Odisha State Museum

The Odisha State Museum, established in 1932, originated from a collection of archaeological treasures by historians. Initially focused on archaeology, it now houses over 55,000 exhibits spanning various sections including archaeology, natural history, art and craft. The museum showcases sculptures, terracotta, numismatics, copper plates and fine arts. Visitors can explore musical instruments, rare palm leaf manuscripts, coins and Orissan tribal artifacts among other historical relics.

Initially, it was only an Archaeological Museum with a collection of sculptures, terracotta, numismatics, copper plates and specimens of fine arts. With the growing interest of the staff and people, the antiquities were reorganized in a systematic manner. Stone sculptures were rearranged in three groups related to their styles: such as Gandhara Art, North Indian Art, Odisha Art, and each group were subdivided into Buddhist, Jain and Brahnmanical images. Terracotta objects and coins were also organised according to the spots they were found in, their age and types.

With the shifting of the State Capital from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar in l947-48, the Provincial Museum was also shifted there. Slowly the collection of antiquities and specimens grew manifold and the necessity of having a special building for the purpose was felt. The foundation stone of this building was laid on 29th December, l957 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President of the Indian Union. Dr. H. K. Mahtab, the then Chief Minister of Odisha and a noted historian himself took the initiative for making the institution a full fledged Museum. The construction of the building along with an administrative block, an auditorium (Kalamandap) and a Guest House was completed in l960 and in the same year the Museum was shifted to the new building. The institution was renamed the Odisha State Museum and in the same year.