OM

Hi Friends, 

It is regarding the letter/word "OM" in Odishan script and Devanagari script.

The blog is uploaded to YouTube: OM
You may watch it on YouTube or read it here.

Lets have a look at the development of Orissan/Odishan script. The below chart is prepared by the linguistic and archeology departments in Odisha Govt. Look at the highlighted section.

In 12th to 13th century AD, the usage of Odishan letter "ଓ (sound of 'O' in the word 'crore')" was recorded.
But the O-kaara ୋ matra was recorded earlier in 8th to 9th century AD and so you can find something similar to କୋ (ko) in last but second column.
In the 15th century, the letter ଅ (in the 1st column for 'A') was recorded. This letter is unique in Odia language and pronunced as the 'O in doctor', not the 'O in crore'.

One day while discussing how OM written in Odishan script, I told it as ଓଁ but a friend told something different. Check the below pic.

From the time 8th to 9th century AD when O-kaara ୋ matra was recorded, the ଅ is also available but in a slight different shape and so OM/OUUM was in the shape as in the above pic.

Later in 12th to 13th century AD, when the usage of ଓ (O as in 'crore') is there, the  ଁ (chandrabindu) is added over it and it became ଓଁ (OM).
Just like other Odishan letter, this one too dont have any horizontal bar(maatra) over it unlike Devanagari script. 

Now look at the Devanagari script.
O is written as ओ (अ with the  ो kaara) like old Odishan format as there is no standalone O in Devanagari like Odishan ଓ.
The letter in Devanagari for 'ū' is ऊ and the उ (u) somewhat looks like Odishan ଓ(O) but the sound surely different.

Now coming to Sanskrit, see how OM is written.

Devanagari/Sanskrit OM looks like ॐ.
And the Odishan OM looks like ଓଁ .
Odishan script does not have horizontal bar over it, but how the Devanagari/Sanskrit script ॐ does not have the horizontal bar?
Odishan ଓଁ is a combination of ଓ(O) and   ଁ(Chandrabindu-M sound).
Sanskrit ॐ is a combination of ऊ(ū) and   ଁ (Chandrabindu-M sound) with the horizontal bar getting removed like Odishan script. If we take this, then the sound is UM, which is neither OM nor AUM. 

OmPrakash is written as ଓଁପ୍ରକାଶ or ଓମପ୍ରକାଶ in Odishan script.
But in Devanagari, it is written as ओमप्रकाश, NOT ॐप्रकाश.

Is it that the Odishan ଓଁ is taken straighaway and the maatra in the middle of Devanagari ऊ is added to it to make it look like a different letter in Sanskrit as ॐ?

I will be happy if someone can clarify my doubt by giving valid points.

-Ashish