Historic Shishu Bhavan Building in Cuttack May Get New Life as Museum
Cuttack, Sept. 26 (UDN): A historic palace-like structure on the Shishu Bhavan campus in Cuttack, which once served as Odisha’s Raj Bhavan, could get a new lease of life as a museum instead of being demolished.
The proposal has brought the heritage value of the ageing structure back into focus, with Shishu Bhavan authorities and sections of the city calling for its preservation and adaptive reuse.
From Raj Bhavan to Shishu Bhavan
The building is associated with several phases of Odisha’s history, with links to the Mughal, Maratha and British periods. It also reportedly hosted meetings involving Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other freedom fighters during the freedom movement.
After Independence, the structure functioned as Odisha’s Raj Bhavan until 1948, before the Raj Bhavan was shifted to Bhubaneswar.
The building was subsequently converted into Shishu Bhavan and served as a facility for treating children for several years. The paediatric wards were later shifted elsewhere, after which medical services were discontinued in the old structure.
Preservation Proposal Gains Momentum
The district administration had considered the building unsafe and initiated steps for its demolition. However, the proposal to preserve the structure and convert it into a museum has generated interest among heritage-conscious citizens and intellectuals.
Shishu Bhavan authorities have suggested developing the building as a museum showcasing historical records, old documents and other materials connected with Cuttack and Odisha’s past. Suggestions have also included recreational facilities within the premises.
The structure is currently in a deteriorated condition, with moss visible on parts of the walls and vegetation growing around the building.
Mayor Backs Heritage Conservation
Cuttack Mayor Subhash Singh has said the historic structure would not be allowed to be demolished and that efforts would be made to develop it as a colonial museum alongside other heritage sites in the city.
Shishu Bhavan superintendent Dr Sunil Agrawal has also supported preservation, pointing out that the existing building could complement the modern infrastructure being developed on the campus.
“If we can provide 846 beds in the G+6 building within Shishu Bhavan campus, then by preserving this building, we can also protect Odisha’s heritage,” Agrawal said, according to reports.
He suggested that a museum could also provide parents and visitors with an opportunity to explore the city’s history while they are at the facility.
The proposed conversion, if taken forward, would give the historic structure a new public purpose while retaining a building associated with important chapters of Cuttack and Odisha’s past.