Berhampur heritage: College of Art & Crafts, Khallikote

RP Tripathy

College of Art and Crafts, Khallikote, near Berhampur city in Ganjam District, is one of the leading Visual Art Institutions in India and the oldest institute of its kind in the State. It was established on 25th October 1957 in the palatial building of the Raja Saheb of Khallikote and it celebrated its golden jubilee a couple of years ago. Situated on the bank of the famous natural lake “Chilika” and surrounded by lofty mountains, lush green forests and a natural spring “Nirmal Jhar” the College attracts art lovers from across the country. Khallikote was a princely state of pre-independent India and is famous for its worthy rulers who laid the foundations for higher education in southern Orissa with the establishment of historic Khallikote College, several Mardaraj High schools and the college of Art and Craft. Raja Ramchandra Mardaraj Deo of Khallikote played a major role in the formation of the modern state of Orissa on linguistic basis and he attended the Round Table Conference in London for this purpose along with Maharaja KC Gajapati of Parala. Infact, His palace at Rambha was the epicenter of the movement.

The glorious history of Khallikote and the contributions of its rulers for higher education and in state formation have gone unrecognized thus far. Infact, two of their significant contributions i.e., Khallikote College at Berhampur and College of Art and Craft at Khallikote have received scant attention from the State Government. While the Government is dilly-dallying on Unitary University status for Khallikote College, recently there is a demand for Autonomous College status for the College Art and Craft, Khallikote and to bring it under the proposed Khallikote Unitary University. Further, the college is yet to receive a special grant of Rs. 2 crores as announced by the Chief Minister to make it a centre of excellence. It is time when the State Government takes special care to protect this heritage Institution dedicated for Art and Craft by making it an Autonomous Institution.