Maharaja Vikram Deo IV of Jeypore

-A munificent maharaja

His munificence towards promotion of education and arts saw the establishment and growth of several educational institutions both in Jeypore (Orissa) and Vizag. He was more interested in the promotion of arts than his kingdom.

He was Maharaja Vikram Deo IV of the Sankara Dynasty of Jeypore, who succeeded Krishnachandra Deo in June 1931. Within a few years after ascending the throne, he carved a niche for himself as an able administrator who was loved by his people.

A connoisseur of all fine arts including folk and tribal arts, he spotted the talent of a youth, who used to draw on the walls, during one of his evening strolls. He sent the youth to Bhubaneswar for honing his skills. He established the School of Fine Arts in Jeypore and on the return of the youth, made him principal of the school. Though he was not a man of letters, Vikram Deo mastered Telugu, Oriya, Bengali, Sanskrit and English. A `Shat Dharma Sabha' used to be convened under his auspices at the Hawa Mahal on the Beach Road. A total of 100 scholars used to be invited and competitions held amongst them as part of the sabha. He renovated the tribal museum at Araku, which was built by his forefathers.

Born in Sri Mukhalingam in 1869, Vikram Deo, was the only Maharaja to become the Pro-Chancellor of both Andhra and Utkal Universities. He generously donated annually Rs.1 lakh towards recurring expenses of the AU College of Science and Technology.

In recognition of his contribution, the AU renamed the college as Jeypore Vikrama Deo College of Science and Technology. His bronze statue which was installed in the precincts of the college was sculpted by Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury from West Bengal. During World War II, when the university buildings had to be vacated to accommodate the Army, he offered to the university to shift the equipment and infrastructure in the colleges to Jeypore and Gunupur at his own expense. Three colleges were established on his name in Jeypore. They are Vikram Deo College of Law, Vikram Deo College of Commerce and Vikram Deo College of Arts. His concept of astrology was that it was a part of astronomic science. Vikram Deo exerted pressure on the Madras Governor to appoint Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as Vice-Chancellor of AU. He was appointed Pro-Chancellor of AU in 1937 in which post he continued till his death in 1951. In him, the scholar and the writer were coupled with the philanthropist and the administrator. A stalwart among Andhra benefactors, he had not only richly contributed to the coffers of the university year after year but also fostered its development in every way.

The nine-day Dasara festival and Rath Yatra used to be conducted on a grand scale in Jeypore during Vikram Deo's rule. He used to ride his favourite white horse and hold durbar during the festival. The car festival, performed on the lines of the Puri Rath Yatra, used to attract thousands of devotees. The huge chariot, which was pulled by thousands of devotees, had to be pushed by elephants from behind.

Source The Hindu News Paper Dated  Monday, Sep 30, 2002