Pallahara on the National Highway 49 is a small town in Angul District. Easily identified from miles by its outstanding landmark “Malyagiri”, the third highest mountain in Odisha, this rural township is surrounded with many bountiful natural resources. The sylvan river “Mankada” spaced with dense forests, and consummate with a number of leaping falls, murmuring streams, playful tributaries enriched by indigenous flora and fauna provides the coolest spirit of inward bliss to every world-weary visitor to this ‘heaven on the earth’. Its chaste beauty had once inspired the creative imagination of far-famed Odia poet Radhanath Roy and the local freedom fighter Pabitra Mohan Pradhan, who could not resist their capabilities to produce immortal songs in its praise. Pallahara is the subdivisional headquarters with tribal population outnumbering other people. Most of them are forced by the circumstances to live very simple, innocent, harmonious and natural life and are destined to be placed below the poverty line, as they are dependent on the rural economy, miles away from the urban facilities.
Malyagiri (Degree) Mahavidyalaya was founded by a few enthusiasts on the 25th July 1979 to inculcate benefits of higher education among the young mass of the locality, who were deprived of this for decades after independence. This institution has now become the threshold for letting in new ideas from the world and for disseminating local ideas and people around the globe. Though the college in its inception was housed in “Sarat Chandra Club”, it is now showcasing well-equipped buildings in the lap of nature at the foot of Malyagiri with an atmosphere highly conducive to teaching and learning.
The Government of Orissa and the Utkal University had accorded recognition and affiliation to this college for opening of Intermediate in Arts (IA) classes with strength of 64 seats from the session 1980-81. Subsequently the number of seats were increased to 128 from the season 1988-89. Affiliation & recognition were accorded to the College for opening degree classes from the session 1984-85. Intermediate courses were converted to +2 courses from 1983-84. The 2-year degree course in Arts was converted to 3-year degree course from 1985-86. Honors teaching facilities in Political Science & History were facilitated from the season 1992-93. Affiliation was accorded by the Council of higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Orissa to open Science Stream with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Biology from the session 1993-94. The college has obtained Government concurrence and University affiliation for opening of +3 Science Streams from the session 2000-2001. In the course of time, it has grown into a full-fledged Degree College with Arts & Science Streams with Honors teaching facilities in CBCS pattern.
Malyagiri Mahavidyalaya is now a growing institution with the facilities of self-financing Computer courses having a number of well furnished Laboratories and a Library with more than 7k books. The college is also equipped with a number of distance learning courses offered by the Odisha State Open University (OSOU).
To complete the story, it would not be out of place to fondly cherish the memories of the untiring and selfless efforts of some benevolent and magnanimous brave hearts but for whose toil, tear and sacrifice this institution would not have grown into what it is today.