A Guide To ORISSA STATE MUSEUM

 

The genesis of the Orissa  State Museum goes back to the year l932,when two notable historians.Prof.N.C.Banerjee and Prof.Ghanshyam Dash of Ravenshaw College,Cuttack started collection of archaeological  treasures from various places.The small museum was then housed within the premises of the College. In l938,by a suitable order, the Government of Orisaa transformed this nucleus into the Provincial Museum of Orissa and appointed Committee of Management consisting of the Principal, the Head of the Department of History and three other Professors of the College.

                Maintaining close contact with the general public and the Archaeological Department of the Government of India and other States, the museum continued to grow. In order  to popularize the cultural exhibits of the museum,leaflets printed both in Oriya and English were published in Samaj and New Orissa,and copies of the same were sent to officials and the public to create a sense of a3areness about the significance of the museum.As a result of this publicity,students and the general public started visiting the museum in large numbers.The teachers of the History Department made sustained efforts to explain to them the cultural value of the museum and its exhibits.

            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 sc ulptures were rearranged in three groups related to their styles,such as Gandhara Art,North Indian Art,and Orissan Art,and each group was 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 29^th December,l957 by Dr.Rajendra Prasad,the President of the Indian Union.Dr.H.K.Mahtab,the then Chief Minister of Orissa and a noted historian himself,took the initiative for making the institut6ion a full fledged museum.The construction of the building alongwith 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 ne4w bu8ilding.The institution was renamed the Orissa State Museum and in the same year,the State Archives was formed as a separate institution.

            Over a period of about two and half decades the institution has continued to grow in many directions with a rich collection of exhibits including sculptures bronzes,coins,epigraphs,armoury objects,lithic and bronze age tools,natural history and anthrop9ological specimens,palmleaf manuscripts,traditional art objects, mining and geological treasures,folk and tribal musical instruments and a variety of handicrafts.During this period,ten branch Museums were established at places like Khiching,Baripada,Balasore,Salipur,Dhenkanal,Berhampur,Puri,Jeypore,Belkhandi and Khariar,and these are functioning as extension of the Orissa State Museum.

            The collections of the State Museum are divided into nine sections namely,Archaeology,Epigraphy and Numismatics,Armopury,Mining and Geology,Natural History,Art and Craft,Contemporary Art,Anthropology and Palmleaf s kept in the central and sectional stores are accessible to persons who have special authorization from the museum authorities for purposes of  research.

                Archaeology

            The Archaeology section offers a comprehensive panorama of the civilization of ancient and medieval Kalinga. The archaeological treasures exhibited in three big halls of the gallery cover a long span of time between 3^rd century BC and 13^th century AD incorporating the flourishing plastic art tradition of the State. The sculptures cover the Buddhist, Jaina, and Brahmanical pantheons. The heavy and crude Naga and Yaksha images are the earliest specimens of Orissan sculptures. The Buddha image of Khadipada, Amoghasidhi of Udayagiri, Lokanatha from Bhubaneswar, Jaina Tirthankaras from Podasingidi and Charampa of Balasore district, Saptamatrukas from Dharmasala, the Dikpala figures from Bhubaneswar exhibit exquisite workmanship in needle work fineness. Krishna-Vishnu of Dharmasala, a unique image symbolizing the fusion of Krishna and Vishnu in one, panels showing the Kaliyadalana scene, Vastraharana, transportation of elephants by boats etc.are some masterpieces of Orissan sculptural art. Here is an ensemble of sculptures from all schools of art that developed in this region, in chronological sequence, and are a living embodiment of Orissa’s rich cultural heritage.

Epigraphy and Numismatics:

            The early and medieval history of the State, as elsewhere in India, owes greatly to epigraphs and numismatics. The contribution of ancient Orissa in this context to Indian civilization is remarkable. The epigraphy gallery has the distinction of possessing original copper plate grants, stone inscriptions, a good number of plastercast impressions and estampages of the originals. These include the Bhadrakali stone inscription (2^nd century AD), the Asanpat stone 8inscription (6^th century AD) inscribed down below an eight armed Nataraja, the Jayrampur copper plate of Mahasamanta Achyuta, (the earliest grant in the collection) and the copper plate grants of the Sailodbhavas, Bhaumakaras, Bhanjas, Gangas and Gajapatis. These constitute very important source materials for research into the history and culture of the region. The numismatic treasures of the Museum consisting of Punch-marked coins of the pre-Mauryan and Mauryan age, Kusana and Puri-Kusana coins, Gupta gold coins, coins of Sri Nanda, Kalachuris, Yadava, Ganga fanams and silver coins of Mughal emperors throw considerable light on the history of the dynasties that issued them.

Armoury:

            The Section depicting ancient weapons like swords, shields, battle axes, guns and cannons, marks an important mile-stone on the march of civilization. The people living in the present exciting century, when the atom has been split and space travel has become a reality, can well admire the armoury of our ‘ancients’ which speak of their military strength and prowess. The prize collection is a personal gun of late Madhusudan Dash, one of the makers of modern Orissa.

Mining and Geology:

            Orissa’s rich mines with their treasures of iron ore, chromite, lime, lead, coal, bauxite, tin and semi precious stones is the envy of outsiders and have made a significant contribution to the State. A variety of stones like sandstone, soapstone, granite, chlorite etc. have been the basic materials for building great temples and monuments. The Mining and Geology gallery, opened with the assistance of the Directorate of Mines, contains samples of minerals and models of mining operations.

Natural History:

            This section mainly covers the fauna of the State. Birds and mammals, vertebrate and invertebrate specimens are colourfully displayed in two spacious halls and attract the instant attention of visitors. The dioramas depicting the Royal Bengal tiger family, the leopards, variety of bisons, Nilgais, black bucks, pangolin, a family of mouse deer amidst their natural habitat, and birds of different species give a glimpse of the large variety of animals found in the local environs.

Art and Crafts:

            Utkal, ancient name of Orissa, means land of excellence in art. The glorious heritage of Orissan art, as embodied in its antiquities, thrives even today among the numerous artisans of the State. The art and crafts gallery is a vast repository of exquisite pieces shaped with consummate skill at the hands of traditional artisans. Large free standing sculptures, cymbal players and drummers in sandstone in the style of the Sun Temple of Konark, lofty Kandarparatha, Chariot of the Love-God. Panchamukhi Siva, the image of Surya, varieties of wood carvings that once adorned royal courts, terracotta figures, silver Hawda, Tamzan and thrones from royal courts, appliqué and lacquer works of superb quality, Ramalila scenes in Kalamakari, Patta paintings, giant brass bulls, solid Radha images, tree lamps, Dhokra items, traditional bellmetal utensils and a unique hoard of Buddhist bronzes from Achyutarajpur are but a few samples of the bewildering variety of Orissan handicrafts and their artistic excellence.

Contemporary Art:

            In this gallery are displayed sculptures, oil and water colour portraits, landscapes, sketches and graphics prepared by contemporary artists of Orissa.

Gopabandhu Gallery:

            Utkalamani Pandit Gopabandhu Dash, a national hero, a versatile genius, a celebrated poet, a noted social worker, a pioneer journalist, a brave statesman and saviour of the suffering mass, is the subject of the first personnalia gallery of the Museum . The opening of this personnalia gallery in 1976 coincided with the celebration of his birth centenary. The life and work of this great Son of India is displayed in visual form through a variety of exhibits such as a diorama depicting Gopabandhu and his associates amidst flood-stricken people, three mural paintings on Satyabadi VanaVidyalaya, Gopabandhu in Bihar Orissa Legislative Assembly and among the Oriyas in Kidderpur Dock, Calcutta, a bronze bust, an oil painting of Gopabandhu and some photographs of his life and activities.

Anthropology:

            The Anthropology section comprises exhibits related to pre-historic, folk and tribal culture and musical instruments. Lithic and bronze age tools in original, the life of pre-historic people in paintings, rock shelter paintings and engravings remind visitors of the culture and civilization of earliest times.

            The depiction of tribals in dioramas, with singers and dancers in traditional forms, thematic displays of puppets, the tribal and folk musical instruments attuned to musical sounds in this section keep visitors spell bound.

Manuscript Gallery:

            This Section, with a large collection of rare manuscripts including more than 50,000 palm-leaf manuscripts, is a unique treasure of the State Museum. These are grouped into as many as 32 subjects and provide source material to researchers and scholars. These manuscripts are in Oriya, Telugu, Bengali, Persian, Nepalese and Sanskrit. There are writings on bamboo leaf, Bhurja bark, Kumbhi bark,and on hand-made paper. The earliest manuscripts Abhinava Gita Govinda by Kavichandra Ray Divakar Mishra dedicated in the name of Gajapati Purushottam Deva, Bhakti Bhagavata, Paipallada Samhita, Atharva Veda, Vedartha Prakash Tika on Kanva Samhita, Jnanavali Tantra, Angirasakalpa and Sangit Narayan are some rare acquisitions available in this section. Illustrated palmleaf manuscripts with typical Orissan style paintings, Ganjapas, beautiful calligraphies and medieval miniatures and Gopalila paintings provide a useful record of ancient Orissan painting tradition.

Library:

            The well-equipped reference Library of the Orissa State Museum is a destination point for researchers and scholars in different disciplines. The first major collection of the library was from the Archaeological Department of the Ex-State of Mayurbhanj. The total collection of the library at present exceeds 30,000 titles including books, periodicals, maps etc. and covers a variety of subjects like Art, Indian History, Archaeology, Architecture, Anthropology, Pre-history, Epigraphy, Numismatics, Iconography, Museology, Religion, Puranas, Natural History, Astrology and Litereture. Besides, old reports, Gazetteers, Encyclopaedias, Dictionaries, Almanacs, and Government Acts and Rules are also adequately represented in the collection.

            The Library is utilized by 350 to 400 outside scholars every month in addition to departmental scholars.

Publication & Seminars:

            The Orissa State Museum has brought out a series of monographs, edited works, a quarterly journal entitled the Orissan Historical Research Journal, Guide books and Pamphlets which disseminate knowledge on cultural exhibits and the activities of the Museum. There is a full-fledged editorial wing attached to the Directorate of Culture which is engaged in editing numerous ancient unpublished texts available in the State Museum.

            To Popularise the Museum as a center of culture and education and its multifarious activities, monthly seminars are being organized since 1979. A visit to the State Museum, a veritable tour through the colourful vistas of Orissa’s culture and history , is a rich, rewarding and unforgettable experience, a must for connoisseurs, students, scholars and tourists.