Odisha State Museum

Odisha State Museum in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is the state's premier museum located on Lewis Road near Kalpana Square. Established in 1932 and shifted to Bhubaneswar in 1947-48, it preserves Odisha's heritage through extensive collections. Notable for its archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, natural history, art and craft, and palm-leaf manuscript galleries, it displays stone sculptures, coins, inscriptions, paintings and tribal artefacts representing the region's history and cultural evolution.

Visitors can expect a two-storey museum complex with 11 major galleries including Archaeology, Epigraphy, Numismatics, Natural History, Art and Craft, Armoury, and Palm-leaf Manuscripts. The museum displays stone and bronze sculptures from Buddhist, Jain and Hindu traditions, ancient coins, copper plates, traditional Pattachitra paintings, palm-leaf manuscripts, tribal artefacts, and natural history specimens. Galleries are arranged thematically with labelled exhibits, and visitors can explore indoor halls and corridors at a leisurely pace.

Established in 1932 at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack by Prof. N. C. Banerjee and Prof. Ghanshyam Das with support of the state, the museum was later shifted to Brahmapur and then to Bhubaneswar in 1947-48 after Odisha's capital moved. The present building at Lewis Road was inaugurated in 1960. It was created to preserve and showcase archaeological finds, inscriptions, coins and art objects discovered across Odisha.

The museum is the principal repository of Odisha's cultural heritage, housing palm-leaf manuscripts, Pattachitra paintings, stone and bronze sculptures, tribal art and artefacts that illustrate the state's religious traditions, literary heritage, craftsmanship and tribal culture. It serves as an important centre for research and education on Odishan history and art.