One of the prominent centers of education in Orissa is the Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Viswavidyalaya, which is located in the city of Puri. It was established in 1981and it is a member of The Association of Indian Universities, which is recognized by the University Grants Commission.

The University was established with the assistance of the then Chief Minister of Orissa, Janaki Ballav Pattanaik. The sole objective of the University was to promote and encourage research associated with of one of the oldest languages of the world Sanskrit. Infact, the Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Viswavidyalaya in Puri is the third Sanskrit University in India. The University is the pride of Orissa and one of its important research projects is ` Contribution of Orissa to Sanskrit Literature`. With various researches the University has helped bring back the rich tradition of Sanskrit language and literature, which wason the verge of extinction. It is dedicated to the cause of preserving the rich ancient tradition of the language.