Odisha State Museum Bhubaneswar (Entry Fee, Timings, History, Images, Location & Entry ticket cost price)

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The Odisha State Museum is one of the biggest and most visited museums in the state. Located in BJB Nagar in Bhubaneswar, this museum was established in 1932 by two noted professors of Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, the then capital of Odisha. Later on, it was shifted to Bhubaneswar.

There are 27 different sections in the building, with the prominent ones being Epigraphy, Numismatics, Mining and Geology, Natural History, Archaeology, Armory, Anthropology, Contemporary Art, Art & Crafts and Manuscript. There are about 37,000 palm leaf manuscripts on Ayurveda, Gita Govinda, Silpasastra, etc. The museum is also known as the Odia Language Literature and Culture Department.

History of Odisha State Museum in Bhubaneswar

In 1932, two renowned historians of Ravenshaw College of Cuttack – Prof. Ghanshyam Dash and Prof. N. C. Banerjee – laid the foundation of the present-day Odisha State Museum. The museum at the time was located in the Ravenshaw college campus. In the beginning, the two distinguished gentlemen began collecting archaeological treasures from different places for the museum.

About six years later in 1938, the Government of Odisha, as per an official notification, upgraded the museum’s status to a Provincial Museum of the state. It went further and appointed a management committee comprising the Principal of the college, along with three Professors and Head of the History department to manage the museum.

With help from the general public and the Indian government’s Archeological Department and that of the other states, the office bearers were able to collect more exhibits for the museum with the passing of time. In the beginning, the museum had a good collection of specimens of fine arts, sculptures, copper plates, numismatics and terracotta artifacts; however, they were not kept in a categorical manner. Later on, the stone sculptures were grouped as per different artforms, namely Odisha art, Gandhara art and North Indian art. These were further sub-categorized into Brahmanical, Jain and Buddhist. The terracotta artifacts and coins were rearranged as per their type, age and place of discovery.

After India’s independence, the city of Bhubaneswar was made the capital of Odisha and with this, the Provincial Museum too was shifted to the new state capital. The collection of exhibits grew manifold with time and as a result, there was a need for a new building. This led to the construction of the present-day building.

The foundation stone of the new building was laid on 29th December 1957 by the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. In 1960, the construction of the museum building, along with an auditorium, guest house and the administrative block was completed. In the same year, the exhibits were moved to the new building and it was named as the Odisha State Museum.

Architecture of Odisha State Museum Bhubaneswar

The museum campus is spread across an area of 15 acres, of which the main building covers approximately 6898 m while the beautiful sculpture garden is spread over about 15942 m. Along the garden, a parking lot has been developed. Inside the four-storey museum complex, a natural history park along with a children's park has been built.

The entrance area leading to the main complex has been accentuated with a cascading fountain, a streamlet, the garden and two huge Gaja-Simha motifs. Two life-sized dancing statues of Odissi dancers have been installed at the entrance of the museum.

Image Gallery of Odisha State Museum Bhubaneswar

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Things to do in Odisha State Museum

The State Museum of Odisha in Bhubaneswar is a treasure trove of the valuable past of Odisha and India across eras. On a visit to this amazing museum, tourists must visit its various galleries, including:

Natural History

This gallery has been themed on the fauna of the state. Invertebrate and vertebrate specimens of various birds and mammals are on display here. The different dioramas depicting natural habitat of wild animals like leopard, Royal Bengal tiger, bison, black bucks, nilgais, mouse deer, pangolin and varied species of birds are the highlights of this section. Introduction of a sound system in the gallery has further augmented its charm.

Armory Gallery

In this section of the museum, the ancient weapons of Odisha’s military tradition that include battle axes, swords, cannons, shields and guns have been kept. The most prized collection of this gallery is the personal gun of late Madhusudan Dash, who was one of the architects of modern-day Odisha.

Mining and Geology Gallery

The state’s rich mines, which have made major contributions to its economic growth, are treasures of semi-precious stones besides lead, chromite, lead, tin, iron ore and lime. This gallery, which was started with the support of Directorate of Mines, has a varied collection of such stones, minerals and mining operation models.

Epigraphy and Numismatics Galleries

The Epigraphy gallery boasts of possessing original stone inscriptions, copper plate grants, estampages and plaster-cast impressions. On the other hand, the numismatics gallery comprises coins from the pre-Mauryan and Mauryan age, besides coins from the time of the Yadavas, the Kusanas, the Guptas and the Kalachuris, the Mughals, among others. In recent times, the gold coins from Somovansis and Sarabhapuriyas have been added to the significant coin collection of the Odisha State Museum of Bhubaneswar.

Manuscript Gallery

This gallery has a huge collection of rare manuscripts with 37,000 of them being written on palm leaves. These manuscripts have been categorized into 27 subjects including Odia, Bengali, Nepalese, Persian, Sanskrit and Telugu, among others. Besides palm leaf, writings on Kumbhi bark, Bhurja bark, bamboo leaf and handmade paper have been stored in this fantastic gallery.

Some of the other notable artforms kept in this section include palm leaf manuscripts featuring Odisha style paintings, miniature and calligraphic miniatures and Gopalila paintings, which form a part of the Odisha painting tradition. Manuscripts that are shaped as fish, parrot, sword, beaded mala and fan are a must see when in this part of the museum.

Art and Crafts

The Art and Crafts gallery has a large repository of exquisite art pieces, made by skillful traditional craftsmen of the region. Some of the notable works in this section are huge free-standing sculptures made of sandstone with typical style of the Sun Temple in Konark; Panchmukhi Shiva, Kandarparatha and varied wood carvings.

Anthropology Gallery

The Anthropology Gallery comprises dioramas depicting tribal lifestyle and culture in their original milieu & ethos. The audio presentations of their musical instruments are a treat for the ears. In this section, tourists will also find on display medieval drapery and dress system, besides the tribal hut assemblage with finer details, depicting the original tribal household.

The Patta Painting Gallery

This contemporary art gallery has on display modern sculptures and paintings, with some of the notable ones being Buddha Charita, Tadakabadha, Ravananugraha, Nauka Vihara, Kandarpahasti, Kandarparatha, Kaliyadalana and Taapoi. Some of the latest entrants to this gallery are the six-headed Kartikeya image from the Kalachuri period, four-handed Manasa figure from South Indian artform and a broken temple pillar of the Kosaliyan plastic pattern.

The Paika Gallery

This gallery is a new addition to the complex and is themed on the Paika revolution, an uprising of the Paikas (a warrior clan of the state) against British rule. A special light and sound show on the same theme is held twice a day in the campus. It has become a must-see attraction for tourists visiting this museum.

Odisha State Museum Timings and Entry Fee

The museum gates open at 10 am and close at 5.30 pm. The ticket counter timings are 10 am to 4.30 pm. The timings for the special Paika Rebellion Light and Sound Show are 11.30 am to 12.15 pm (1st show) and 3.00 pm to 3.45 pm (2nd show). The museum remains closed on 2nd and 4th Saturdays and on all Mondays of a month as well as on State Government holidays. The entry fee is Rs. 10 for Indians and Rs. 100 for foreign nationals.

How to Reach State Museum Bhubaneswar, Odisha

The museum is located near a prime location of the city – Kalpana Square, BJB Nagar and reaching here is quite easy from the airport and railway station by availing prepaid taxi and auto-rickshaw services. The Biju Patnaik International Airport is only about 3 km away from the museum and it takes about approximately 8 minutes to reach here via Janpath/Forest Park/Ekamra Road while from the Bhubaneswar Railway Station, it is only about 2 km away.

In case tourists are staying at a hotel in the city, they can either opt for a cab from top car rental companies in Bhubaneswar or auto-rickshaw or local transport bus service (Mo Bus) to comfortably reach the museum.

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Location Map for Odisha State Museum Bhubaneswar