BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar is set to get a branch of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), with the Centre asking the Odisha government to identify suitable land after a preliminary feasibility study found the proposed project viable.
In a letter dated May 29, 2026, Union Culture Ministry Secretary Vivek Aggarwal informed Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg that the NGMA, a subordinate office under the Ministry of Culture, had conducted a preliminary feasibility study of the proposal to establish an NGMA branch in the Odisha capital.
The proposal was earlier taken up with the Union Culture Ministry by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi through separate communications sent in September 2024.
According to the preliminary feasibility report, the proposed project is estimated to cost around Rs 630 crore. The Culture Ministry noted that a substantial portion of the expenditure would be towards land acquisition.
The ministry said that if the Odisha government provides suitable land free of cost, implementation of the project would become significantly more feasible and could be expedited. It has requested the state government to identify an appropriate parcel of land before further action is taken on the proposal.
The proposed NGMA branch is expected to strengthen Bhubaneswar’s cultural infrastructure and provide a major platform for the promotion of modern and contemporary art in eastern India.
In her proposal to the Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Sarangi highlighted Bhubaneswar’s rich cultural heritage and growing prominence as an urban centre, arguing that an NGMA branch would significantly enhance the city’s artistic and cultural landscape.
She stated that the gallery would complement Odisha’s renowned heritage destinations, including the Konark Sun Temple and Jagannath Temple in Puri, while boosting cultural tourism and educational opportunities in the state.
Sarangi also noted that Odisha has a rich tradition of art and crafts and that the proposed institution would provide local artists with a prestigious platform to showcase their work. The gallery, she said, would also encourage cultural exchanges and collaborations with artists from across the country.
With the completion of the preliminary feasibility study and the Centre’s request for land, the proposal for establishing an NGMA branch in Bhubaneswar has moved a step forward, bringing the long-pending project closer to reality.
