Odisha Research Centre Embarks on Mission to Preserve State’s Rich Historical and Cultural Heritage
Interdisciplinary Initiative Seeks to Bridge Knowledge Gaps and Reimagine Odisha’s Cultural Legacy
Bhubaneswar: In a pioneering move to safeguard and explore Odisha’s rich historical and cultural legacy, the Odisha Research Centre (ORC) has launched an ambitious mission aimed at epistemological engagement and knowledge dissemination.
A collaborative initiative of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Indian Knowledge System (IKS), Union Ministry of Education, IIM Sambalpur, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Bhubaneswar, the ORC is dedicated to investigating critical knowledge practices that address issues of identity, community, region, and development.
The ORC is currently in the process of executing a comprehensive strategy to initiate innovative pathways that bridge conventional academic boundaries, enabling deeper engagement with Odisha’s historical narratives and contemporary realities. It aims to inspire new conceptual imaginaries that reflect Odisha's glorious past, dynamic present, and promising future.
According to Professor Chandi Prasad Nanda, the founding director of ORC, the centre envisions providing an inclusive platform that fosters knowledge exploration and dissemination. “The ORC seeks to explore a neo-hybrid language—an idiom and grammar that bridges natural and human sciences. This approach will enhance our understanding of the state, political formations, public policies, governance, market dynamics, technology, ethics, and the complexities of everyday life,” Professor Nanda stated during an interaction with the media on Tuesday.
Highlighting the ORC's interdisciplinary approach, Professor Nanda elaborated that the organisation is committed to examining Odisha’s intellectual traditions and socio-political evolution through intercultural lenses. “Our objectives are structured around key areas such as epistemological framework development, research and scholarly collaboration, academic and public engagement, institutionalising Odishan studies, and systematic archiving and documentation,” he added.
Since its inception, ORC has actively organised academic events to encourage critical discourse and cultural exploration. On September 28, 2024, ORC hosted a colloquium titled “The Past in the Present – Odisha Famine, 1866 and the Politics of Memory,” which critically examined historical narratives and collective memory. More recently, it conducted a two-day workshop on “Timeless Threads – Jagannath at Home and the World” from February 9-10, 2025, fostering discussions on cultural continuity and global influence of Jagannath worship.
“With a commitment to interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives, the Odisha Research Centre is set to redefine historical and cultural research, ensuring the preservation and propagation of Odisha’s rich heritage for generations to come,” said the founding director.
