Diploma in Fine Art, Govt. School of Art & Crafts

Diploma certificate awarded to Srimati Basanta Kumari Samanta by the Government School of Art & Crafts, Orissa, for completing the four-year diploma course in fine art (oil painting) in 1961

In 1961, Basanta Kumari Samanta completed the four-year Diploma in Fine Art, specialising in oil painting, at the Government School of Art & Crafts, Orissa — now the Govt. College of Art & Crafts, Khallikote. She had enrolled as the institution's first girl student, and her graduation that year is remembered as the moment Odisha gained its first formally trained lady artist, a distinction that would shape the rest of her six-decade career.

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Artist Basanta Kumari Samanta and dignitaries pay tribute at the memorial ceremony for veteran painter Jagadish Kanungo at GCAC Khallikote

13 Aug 2026

Memorial Ceremony for Veteran Artist Jagadish Kanungo at GCAC Khallikote

A solemn memorial ceremony (Smruti Sabha) was convened at the Government College of Art & Crafts (GCAC), Khallikote, to honor the life and artistic legacy of the late veteran painter Jagadish Kanungo. Presided over by GCAC Principal Prof. Devi Prasad Das, the commemorative gathering brought together distinguished faculty, veteran master artists, and students to pay homage to Kanungo's significant contributions to Odisha's visual arts. Pioneer female artist Basanta Kumari Samanta joined the solemn event alongside prominent faculty members and figures including Lecturers Bipin Martha, Trinath Mohanty, and Somanath Rout, retired Professor Panchanan Sur, artist Bipin Sethi, as well as the entire student body of the institution.

Artist Basanta Kumari Samanta with dignitaries at the closing ceremony of the 69th Annual Function of GCAC Khallikote

20 Apr 2026

69th Annual Function Closing Ceremony at GCAC Khallikote

Artist Basanta Kumari Samanta attended the closing ceremony of the 69th Annual Function of Government College of Art & Crafts (GCAC), Khallikote on 20th April 2026. She shared the stage with distinguished guests including Ganjam District Collector V. Kirtivasan, Utkal University of Culture Vice Chancellor Prof. Prasanna Swain, GCAC Principal Devi Prasad Das, Joint Secretary Smita Mohanty, Lecturer Bipin Martha, and fellow artists.

Artist Basanta Kumari Samanta being felicitated at Gramyadevi Primary School in Khallikote on Teachers' Day

05 Sep 2025

Teachers' Day Felicitation at Gramyadevi Primary School, Khallikote

On the occasion of Teachers' Day, commemorated on the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, artist and veteran art educator Basanta Kumari Samanta was invited and felicitated at Gramyadevi Primary School in Khallikote. The ceremony honored her long-standing dedication to education and her distinguished contributions as a pioneering fine artist in Odisha.

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