were Edited By Prof. Amaresh Datta, Fourth And Fifth Volume By Mohan Lal And Sixth Volume By Shri K.C.Dutt.
This Book Is On The Drawings In The Palmleaf Manuscripts Of Orissa Drawn By The Scribes-Artists Who; Had No Family Background Of Art, No Training From Any Teacher.These Drawings Are Not Drawn By Pen Or Pencil But Etched By The Help Of An Iron Needle Called Style On Dry Palmleaves.They Are Based On The Text Of The Manuscripts And The Artists Have Shown Their Individuality In Their Drawings. They Are Successful In Expressing Their Feelings Through A Few Lines, Which They Have Drawn Spontaneously, But Precisely Within A Limited Space Of One To Two Inches (Which Is The Breadth Of The Palmleaf).