Institutional Developments in Odisha: Discussing Construction of Modern Buildings
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160 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ODISHA: DISCUSSING CONSTRUCTION OF MODERN BUILDINGS. Rasananda Bag The development of infrastructures available political, educational, administrative, like the constructions of modern multi-purpose medical facility to the people, several buildings have been a major component for institutions and buildings were constructed in the growth of modern Odisha. With the the old capital at Cuttack. These became the formation of infrastructures like constructing stepping stones of Odishan infrastructure. big multi-purpose buildings for administrative, a) Building of Ravenshaw College judicial and educational progress, a new Odisha The premier educational institution of has been made which could infuse a sense of the State Ravenshaw College had its origin in a pride and modernity in the people. The princes school called Ravenshaw Collegiate School of royal houses had constructed very costly established by the then British Government in modern buildings of European designs in their 1841. Intermediate class started in 1868 and the capitals. Such buildings called Rajprasads could college became affiliated to Calcutta University be found in Baripada, Parlakhemundi, Jeypore, in 1875. Largely through the efforts of Mr. T.E. Bhawanipatna, Bolangir, Cuttack etc. But a Ravenshaw, the then Divisional Commissioner modern system of provincial administration of Odisha, it became a full-fledged first grade required infrastructures to cater to its growing college. At the instance of the Maharaja of needs for efficiency and quick implementation Mayurbhanj Sri Ramchandra Bhanjdeo the of programmes. Odia people who visited the college was transferred to Patna University in then Calcutta(Kolkata now) could return from 1917 and finally to Utkal University in 1943 their journeys being mesmerized by the huge when the new university was established as the constructions of Howrah Bridge, Calcutta High 17th one in India. The college has been upgraded Court, Writers' Building, Khideerpore to the status of an autonomous College and Dockyard etc. In spite of its indifferent became a nucleus of learning of the entire attitudes, the British started a new era of province both in colonial and post-colonial constructions of modern buildings in Odisha period. from the middle of the 19th century when the province became an integral part of its empire. The College was shifted to its present Small modern buildings in style and location with a large campus spread over 87 appearance appeared in Cuttack town which acres of land in 1921. The magnificent red became centers of administration. Though the building looks very British in its architecture effort was very slow, new vistas were thus and general layout. It was a long two-storeyed created to connect the people with the one having a long horizontal appearance. The administration through government buildings facet is well–designed with intervals to attract which became known as administrative the viewers having three openings. It has two headquarters. These infrastructures made rows of spacious verandahs both in the front Odisha a modern province and gave the touch and backside. Other buildings and hotels were of modernity after a long period. After added in later times. The building has a independence in 1947 this spree also continued. spacious open space in front. This was the first big housing construction in entire Odisha. The 1. Pre-independence Odisha College Hall was used as the venue of Assembly To response the colonial challenges and Lecturer in History U.N. (Auto.) College of Sc. & Tech., Adaspur, Cuttack, Odisha SANSHODHAN ISSN 2249-8567 161 sessions of the newly formed State of Odisha till accomplished lady of modern visions and a the new Assembly Hall was constructed in legislature. Bhubaneswar in 1961. f) Central Rice Research Institute – 1946 b) Building of Odisha Medical College- The institute was established in 1946 on 1944 a sprawling area of thousands of acres near It was a small dispensary during the Cuttack, its basic aim was to conduct research days of the Maratha rule in late eighteenth on crop development in order to increase century set up primarily to attend to the sick overall productivity of rice. Big imposing pilgrims of Puri. Due to strategic location of that modern horizontal buildings were constructed dispensary, the then colonial government to provide laboratories for various researches converted it to a small hospital of modern and classrooms for educational purpose. outlook. That was called Cuttack General 2. Post-Independence Buildings Hospital. In 1875 Dr. Stewart, with the active While the country's independence was support of Sir Richard Temple, Governor of at hand, the ministry for the building of a new Bengal and Sir T.E. Ravenshaw, the divisional Odisha, found itself confronted with herculean Commission of Odisha this college was tasks like introducing efficient governance in a converted into a medical school. At the initial newly liberated region from colonialism. stage it was started at the building of Cuttack Provincial, district and local administrative General Hospital. A separate building was centers required huge infrastructures and constructed in 1904. Odisha Medical College buildings to open offices, educational was established in 1944 and was affiliated to institutions and medicals. Reorganization of the Utkal University. The king of Mayurbhanj government to implement welfare measures estate Sri Ramachandra Bhanj donated land and needed modern buildings on immediate basis. money for the construction of big buildings to a) New Capital cater to the need of the system. It was renamed Sriram Chandra Bhanj Medical College The establishment of a new capital at (SCBMC) in 1951 in appreciation of the Bhubaneswar, the temple town situated in 2515' generous contributions of the Maharaja of latitude and 8550' longitude in the present Mayurbhanj to the cause of medical education district of Khurda after independence is a and healthcare in the state. landmark in the history of modern Odisha. It had been a heartland of ancient empires such c) Stewart College – 1944 kings as Ashoka, Kharavela and others. Though It was established in 1944, from a centre Cuttack, the headquarter of the then Odisha of the Baptist Missionary Society, London, to a Division, was the center of all cultural and leading institution for higher education in the political activities, it was found to be city. The college was managed by the Church of insufficient and congested for a provincial North Odisha. The building of the College was capital because of its location between the made following modern European architectural Mahanadi and Kathjodi rivers. The Post-war designs meant for religious institutions. r e c o n s t r u c t i o n c o m m i t t e e p r o p o s e d e) Shailabala Women's College – 1946 Bhubaneswar as the ideal site for capital The oldest women's college in Bihar and because of its history, availability of space and Orissa, presently known as Shailabala Women's geographical propinquity to Cuttack. The College, started in Ravenshaw Girl's School in Public work Department also reported in favor 1913. The institution then known as Governor of Bhubaneswar on 14 April 1945. Women's College was shifted to the present H.K. Mahtab, the head of the Congress premises which was actually the residence of Ministry, could able to win the Legislative late Madhusudan Das. The college was later Assembly's approval in favor of Bhubaneswar. named Shailabala College after the adopted Bhubaneswar had a good climate. Construction daughter of Madhusudan Das who was an SANSHODHAN ISSN 2249-8567 162 of houses at Bhubaneswar was easy because of present an interesting account of the evaluation its hard rocky ground and availability of stone of modern Odisha. These three buildings served slabs. Above all, the construction of the as the residence of the Governors of Odisha Mahanadi and Kathajodi Bridges solved the form 1926 to 1942, from 1942 to 1960 and from problem of communication between Cuttack 1960 to till date respectively. The Raj Bhawan at and Bhubaneswar. Puri is still used by his Excellency during his On 30 September, 1946 the Odisha visit to the city, but the one at Cuttack is now Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous used as a pediatric hospital, popularly known as resolution for the construction of capital at Shishu Bhavan. The three buildings together tell Bhubaneswar. In 1948 the Government of the story of Odisha passing from Mughals to Odisha held Otto Keenigsberger, a German Jew, Marathas, from Marathas to the British and who planned the New Capital construction with finally to the peoples' representatives. the Rs.1.32 cores grants received from center. The Raj Bhawan at Bhubaneswar is an The constructions for the new capital started in important landmark of the modern capital city Bhubaneswar on 13 April 1949, the foundation of Odisha situated on a hillock known as Bhai stone of the new capital was laid by Pandit Mundia. The construction of a residence for the Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India. Governor was taken up in a sprawling plot of Along with capital other administrative land measuring 88 acres which located western departments also constructed in Bhubaneswar side of the existing township. Architect Shri in 1951. Julius Voz prepared the design. b) High Court of Odisha – 1948 The foundation stone was laid by Though in 1936 Odisha became a Harekrushna Mahatab,the chiefminister of the separate province but there was no separate then Odisha. The construction work started on 1 High Court in Odisha. On February 11, 1939 the January, 1958 under the Chief Engineer K.K. High Court Bar Association of Cuttack adopted Kartha. The construction was completed on 31 a resolution for separate High Court for Odisha March, 1960. with the chairmanship Sir Bira Kishore Ray. d) Orissa Bidhan Sabha – 1961 This resolution was discussed in the legislative The Ravenshaw College hall was used assembly.