By D N Singh
I still remember the days when we were cycling down the sparsely trafficked roads from Unit-4 to our college near the State museum. Then it was a must stop at Bapuji Nagar at a South Indian joint now spread over many places of the modern capital with numerous branches branded by Priya Chain.
We pass through the then capital city when it was like an Island in the midst of forests, hillocks, sprawling meadows and even gurgling dales here and there have transformed now into Nullahs.
Those are all over and now what remains is the nostalgic memory lanes.
The temperature those days hardly crossed 30 degree Celsius in Summer and the evenings usually remained cool being bathed in the oceanic breeze from the Southern end.
The wind originating from the Bay of Bengal got sieved through thick foliage expanse dotting the 60 kms between Bhubaneswar and Puri was indeed so calming.
Many areas like Nayapalli, Baramunda and parts of Aiginia were mere extensions of the forests dotted with very small human habitations like minnows in the school of whales. Areas such as CRPF were not in existence then.
Inside the city there were a few signature locations like Master Canteen, Railway station and an old Bus depot close to the Rly station.
The Railway station was also very small yet there were few eateries. Empty cement benches had a touch of romance in the evenings soaked in the comforting winds.
Even empty platforms had their own charm and spiritual essence as the evenings mature into night and the quietness once in a while was broken by the night vendors’ calls …chai..chai..and so on.
Time rapidly changed and subsequently this small designed city (one of the four designed cities in India) grew in all aspects both good and bad.
It was so designed by German architect Otto Königsberger in 1948 for a population of around 40,000 is today resonating with a mammoth population explosion thus shrinking the lovely landscapes phenomenally.
Majestic ruins couldn’t be dimmed
A history traced back to 3,000 years, Bhubaneswar is assessed to have its origins to the Mahamegha-Bahana Chedi dynasty, with Sisupalgarh serving as its ancient capital. Which is now about 13 kms from the main city with a lot of majestic ruins that still could not be dimmed by time and centuries of neglect.
This ancient city tucked in a vicinity close to Daya river had housed more than 700 temples of different periods topped by Lingaraj temple, the majestic abode of Lord Shiva.
Accordingly, Bhubaneswar had been referred by many names and first, it is said, derived from“Tribhubaneswar,” signifying the Lord (Eswar) and other names like Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Ekamra Kanan, Ekamra Kshetra, and Mandira Malini Nagari.
The pivotal Kalinga War was fought near Dhauli, an event that profoundly impacted King Ashoka, leading him to embrace Buddhism and advocate for peace.
Now a Smart City that is more known by Malls and sky kissing apartments and commercial towers dwarfing or virtually obliterating the vestiges of the past.
Bhubaneswar’s quiet and tired afternoons have become rare as the roaring of lakhs of vehicles have almost wipe out the inner dignity.
An aerial view always revealed how many green clusters of trees and plantations keep the city clad almost more than its 50% landscape but that has changed as each green patch has been adversely impacted by the honey-combing concrete culture. That runs miles right from Rasulgarh up to the end of Patrapada and its adjoining areas.
Had it been a little more holistic where human and other elements simultaneously could flourish then still we can romanticise historic pride.
But, Bhubaneswar is Bhubaneswar and one cannot grudge its pride which has become a destination for many.
About the Author: DN Singh is a Bhubaneswar-based senior journalist.
DISCLAIMER: This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write-up have nothing to do with www.prameyanews.com.
