INTACH Again Raises Concern Over Move To Demolish Bhubaneswar’s Oldest Colonial Building

Bhubaneswar: INTACH has again raised its concern over Odisha’s government’s move demolish the Dak Bungalow on Mahatab Road, the oldest colonial vestige of Bhubaneswar, for construction of a Kalyan Mandap.

Anil Dhir, Convener of INTACH’s Bhubaneswar Chapter, in a press release on Monday, said the ground work for construction of the Kalyan Mandap has been started. The Prachi Division has been allocated Rs 2.6 crore for the project,  he added.

INTACH’s State Chapter had earlier stopped the demolition of the structure twice. “Much mindless destruction of heritage had happened during the Ekamrakhestra Beautification Project. Whatever remains should be properly conserved. Even the locals are against the project as the Dak Bungalow compound is the only open space left,” said Dhir.

The Dak Bungalow has an interesting history. Built sometime in the 1850’s for the convenience for British officers, it was also the staging point for mail runners of the Imperial Mail Service. For years, it served as a makeshift court house for the proceedings held by the British officials.

Many properties in the Old Town that were taken up by the gentry of Bengal under the draconian Sunset Law were auctioned at this place. It was also used by the surveyors of the Great Indian Trigonometrical Survey, held between 1840 and 1870. The Bengal Nagpur Railways engineers, too, had used the place when the railway tracks were being laid. It is just 500 metre from the railway line to Puri.

The modest two roomed bungalow was set in thickly wooded plot with a well and two out houses for the Khansama and Chowkidar. The large walled compound was dotted with trees, many fruit bearing and others for shade. Just a single tamarind tree remains. The Dak Bungalow was renovated during the visit of Lord Curzon in 1899. It was from here that he went to the Curzon Tower to view the Lingaraj Temple.

The place has been known as the Dakabangala Chhak since ages. Old timers tell of the times when leopards would come and rest in the veranda.

The Dak Bungalow was converted into the settlement office and remained as the RI office for years before a new adjoining building was made. This building, which has been witness to so much history and has survived the vicissitudes of time, lies neglected. Locals say the place is haunted, with its share of strange paranormal happenings. Old timers recollect that there were two graves of Englishmen inside the compound. But no trace of those can be found.

INTACH has been writing to the state government about the neglect of this historic structure. Its team inspected the abandoned place and submitted a report. The building was found to be structurally in tact. Though its thick walls and the wooden roof beams were undamaged, the building can be restored with some conservation efforts.

The out houses and the horse stable are in a restorable condition. Built of thick laterite stone blocks and chunsurkhi, the walls have little damage except for the peeling of plaster. INTACH had suggested that the place was ideal for making a site museum and interpretation centre of various artefacts of the Old Town.

Dhir unearthed several accounts of the Englishmen who had stayed here for months, convalescing from diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. Many physicians of Calcutta would recommend patients to go to Bhubaneswar and imbibe the therapeutic mineral waters of the well inside the Kedar Gouri temple complex. It was believed that the water had curative and rejuvenating properties.

A two-storey sanatorium had been made near the present day Ravi Talkies to cater to the convalescing Britishers. But it was demolished ten years ago and a block of flats has come up at the place.