Post News Network
Berhampur, April 22: Even as the administration claims to have taken necessary measures to preserve the state’s art and artifacts, the 34-year-old Berhampur Museum is still running from a rented house in Jayaprakash Nagar here. The address of the museum has been changed eight times since its inception and for the last one year, it has remained locked for most of the time.
The museum started functioning from the Bungalow of Jarada King near the office of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) in 1981. Later, it was shifted to eight places – Goilundi, Hillpatna, Gajapatinagar, Baidyanathnagar and others – before being shifted its present address.
Moreover, a number of antique and rare objects like a replica of Taj Mahal made of chalk have been damaged during shifting the museum over the years, said Rankanidhi Nayak, maintenance in-charge of the museum.
Currently, the museum houses a stupefied leopard, busts of a leopard and a jackal and remains of other animals. Ancient statues found from different parts of southern Orissa including that of Lord Shiva in ‘Tandava Nritya’ (dance of destruction) posture made of limestone, an Ox made of granite, headless Birabhadra, Lord Buddha, Lord Ganesha and a monument of Lord Jagannath’s chariot. Brass-made antique pieces of fishes and several gods and goddesses also adorn the rented house. While the museum was running from a rented house at Goilundi in 1993, eight ancient swords were stolen due to the irresponsibility of the concerned officer. Yet the authorities didn’t take any measure to ensure safety of the articles.
Most of the materials of the museum were brought from Chitrakonda. Some others were contributed by the royal family of Parlakhemundi. But the culture department didn’t the source articles from locals and royal palaces at Badakhemundi Gada, Chikiti Gada, Bada Gada and other areas surrounding Berhampur as these possess a lot of items of historical importance.
The Culture department should take measures to bring these items to the museum by paying proper prices to the owners, locals said. The residents and local historians have demanded the construction of a permanent building of the museum.
District culture officer Anil Kumar Kerketa said the problems will be presented before the concerned authorities and measures would be taken to sort them out. That apart, efforts would be made to collect rare materials from various sources, he added. The museum would be relocated to Hillpatna after construction of the Sanskriti Bhavan is over, Kerketa said. Foundation stone of the Sanskriti Bhavan was laid in 2004 but the construction started only a few months ago.