Prayag Dutta Joshi  http://odishawatch.in/rethinking-kosli-identity-language-literature-and-culture-of-western-odisha/  Prayag Dutta Joshi was an Indian writer and Kosli Language activist. He was born on 25 February 1913 to Shri Chandrasekhar Patjoshi and Smt. Brundabati Devi in Khariar, Nuapada. He spent his time in Kosal bharti kuria of Khariar. He studied up to class 8th at Raj Khariar and then went to Raipur for higher studies and completed his matriculation in 1932. He privately studied Ayurveda from 1934 to 1938 in Kashi at Kabiraj Dharamdas Chaukacharya. He was awarded with gold medal for securing the first position in All India level Ayurveda examination held in 1938. During his Kashi days he had authored four volumes of books on Ayurveda in Sanskrit. Prayag Dutta Joshi was the first person to declare the language of western Orissa (Kosal region) as an independent language and named it as "Kosli", and declared that: "ପୁନଃ ପୁନଃ ଘୋସୟାମୀ ପ୍ରସୃନ୍ବନ୍ତୁ ମନିସିଣଃ  ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ର| କୋସଲୀ ଭାସା ନୋପ ଭାସା କଦାଚନ" (Punah punar ghosayami Prasrunwantu manishina, Swatantraa Kosli bhasa, Nopa bhasa kadachana). “Kutek lokar gutek Bhasa Kosli amar Matru Bhasa”was his words that impress the mass to run the Kosli Bhasa Andolan.