Odisha State Museums: Budget Push, Preservation Efforts and the Road Ahead

Odisha’s 2026–27 state budget has placed renewed emphasis on cultural preservation, with major announcements centered on heritage conservation, museum development and digitization initiatives. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, while presenting the budget in the state Assembly, proposed the establishment of a world-class Shree Jagannath Museum and Library in Puri, reinforcing the government’s stated priority of preserving and propagating Jagannath culture.

A World-Class Museum in Puri

• The proposed museum in Puri will complement the historic Shree Jagannath Temple, one of India’s most revered 12th-century shrines. With an allocation of ₹1,000 crore for initiatives linked to Jagannath culture, the project aims to:
• Create a global-standard museum and research library
• Digitally connect devotees through the ‘Samarpan’ digital hundi platform
• Restore the spiritual and architectural heritage of the Gundicha Temple
• Undertake conservation work at Emar Mutt, Pramod Udyan and Raghunandan Library
• Prepare a detailed inventory of the Ratna Bhandar ornaments

This initiative signals a broader shift toward integrating heritage conservation with tourism development and digital accessibility.

Condition of Odisha’s Existing Museums

Odisha houses several state-managed museums that preserve its rich maritime, tribal, artistic and archaeological heritage. However, many institutions face infrastructural and modernization challenges.

1. Odisha State Museum, Bhubaneswar

The Odisha State Museum holds valuable collections of palm-leaf manuscripts, sculptures, inscriptions, coins and folk art. While it remains a key cultural institution, sections of the museum require upgraded galleries, improved lighting, climate control systems and digital cataloguing facilities. The budget allocation of ₹10 crore for maintenance of galleries is a step toward modernization.

2. Odisha State Maritime Museum, Cuttack

Located at Jobra in Cuttack, the Odisha State Maritime Museum highlights Odisha’s ancient maritime trade links across Southeast Asia. Recent maintenance activities, including work on its aquarium facility, indicate ongoing infrastructural needs. Although operational, the museum requires technological upgrades, interactive displays and enhanced visitor services to meet contemporary standards.

3. District and Thematic Museums

Several district-level and thematic museums across Odisha face common issues:

• Limited funding for upkeep
• Shortage of trained museum professionals
• Lack of digitization of collections
• Minimal public engagement and outreach programs

Central Scheme for Museum Development: Objectives and Scope

The broader national scheme for museum development aligns closely with Odisha’s current initiatives. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance for:

Objectives

• Setting up new museums at regional, state and district levels
• Strengthening and modernizing existing museums
• Digitizing art objects and creating online catalogues
• Capacity building and training of museum professionals

Scope

Financial assistance covers museums managed by Central and State Governments, societies, autonomous bodies and trusts. The scope includes:

• Museums with collections of antiquities, numismatics, paintings, ethnology, textiles and crafts
• Online Virtual Museums
• Theme-based museums
• Virtual Experiential Museums (VEM)
• Projects of National Importance

Monitoring Mechanism

Museums receiving assistance must report annual visitor footfall for five years after project completion. A Project Monitoring Committee under the Ministry periodically reviews progress to ensure effective implementation.

Steps Toward New Museums in Odisha

The proposal for a Shree Jagannath Museum reflects a strategic cultural vision. Discussions around new museums in Odisha increasingly focus on:

1. Digitization and Virtual Access
2. Creating online archives and virtual walkthroughs to attract global audiences.
3. Experiential and Theme-Based Museums
4. Developing immersive storytelling spaces around Jagannath culture, maritime history and tribal heritage.
5. Capacity Building
6. Training curators, conservators and archivists in modern museum management practices.
7. Public-Private Partnerships
8. Involving trusts, academic institutions and autonomous bodies to strengthen governance and funding.
9. Tourism Integration
10. Linking museums with pilgrimage and heritage circuits to boost visitor engagement and revenue.

The Way Forward

Odisha stands at a critical juncture in cultural infrastructure development. While existing museums preserve invaluable heritage, many require modernization to remain relevant and engaging. The proposed Jagannath Museum in Puri could serve as a benchmark for future museum projects in the state—combining tradition, technology and tourism.

If effectively implemented, the new initiatives may transform Odisha into a leading cultural hub, where heritage preservation coexists with digital innovation and global outreach.