It is stunning to know of a school, which is as old as 224 years and still operational today and, that too, in the Jagannath Temple. It grabs attentions for its medieval curriculum, despite being a Government institution.
The ‘Madalapanji’, the Jagannath Temple chronicle inscribes the school, which speaks volume of its ethnicity.
Once established for the cause of trinity, it is presently filling a common cause.
The Puja Panda Sanskrut Uchavidyalaya in Jagannath Temple has 100 plus students and seven teachers now. It was founded during the Maratha rule, when Birakishore Dev-I (1736-93) was the king of Khorda. His religious advisor, Rajaguru Gadadhar Mahapatra was the first mentor. During King Mukunda Dev-II (1798-1817), the school came to the present spot from other place in the temple. At the outset, it was a training centre for young servitors to learn Veda and rituals.
The sole aim was to educate the youngsters to keep the rites of Lords going. The curricula of school are that the students have to walk barefoot, tie no leather belt, carry with them no tiffin box and umbrella as they are banned materials. No table, no desk, no toilet and no playground are found in the institution. The students have to move beyond temple for toilet. They sit on the floor, read and write on a small wooden box. The teachers are no apart, as they have to stand the entire period as chair and table are prohibited in the classroom. Even the headmaster has no separate chamber to conduct his office.
After many decades, it was converted to a college where courses like Upasastree, Sastree and Acharya were taught. The teachers were receiving remuneration from the Pujapanda Nijog and charity of mutts.
From 1999 onward, it became a Government institution.
The school has two parts—ME (6th and 7th class) and high school (8th to 10th) bearing 30 and 67 students respectively. While ME part is fully aided by the School and Mass Education Department supported by two regular teachers, the high school is partly aided with five teachers without salary.
The school clinches an average 80-per cent result with 2017 being a golden year with cent percent pass-outs. In 2017, four stood in first class and eight in second class.
The temple administration has allocated two acres of land in the city to shift the old campus, informed, headmaster of the school Madhusudan Panda. Dressed up with priestly attire, Panda, an Acharya in Sanskrit, elaborated both the pride glory of the two-century old school, besides the plight of the teachers not paid any salary. He charged that they have knocked the door of the top brasses of the Education Department several times, yet in vain. They have to maintain their family on somesmall charity only, lamented Panda.
However, oppositions have also come from some quarters against the shift of old campus beyond temple boundary. Even many opine that the school is a pride of Jagannath Temple and should remain as it is without any change.