The 113-year-old ‘The Church’ in the mission compound here as well as the 107-year-old ‘Community Centre’ in the leprosy home Murgabadi near here are shortlisted as heritage buildings, for which steps have been taken as stated by Union Minister of Culture Dr Mahaesh Sharma.

He assured a delegation of the Etani Trust led by Dr Subhankar Ghosh when they approached him. The Etani Trust earlier passed a resolution in its board meeting to pursue the matter with the Centre to consider these two buildings as heritage structures.

‘The Church’ is an epitome of God’s love for the people who are mostly leprosy sufferers. Under the British regime, the Mayurbhanj Maharaja’s regent and Mrs Kidell, Mrs Gilbert, Grace Allenby and many more came from Australia and England time to time. Later Miss Alcorn and Miss Stevens were joined with the ‘Charitable missionaries’ leprosy services and especially both had very popular standing with the people of Mayurbhanj.

Then as the last expatriate missionaries of the mission, Graham Staines also served the leprosy people in the same church and building.

Graham’s wife Gladys Staines received Padmashree award for her lifelong services in Mayurbhanj and left unforgettable memories along with the church buildings and the community centre.

The then Mayurbhanj Maharaja Shree Ramachandra Bhanjadeo had gifted the land to Miss Kate Alanby, a missionary from Australia in 1896. Miss Alanby constructed the church in 1905 in the mission compound. In a similar manner in 1907, for the benefit of leprosy-affected people of Mayurbhanj, a community centre was constructed in the leprosy home campus. The Maharaja had provided all the support for both the buildings along with campuses.

Dr Subhankar Ghosh explained to Minister Dr Sharma about the importance of the buildings and why it is necessary to declare them as heritage buildings.

Dr Ghosh said, “A structure of more than a hundred years old in its original forms can be considered as a heritage building. Though it is not too late, the Center has taken initiative in this regard. This is a pride for Odisha and an honour to the Late Maharaja Shreeram Chandra Bhanjadeo.”