At a Glance:

ODISHA is known for its Deity, the DARU DEVATA JAGANNATH, and his CAR FESTIVAL, the mahodadhi and its picturesque sea shore, the SUN Temple of Konark and other temples, the filigrees, the Pattachitras, and of course the people, their costumes and traditions. Art and Architecture, Music and Dance, Religion and Languages, which are vast in nature and rich in diversity.

About 62 Tribes including 13 Primitive Tribal Groups constitute a sizable percentage of the population of Orissa. In an attempt to bring these Tribes and P.T.G.s to the main stream of the Odishan existence and identity, the Govt., decided to have a detailed study, through Research projects; the languages and cultural heritage of these Tribes and PTGs, there by the Govt., machinery could reach them with developmental programmes.

              Since Language and culture integrally related to the development and they have to be studied as important parameters in the entire developmental process, and further to preserve the social, cultural uniqueness of the tribes and PTGs form the decaying process of the changing time ; the inception of an Academy was conceived - and in 1979, the Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture (ATDC) was established by Government of Odisha, in ST and SC Development Department conferring Autonomous statues to the Academy.

              The Academy was registered under the Society Registration Act of 1860, vide Regd. No. 158/523 of 1979-80.

              But in 2008-2009, the governing Body, having been satisfied with the multidimensional activities of the Academy, in its 33rd meeting decided to change the nomenclature of the Academy and accordingly the name of the Academy was changed from Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture(ATDC) to Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture(ATLC).

The Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC) is housed in its own building called as the "Adivasi Bhasa Prasikshyan Bhavvan" situated close to the Adivasi Exhibitiion Ground, Unit - 1, Bhubaneswar-751009.