Bhubaneswar: Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Odisha Charter, has written to the Railway Minister against demolishing the old heritage railway station at Paralakhemundi in Odisha’s Gajapati district.
The station is being redesigned to resemble the Paralakhemundi palace.
In the letter, the state convener of INTACH AB Tripathy urged the minister to take into consideration the historical relevance of the railway station and maintain its heritage status. “The present new building coming up is on a raised platform and overshadows the existing heritage structure. It is still in a very good state and does not need much restoration work. This old station should be given a Heritage Tag and preserved as it is. It is not only of importance to Odisha, being the first railway station of the state, but is an important Railway landmark of the nation,” it said while referring to a report submitted by an expert team from INTACH Bhubaneswar, comprising of Anil Dhir, Deepak Kumar Nayak, Conservation Architect Satyam Jyoti and Bishnu Mohan Adhikari.
It further said that the Railways should consider running a new train from Baripada to Paralakhemundi connecting North and South Odisha. “This will be a fitting tribute to two pioneers of the Railways in Odisha, KCIE Maharaja Goura Chandra Gajapati and Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo. This can be a heritage train which will traverse the length of Odisha touching historic cities of Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur.”
Paralakhemundi railway station should be included in the Ramayana Circuit. The Mahendragiri Hills, which are a biodiversity, heritage and pilgrimage site, have the nearest railhead at Paralakhemundi. The hills have some of the oldest temples of India which find reference both in both the Ramayana and Mahabharata. A train ‘Mahendragiri Express’ should run from Paralakhemundi and Ayodhya, which will boost tourism and pilgrimage to the district, the INTACH team suggested.
At least two of the original heritage locomotive of the PLR (Paralakimedi Light Railway) should be brought back and properly plinthed at the Heritage Railway Station. “About seven of the original locomotives are lying scattered at places which have no relevance with Paralakhemundi. The 1899 built wooden bodied Royal Carriage used by the Royalties of Paralakhemundi which is kept at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at Nagpur too should be brought back for display at the station. There are many other artefacts relating to the PLR which are kept at the Nagpur Museum. These include, signalling equipment, electrical equipment, scales, uniforms, insignias, German silver cutlery, Royal embellishments etc. They should all be got back.”
The old building of the station master, which is in a restorable condition should be converted into a Museum of the PLR and all the items displayed there. A proper art and photograph gallery should be set up. This will be a major attraction for tourists and railway aficionados worldwide. Many of the wayside station of the PLR including the bridges, culverts should be preserved as heritage structures. The Goods Shed at Paralakhemundi station is a unique heritage structure which needs preservation. A statue of maharaja should be put up in front of the new station building, it added.
INTACH has implored that this piece of railway history should be properly preserved and highlighted.
It is coming out a pictorial book on the history and heritage of the Paralakimedi Light Railway which will be released when the new railway station is inaugurated.
