He received his elementary education at the local Maharaja High School of Paralakhemundi and then went to Newington College in Madras for higher studies.

Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati and other eminent members of Utkal Sammilani demanded a separate Odisha state with an amalgamation of Odia speaking areas in the then Odisha-Bihar-Bengal province.

In 1937, the first Governor of Odisha, Sir John Austin Hubback invited Krushna Chandra to form the cabinet.

Under Gajapati, scholarships were awarded to thousands of poor and meritorious students in humanities, science, agriculture, medicine, and engineering, among others.

Maharaja was himself an expert in ancient Odishi music and literature and has a number of original compositions to his credit, such as 'Manu Jau Nahi Ma', 'Radhadhara Sumadhura' and others.

He received a rare Sanad in 1920 from the then Viceroy and Governor General of India, in recognition of his services rendered to the Indian Army during the Great War and as a mark of commendation.