Monalisa Patsani
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 1: Entering the 120-year-old house of Gopal Krushna Das, a lecturer in the Oriya department of PN Autonomous College in Khurda is like entering a museum, with the numerous shelves filled with ancient artefacts from different parts the country.
Das, who has been moulding young minds in the college for the past 25 years, loves collecting all sorts of artefacts. From ancient coins to different types of bottles, everything can be found in his house.
“I love traveling and wherever I go, I collect some souvenirs to add to my collections. I have been collecting antiques for the past 15 years. There could have been more if I had started earlier,” said Das.
“All sorts of things such as ancient weapons, old cameras, tools from the neolithic and paleolithic age, statues, gemstones from Australia, palm leaf manuscripts, weapons used in the Paika rebellion collected from different villages of Khurda are there in my collections,” said Das. Coins from the Gupta, Mughal and British period are also beautifully exhibited on glass tables.
Visitors entering the drawing room are welcomed with a glimpse of several palm-leaf manuscripts kept in glass shelves. There are also pens used in 1946.
“Most of the palm leaf manuscripts belonged to my maternal grandmother who got them from her mother. Some of them are around 200 years old,” he said.
“I developed this interest from my father and grandfather. My grandfather, Chakradhar Das, was very interested in collecting artefacts from different parts of the country. He used to collect palm leaf manuscripts and other books. A library was also established in the house in 1910 and was open to everyone,” Das said.
“My father, Radha Govind Das, a section officer in the general administration department, was a great art lover and used to attend all cultural events in the state. He used to collect artefacts and autographs of eminent artists. I developed the same interest,” he said.
The oldest piece in his collection is a wood fossil that he found from Pondicherry that he proudly shows everyone.
A post graduate from the Oriya department of Santiniketan, Das is not only a great art lover but is also known as a writer among his colleagues and has published many poems and essays in different journals and magazines in India and abroad. He also used to paint as a student and had even held a solo painting exhibition at Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi 20 years ago.
“Writing is something that gives immense satisfaction. So far I have published four books —Highlights of Khurda and Historic Barunei, Swarnva Swapna, Sangrami Mathura Prasad and a collection of Oriya poems Nile Niyati, Nila Runa Rati,” said Das.
“When I was young, I used to be very creative. However, now I hardly get any time for painting or other activities. A few years back I made a documentary on Buddhism in Khurda and intend to make another on the Paika rebellion,” he said.
Das has also received a silver medal from the postal department in January for his collection of stamps on Indian feudatory states. “I have around 1,200 postal stamps,” he said.
“Students often visit my house to know about archaeology, history, art and craft. I feel very proud when I see the curiosity in my students about the history of the state and the country. Research students often visit me and I help them with documents and other material,” said Das.
