CHAPTER-II

HISTORY

PRE-HISTORY AND EARLY HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.

Cuttack, derived from Sanskrit Kataka, with various meanings like a

garrison, a fort, a capital or the seat of a Government protected by the army,
is among a few cities of the country like Delhi which are shrouded with a
good deal of social, historical, cultural and political features. As per the
account of Andrew Sterling, based on the Madala Panji and traditional
accounts ―Raja Nrupa Kesari, a martial and ambitious prince is said to have
1
first planted the city on the site of modern Cuttack about A.D. 989‖ However,
based on traditional anecdotes and other accounts, some historians also
state that the great king Annagabhima Dev-III laid the foundation of a
Kataka, (military camp) in the Barabati village and after building a palace,
called this as the Abhinava Varanasi Kataka and left his earlier seat
Choudwar for Cuttack.
Well-known for its military strategic position located between the great
river Mahanadi on the North and Kathajodi in the South, it has been the
centre of commerce, trade, communication, as well as a pivot of all the social
and cultural activities of the entire state from time immemorial. As such,
almost all the great historians and men of eminence have referred to the city
for its fame and glory in golden words in the pages of History. Hence
W.W.Hunter, accepting the view of Sterling, says ―NrupaKesari, a war like
and ambitious prince, who founded the city of Cuttack, reigned for 12
2
years,‖ while John Beames, struck by the charms of Cuttack, very much
appreciated, ―the broad shady road and green parade ground, the
picturesque buildings, the two broad rivers with their background with lovely
3
blush hills, make it one of the most picturesque stations in India.‖ Similarly
A.J. Mills greatly appreciated the historical, political and commercial value of
Cuttack which ―affords convenience for carrying on commerce with
Sambalpur to the WestMadras to the South and the low countries to the east
4
with its proximity to the hills‖ Much before these writers, Abul Fazal,
minister and adviser to Emperor Akbar in his famous history, Ain-i-Akbar,
observes, ―It(Cuttack) is the residence of Governor and contains some fine
5
buildings while Sayed Gholam Hussain Khan in his important work, Siyar-e-

1
Andrew Sterling , An Account of Odisha or Cuttack, 1822
2
W.W. Hunter, The Annals of Rural Bengal ,1872
3
John Beames, Memoir of a Bengal Civilian, 1875
4
A.J. Mills and Cuttack, Cuttack one Thousand Years- The Printovers, 1990
5
Abul Fazal, Ain-e- Akbari, P-392

42
Mufakharin highly praises, Cuttack city which ―contained houses and lofty
buildings‖ and ―the people of Cuttack had the privilege to enjoy three
different types of Cuttack District under various dynasties, The Gangas, the
Afgans, the Mughals, the Marathas and Foreign rulers.
Cuttack as the premier city of Odisha came to acquire great glory and
th
fame during the 12 and13th centuries as the capital of imperial Ganga
dynasty whose empire extended from the river Ganges in the North to the
river Godavari in the South. Emperor Annangabhima Deva-III, being a
devoted Vaisnava, built a gigantic palace of Lord Jagannath (Purusottama)
at this new capital on the Southern bank of river Mahanadi.
In the year 1001 an old man named Baimundi with a stick in his hand
was the first to raise alarm to the people of Cuttack to request king Markata
Keshari to save Cuttack from flood water. Had Baimundi not alarmed in
time, Cuttack the commercial city would have been under Kathjodi river
basin by then.Old man Baimundi went to the King with few coins in his
hand and requested king to construct a stone revetment to protect Cuttack
from Kathajodi flood. King Markata Keshari constructed a stone revetment
and saved Cuttack. The Kahajodi stone revetment remains as a great
engineering feat of the early eleventh Century. A popular doggrell still
reverberates among the of people of Cuttack ----

―Kahar Kou chinta

Baimundi ku Cuttack chinta‖.----Quote.

The present ring raod has been reconstructed over the old Kathajodi
embankment stone rfvetment.The Ganga rule in Odisha was replaced by the
Suryavamsi Gajapatis who continued their administration from the same
Varanasi Katak. Kapilendradeva, the founder of the dynasty, was a great
empire builder and he extended the Odishan empire from the Ganges in the
north to the Kauvery in the South. After him, his son and successor
Purusottamdev was successful to bring the image of Krishna (Gopal or
Sakhigopal) from Kanchi and installed it in Varanasi Katak. This image has
been placed at present in Satyabadi but it was in Cuttack as late as 1510
A.D.when Sri Chaitanya deva visited the City. During the reign of
Pratparudradeva, the empire of Odisha fast began to decline due to anarchy,
murder, treachery and lawlessness. After his death, his minister, Govinda
Vidyadhar of the Bhoi dynasty usurped the throne at Varanasi Kataka by
murdering the two sons of Prataprudradeva. But he was subsequently
dethroned from power by his Governor Mukunda Harichandan who ruled
over Odisha from Cuttack between 1560 to 1568 A.D. He was the last
independent Hindu ruler of Odisha and during his short rule of only eight
years, Cuttack witnessed many-sided developments. Abul Fazl writes in his
Ain-i- Akbari about Cuttack that ―it had a stone fort situated at the bifurcation
6
of two rivers, Mahanadi and Kathajodi, scenery.‖

6
Sayed Gholam Hussain Khan, Siyar-e-Mufakharin
43
 7
Where Mukundadeva built a palace, nine storeys in height.‖ Mukundadeva
was the natural enemy of Sultan Sulaiman Karrani, the Afghan Sultan of Bengal,
who was ambitious to occupy Odisha. He marched with the Muslim army and
advanced upto Varanasi Kataka and occupied the strong fort of Barabati in 1568
A.D. Subsequentely Raja Mukundadev, the last independent King of Odisha was
killed. Thus the independent existence of the Hindu Kingdom of Odisha with its
nerve-centre at Cuttack, came to an end in 1568 A.D. Odisha, thereafter,
successively entered into an era of bondage in the hands of the Afghans of
Bengal, the Mughals, the Nazims of Bengal, the Marathas and finally the British.
Though the Muslim rule in Odisha lasted from 1568 A.D. to 1751 A.D., yet
the whole of Odisha was hardly brought under complete Muslim subjugation.
From 1568 A.D. to 1575 A.D., the Afghans were in possession of Cuttack and
they settled on the border districts to north of river Mahanadi. Under Akbar, the
Mughals established their authority only on the northern portion of Odisha.
However, during the Mughal rule, Odisha was included in the Subah of Bengal
with five sarkars named Jaleswar, Bhadrak, Katak, Kalinga Dandapat and Raj
Mahendrai. Kataka (Cuttack) continued to be the capital of Mughal Odisha and
Abul Fazl clearly mentions that the Mughal Governor was residing in this city
8
which had ―a stone fort of great strength and masonry palace within.‖ In spite of
the fact that the Muslim rule lasted over Odisha for two centuries, the Muslims
were never been able to consolidate their position in this distant eastern
province, owing to the incessant attacks by the Marhattas.
In 1751, Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, was forced to conclude a
treaty with the Bhonsla because of strong rebellion at Cuttack. This treaty shifted
the administrative responsibility of Odisha to the Marathas of Nagpur from 1751
to 1803 A.D. During this period, Odisha was administered by a number of
Maratha Subedars, having Cuttack as their main centre of political, economic
and religious activities.
Cuttack also emerged as a major centre of trade and commerce and it
became the central market of exchange between the Marathas and the British.
The area of the town also extended considerably by this time upto Chauliaganj
where the Marathas had their military temples and Mathascamp for
commanding the high roads passing towards north and south. The
Marathas, being Hindus, were much interested in the worship of Hindu
Gods. They beautified Cuttack by building some temples and Mathas.

7
Abul Fazal, Ain-e-Akbari, P-392
8
I bid

44
The district under the British Rule.
Cuttack also enjoyed a unique position during the British administration
in Odisha from 1803 onwards. It was the seat of the commissioner, Odisha
Division till the formation of the separate province of Odisha in 1936 and
thereafter, it was also exalted to be the headquarters of the new province of
Odisha for a long time.
After the British occupation of Odisha, the British authorities temporarily
appointed Colonel Harcourt and Melville as Special Commissioners for
consolidating the administration. While both these special Commissioners
were stationed at Cuttack, James Hunter who was appointed as the acting
Collector was stationed at Puri. The offices of Special Commissioners were
abolished in 1805. Although the British authorities were well aware of the
importance of Cuttack, yet in the initial phase of British rule for sometime
Puri was the Headquarter of Odisha.
From 1816 onwards, Cuttack remained the headquarters of Odisha
althrough the British rule. Because of communication difficulties, caused by
the Mahanadi and the Kathjudi, the English officials did not like to be posted
at Cuttack, but once posted at Cuttack, they liked the place because of its
natural charm and cohesive social life, fostered by natural barriers John
Beames, a famous Collector of Cuttack, observed ―Sir William Crey, the
Lieutenant Governor used to say that he could not get men to go to Cuttack,
but once they had got there he could not get them to come away from it.
Men did not like going there because it was so out of the way, but when
once got there they found it so pleasant, they wished to stay‖. Beames
recalled in his memories that his stay at Cuttack was the happiest part of his
career as the Civilian administrator in India.
In the nineteenth century the public and administrative life of Cuttack
was dominated by the Englishmen and Bengalis. While the English held top
civil and military posts, the subordinate posts in the bureaucracy were held
by the Bengalis. About the position of Odias in bureaucracy, the magistrate
of Cuttack observed in 1821 ―Scarcely a single real Odia receives a salary
more than Rs.10/- per mensem, but several are naturalized Bengalis or
Musalmans. I always give preference to Odias but at this moment I scarcely
know a single Odia possessing qualification to fit him for being a common
Muharrier‖. As a result of the frequent short term settlements many
aristocratic and reputed Odia families lost their lands which were bought by
the Bengali speculators at low prices. The Bengalis dominated the
bureaucracy as well as the public life as Zamindars, Lawyers and doctors
and socio-religious reformers. They became domiciled in Odisha and some
of them played significant roles in the public life as naturalized Odias rather
than as outsiders.

45
 As Madhusudan Das, the father figure of Odia nationalism was a
permanent resident of Cuttack, important meetings of Utkal Samilani were
th
held at Cuttack. On 30-31 March 1918 the 13 annual session of the Utkal
Sammilani was held at Cuttack under the chairmanship of Fakir Mohan
Senapati, the famous Odia novelist. The same year a special session of
Utkal Sammilani was held at Cuttack under the Chairmanship of
Madhusudan Das on 21-22 September. This meeting passed resolutions
expressing the disappointment of the Odias over the failure of British
authorities to make provision for the amalgamation of the Odia-speaking
tracts under one administration in the Montford Reforms.
Cuttack became the Capital of the province of Odisha from 1 April
1936. On that day the Maharaja of Parlakhemundi held a grand garden party
in the Barbati fort which was attended by thousands of people. He professed
that whatever he had done for the unification of Odisha was the performance
of a duty he owned to his ancestors- the great Gangas. On 28 July 1937
Odisha Legislative Assembly held its inaugural session in the Ravenshaw
College hall (in its present building to which the college had been shifted in
1921 from its old house on the banks of Kathjudi). As there was no
permanent Assembly building, the Ravenshaw College hall was temporarily
used for the Assembly meetings. Due to lack of space Cuttack was found
unsuitable for the State Capital. From 1936 a number of committees were
set up to find out an alternative site for the State Capital. Consequently, the
second Congress Ministry, headed by Harekrushna Mahatab passed a
resolution to the shifting of the Capital from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar. The
resolution to that effect was passed by the Odisha Legislative Assembly on
30 September 1946.
From 1937 to 1939 the Congress Ministry, headed by Biswanath Das
functioned at Cuttack as the popular Ministry under the provincial autonomy.
From 1941 to 1944 the Maharaj of Parlakimedi functioned at Cuttack as the
head of a coalition ministry. This coalition ministry took initiative in
establishing the Utkal University and Medical College at Cuttack. The Utkal
University which was founded in 1943 shifted to its new campus in
Bhubaneswar in 1962. In 1946 Harekrushna Mahatab formed the Congress
Ministry. Because of Mahatab‘s initiative the Capital was shifted to
Bhubaneswar. On 13 April 1949 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister
of India laid the foundation of new Capital at Bhubaneswar. Of course many
secretariat employees reluctantly left Cuttack for Bhubaneswar. Mahatab
also took initiative for the merger of the Odisha princely states with the
province. For this purpose, Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel, the Union Home
Minister came to Bhubaneswar by a special plane on 13 October 1947. As
Patel proceeded from Bhubaneswar aerodrome to Cuttack, thousands of
people extended tumultuous ovation to him. On 14 October 1947 Patel met
the rulers of Odisha princely States at Cuttack Raj Bhavan. He persuaded
them to accede to the merger of the States in the Odisha province. At his
persuasion twenty five rulers signed the merger document. On this occasion
Patel addressed a mammoth gathering at Cuttack.

46
 During the British period the population of Cuttack town grew at a slow
place and sometimes remained stagnant or decreased from one Census to
another. The Table below would indicate the population figures of the
Cuttack town available for some years in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
1822 40,000(according to Andrew Stirling)
1872 42,667
1881 42,656
1991 47,186
1901 51,364
1921 51,007
1931 65,263

After Independence even though Cuttack has ceased to be the Capital

of Odisha, its importance in the public life of Odisha has been enhanced. Its
population has increased at a very rapid rate. It possesses the important
institutions like the Ravenshaw College (the largest College of Odisha), the
S.C.B. Medical College, Odisha High Court, Radio and T.V. stations and
Indoor and Outdoor stadiums. The construction of bridges over Kathjudi and
Kuakhai has established good communication link between Cuttack and
Bhubaneswar and made them virtually the twin capital city of Odisha.
Though Bhubaneswar has been the new Capital of Modern Odisha
after the merger of the feudatory states with this new province in 1948, the
commercial and cultural importance of Cuttack still remains untarnished till
to-day. Cuttack has been greatly sanctified with the footprints of a good
number of saints, reformers and travellers in the past. It has also seen the
birth of a good number of celebrated social reformers, intellectuals, writers,
poets and statesmen who have inspired the people of Odisha with the spirit
of nationalism and dedication to the mother land. Thus Cuttack ranks as one
of the most attractive old city in the eastern coast of India with her eventful
life spread over more than thousand years. It is not merely a city with a
magnificent past, it has a living present and a still more glorious future, In
fact, it is a bridge linking together the past, present and future of Odisha.
Thus it goes without saying that right from the days of the
Bhaumakaras, Cuttack has all along been enjoying the unique privilege of
being the administrative and the commercial nerve-centre of Odisha. During
the Muslim and Maratha rule in Odisha, the importance of Cuttack remained
unabated. Narrating about Cuttack, the capital of Odisha, Dr. S.C. Dash has
given a beautiful conclusion on the evolution of Cuttack

―All the world is a stage and we are all actors on it. Leaders of
successive generations have played their role on or in regard to the stage of
Cuttack which has withstood all kinds of onslaughts. The Kesharies, the
Gangas, the Turko- Afghans, the Mughals, the Mahrattas and the British and

47
the rulers of independent India have come and gone after playing their
respective role and Cuttack has extended its warm hospitality to all of them.
They have wrung havoc in their own way but Cuttack remains as before
excusing all acts of ingratitude perpetrated by its own sons and daughters.
With rapid increase in the population of Bhubaneswar the problem of scarcity
of drinking water may assume dangerous proportions and one may not be
surprised if the capital of the city may be relocated here or Cuttack-
"9
Bhubaneswar becomes one city in course of time

Uprising and the freedom movement in the district of Cuttack

In the entire state Cuttack has been the centre of all activities for the
struggle for freedom of the country from the Yoke of British people. The city
has not only inspired all the people for freedom but has also played an
illustrious role in the historic Freedom Movement of India right from the start
to its end. In this context Cuttack has secured a prominent place in the
political scenario of India. The first act of the drama of the historic freedom
movement opened with the outbreak of the Great Revolt of 1857 which is
also described as the First War of India‘s Independence. In this Revolt,
Odisha like other parts of India played a momentous role with Cuttack city
remaining in the forefront.
The Magistrate of Cuttack being instructed by the Commissioner issued
order to the Officer Commanding of Cuttack to search and interrogate any
out-sider to be found in Cuttack. Even the Fakirs, the Sanyasis and Bairagis
were not spared. In response to this order, one day three Bairagis begging
alms in the cantonment area of Cuttack were arrested on suspicion. They
were Akruranath, Hiranath and Durganath. They were produced before the
Assistant Magistrate of Cuttack. But finding them to be innocent and real
Bairagis he ordered for their release. The order was complied with. Similarly,
the Magisstate of Ganjam sent for interrogation three mendicants of Cuttack
to be produced before the Commissioner. They were Karim Bux, Haji Najafd
and Bholanath Bairagi. As before they were found innocent. That was not
the end of the role of Cuttack in the Great Revolt of 1857.
Cuttack played an eventful role in suppressing another rebellion
launched by redoubtable leader of the Revolt of 1857, Surendra Sai of
Sambalpur. All the steps against him were taken from Cuttack.
th
On the 10 October 1857, the Commissioner of Cuttack G.F. Cockburn
th
deputed to Sambalpur three companies of the 40 M.N.I stationed at
Cuttack. Furthermore 51 personnels from the Paik company stationed at
Cuttack were also sent to Sambalpur. Further, the British government
constituted a company recruiting the Paiks with its Head Quarters at Cuttack.

Thus it is to be seen that the role of Cuttack city in the Revolt of 1857
was most eventful. Of course in certain cases its role was not directed and
9
Dr. S.C.Dash, Cuttack The Capitality, Cuttack One Thousand Years, Printoverse, P-140

48
she was a mute witness to the events which took place during the Great
Revolt of 1857.
It was in 1866 that one blessed son of Odisha took a momentous step
in publishing a newspaper in Odia from Cuttack, mainly with a view to
presenting the grievances of the Odias and creating in them a sense of
nationalism and political consciousness. He was none else than Gourishakar
Roy and the paper he edited was Utkal Dipika. It was published in Cuttack
printing company as a weekly paper. Behind the publication of this paper he
had another aim in view that was to protect the Odia language and literature
from the attack of a few Bengali and English officials. In a sense this was the
first Odia news paper in Odisha. Of course prior to its publication, Reverend
Lacy published a journal in 1843 entitled ‗Gyanaruna‘. It was printed in
Cuttack Mission Press founded in 1838. This was the first printing press in
Odisha and ‗Gyanaruna happened to be the first Odia magazine.
Thereafter Christian missionaries published two other papers one
‗Probodha Chandrika‘ in 1856 and ‗Arunodaya‘ in 1861. But all those papers
primarily aimed at popularising Christianity in Odisha. But the mission of
Gourishankar Roy was something different. His objective was mainly to
create national consciousness. In that sense Gourisankar Roy was the
harbinger of political journalism in Odisha. It is heartening to note that his
Utkal Dipika was regularly published for long seventy years. However, after
1866, a number of other newspapers and periodicals were published in
Cuttack. Of those mention may be made of ‗Cuttack Argue‘ published in
1869- which happened to be the first English newspaper of Odisha. Another
weekly paper entitled Utkal Hitisani was published with Kalipada Benerji as
its editor. Two other English journals were also published in Cuttack namely
‗Cuttack Star‘ and Cuttack Standard. Similarly in 1871 another English
newspaper entitled, ‗Cuttack Chronicle‘ was published. The publication of a
series of newspapers and journals from Cuttack was not the only
contribution of Cuttack city in this respect. There was yet another
contribution to this field.
Cuttack city was associated with the birth of several political
organisations which helped in creating national consciousness. Of course
behind it, lay the pious aim of foiling the attempt of some persons, who were
trying to introduce Hindi and Bengali languages in place of Odia. Promotion
of Odia language and literature was yet another aim of those organisations.
One such organisation was Odisha Association or Utkal Sabha founded by
some elites of Cuttack in 1878. Gopal Chandra Dutta, a Bengali inhabitant of
Cuttack city worked as its Secretary.
Utkal Sabha founded in 1878 was converted to a political Association in
1882 with Gourisankar Roy as its Secretary. His sincerity of purpose and
efficient handling of the situation led him to hold this post continuously for
long 23 years. He took leave from this post in 1905. However, the first
st
session of Utkal Sabha was held in Cuttack on the 21 July 1882. The
modalities for the introduction of Lord Ripon‘s Local Self Government in
Cuttack figured in the agenda. But exactly by that time a parallel
organisation with the name ―Odissa people Association‖ was founded by
Dinanath Banerjee who also became its President. So the smooth conduct
49
 st
of the meeting of the Utkal Sabha convened on the 21 July was greatly
impaired. But this Association met its burial after a few days owing to the
lack of popular support behind it. So Utkal Sabha held another meeting
th
convenient on the 16 August in Cuttack with no challenge from any corner.
There a resolution was adopted for introducing the local Self Government in
Cuttack city. The promotion of development work in Cuttack district was
another resolution that was adopted. One Kashinath Dash chaired the
meeting. Again Gourisankar Roy convened two other sessions of the Utkal
st
Sabha on the 21 August and 1 September 1882 for discussing the
th
constitutional and political issues of that time. On the 26 May 1883, another
meeting of the Utkal Sabha was held for discussion of the infamous and
controversial Illbert Bill which denied the Indian judges the right to try the
Europeans. A resolution was also adopted in the meeting condemning the
Illbert Bill and repealing such a discriminating provision.
Meanwhile in 1885, the Indian National Congress came into being. Its
th
first session was held on the 26 December 1885 in Gopal Das Tejpal
Sanskrit College Hall in Bombay with the renowned Barrister Womesh
Chandra Banerjee as its president. Nobody is known to have represented
Odisha in this session. Yet the birth of such an organisation created
unprecedented enthusiasm among the intellectuals of Odisha. So the city of
rd
Cuttack could not be an exception to it. On the 3 March 1886, a general
meeting was arranged in the building of Cuttack Printing Press Company. It
was attended by the people of Cuttack city from all walks of life. There a
resolution was adopted to depute from Odisha delegates to each session of
the Indian National Congress. They were to be nominated by the Utkal
Sabha of Cuttack and the National Association of Balasore. Simultaneously
another resolution was adopted to strengthen and help whole heartedly the
Indian National Congress in realising its objectives. Accordingly the Second
session of the Indian National Congress held at Calcutta in 1886 was
attended by Madhusudan Das, Golak Chandra Bose, Kalipad Banerjee and
th
Hariballabh Ghose as the nominees of Utkal Sabha. It was on the 19
December 1886, that another meeting of the Utkal Sabha was held at
Cuttack with Kalipada Banerjee in the chair. Resolution was adopted to
appeal to the Government for reconstituting the Legislative Assembly and
introducing adult franchise. That was all about the role of Cuttack in the
Freedom Movement during the first phase.
Being nominated by the Utkal Sabha, Madhusudan Das and
rd
Gourisankar Roy attended the 3 session of the Indian National Congress
held at Madras in 1887. After their return a general meeting was held in the
same Cuttack Printing House. Different resolutions adopted in the Madras
session were discussed in the meeting. An appeal was also made to the
Congress workers to strengthen the hands of the Indian National Congress.
On the same day at the same place, the Utkal Sabha convened a meeting
where a resolution was adopted to see that more and more delegates attend
the ensuing sessions of the Indian National Congress. The next meeting of
the Utkal Sabha was convened in the first week of February 1888, where
resolution was adopted to launch a protest against the salt law promulgated
by the British Government. Again in the month of February in Municipal
market of Cuttack, a general meeting was arranged where Madhusudan
50
Das, Raghu Sahu, Ekram Ali and Jogmohan Roy made an appeal to the
people to join the main stream of the Indian National Movement. The
meeting was a tremendous success. There it was decided to send
Madhusudan Das to Kendrapada for influencing the people to join Congress.
He did it with all sincerity. Thereafter Madhusudan Das, Jagmohan Roy,
Janakinath Bose of Cuttack being nominated by the Utkal Sabha became
the members of the Bengal Branch of the Indian National Congress.
Similarly Biharilal Pandit, Jagamohan Roy, Madhusudan Das, Samson
Rout, Munsi Sultan Ahmed and Munsi Muhammad Atahar were nominated
by the Utkal Sabha as delegates to fourth session of Indian National
Congress held at Allahabad in 1889. Of them only Samson Rout and
Muhammad Atahar attended. Madhusudan Das, Jajneswar Chandra,
Gouri Sankar Roy and Gokulananda Choudhury of Cuttack attended the
Poona session of the Indian National Congress in 1895 and Calcutta session
of 1896 as the nominees of the Utkal Sabha. Furthermore several of its
nominees attended different sessions of Indian National Congress up to
1907 and they were all from Cuttack. Mention may be made of Nanda
Kumar Bal, Gopal Chandra Praharaj, Biswanath Rao and Madhusudan Rao.
They were found to have actively participated in the discussions pertaining to
different programmes of the Indian National Congress.
Thus it is seen that Cuttack played a remarkable role in the freedom
Movement by sending active representatives to different sessions of Indian
National Congress in its first phase. But that was not all. In the formation of
separate province of Odisha, the role of Cuttack city was no less remarkable.
The Utkal Sabha of Cuttack was the first to make an attempt in this regard.
The union of all Odia speaking region was proclaimed as one of its
objectives. But more sincere effort was made from 1903 when Madhu Sudan
Das founded at Cuttack a political Organisation known as the Utkal Union
Conference. In doing so, he took the help of some elites of Cuttack City and
Odishan Princes. Its sole aim was to create a separate province for Odisha
by uniting all the Odia speaking areas lying under Bengal and Madras
presidencies and under Central province as well.
These were the activities that took place in the city of Cuttack in the first
phase of freedom movement.
In the second phase of the movement for freedom commencing from
1907, Cuttack played its momentous role. During this phase Cuttack city was
fortunate enough to see the establishment of two permanent structures, one
for holding meeting and another for lodging. Those were the Town Hall of
Cuttack and the Kayastha Boarding of which Gouri Shankar Roy was the
founder. Realising the necessity of a meeting place he established in 1909
the Cuttack Town Hall which stands even today as an example of his far-
sighted leadership. Similarly, for housing the delegates coming to Cuttack
from outside, he established in Kathagadasahi a lodging house with the
name, ‗Kayastha Boarding‘.
Freedom Movement marched apace with the launching of the Swaraj
Movement. But its impact was not that perceptible. That was probably
because the leaders kept themselves engaged in the creation of a separate

51
province for Odisha. Even then the delegates from Odisha used to attend
different sessions of the Indian National Congress regularly. Most of them
were nominated from Cuttack by the Utkal Sabha. To the Calcutta session of
1911, nine delegates from Cuttack were sent by the Utkal Sabha. They were
Sk. Muhammad Bux, Ananta Kumar Das Gupta, Ban Behari Palit, Biswanath
Kar, Gouri Shankar Roy, Mihirlal Jachak, Priyanath Banerjee, Durga Prasad
Das Gupta and Radha Prasad Bhagat. Thereafter the Utkal Sabha merged
with the Indian National Congress.
th
It was on the 14 September 1914, that an exciting event associated
with the terrorists took place near Jajpur. One that day some terrorists of
Calcutta with the aid of those of a few of Odisha, committed a dacoity in the
house of one Sadei Sahu of Chainpur village situated in the vicinity of Jajpur
town. They took away gold and silver of worth six thousand rupees from
among the terrorists who helped them; two belonged to Cuttack city. They
were Dr. Atal Behari Acharya and Shasanka Shekhar Banerjee.
It was during the Swadeshi Movement that Cuttack city did not remain
behind. Being influenced by this Movement and with a view to promoting the
economic condition of the Odias, Madhusudan Das founded the famous
Filigree work in the city of Cuttack. He also established a tannery at Cuttack
which of course was to be closed after some years for the loss it sustained.
Madhusudan Das also created among the inhabitants of Odisha including
Cuttack a great love for the home-made clothes. He made it so popular that
people used to call any handloom cloth as ‗Madhu Baboo Luga‘.
Meanwhile in Nagpur session of Indian national Congress held in
December 1920, the momentous resolution to launch the Non-Co-operation
movement was adopted. A decision was also taken there to constitute a
separate Congress Committee for Odisha. This historic session was
attended by Gopabandhu Das, Dr Harekrushna Mahatab, Jadumani
Mangaraj, Niranjan Patnaik, Bhagirathi Mohapatra, Mukunda Prasad Das
and all of them started from the city of Cuttack. After their return, in a
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meeting held on the 24 January 1921 on the bank of the river Kathajodi,
Gopabandhu Das highlighted on different decisions taken regarding the
Non-Co-operation movement and appealed to the people to make this
movement a tremendous success. His inspiring speech exercised a hypnotic
influence on all those who attended the meeting.In 1920, Odisha was lashed
by a dreadful famine and Cuttack did not escape from its clutches. This
famine attracted the attention of Gandhiji towards Odisha. Coming by Puri
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Express he reached Cuttack on the 23 March 1921. Ten thousand people
were present at Cuttack Railway station to receive him. He was brought in a
decorated motor car. While shouting the full throated slogan ―Mahatma
Gandhi ki joy‖, the people were playing kirtan throughout the route. He was
first brought to Swaraj Ashram. Originally it was the residence of Prof.
Raibahadur Jogesh Roy of Ravenshaw College taken on hire to house a
mess. Subsequently Gopabandhu Das converted it to an Ashram for the
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Congress workers by naming it as Swaraj Ashram. Meanwhile on the 23
evening Gandhiji addressed a largely attended meeting arranged on the
bank of the river Kathajodi. Nearly 50000 people were known to have
attended. He also attended a series of meetings held in the Binodbihari

52
temple complex arranged by the Marawadi and Gujrati merchants. There he
discussed with them on the matters relating to the boycott of foreign clothes.
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Similarly on the 24 March, Gandhiji attended one meeting with the Muslims
at Kadamarasul at 10am, another with the women at 2pm and finally at
5pam with the students and the young advocates. In all these meetings he
reiterated on making the Non Co-operation Movement a success by
boycotting foreign goods, clothes, schools, colleges and government jobs.
Being enamoured by his august personality and speeches, some students of
Ravenshaw College boycotted the class and participated in the Non-Co-
operation Movement. Prominent among them were Dr. Harekrushna
Mahatab, Nityananda Kanungo, Nabakrushna Choudhury and Rajkrushna
Bose. Similarly Gopabandhu Choudhury and Gopabandhu Das by giving up
respectively the posts of Deputy Collector and Legal Practitioner gave a new
look to the Movement. It was by this time that the cloth merchants of Cuttack
city established an association for finding out the ways and means to make
the boycott programme of foreign goods a success. Deciding to prevent the
entry of foreign clothes to the interior areas of the Cuttack city, the members
of the association along with some volunteers used to go to Railway Station
every day for the purpose. In March 1921 a separate Congress committee
was founded in the name ‗Utkal Pradesh Congress‘ with Cuttack city as its
Head Quarters. Gopabandhu Das was elected as its president, Dr. Ekram
Ali, the Vice president, Bhagirathi Mohapatra the secretary and Braja
Bandhu Das as the joint Secretary. Twelve members from this Utkal Pradesh
Congress Committee were also elected to present Odisha in the All India
Congress Committee. Of them, mention may be made of Gopabandhu Das,
Nilakantha Das, Bhagirathi Mahapatra, Jagabandhu Panda and Atal Bihari
Acharya. The Non- Co-operation movement in Cuttack city did not end there.
It was by this time the Khilafat Movement was afoot in all India level.
And Cuttack responded to it in right earnest. The Muslims of Cuttack
constituted a Khilafat Committee with Dr. Ekram Ali as its President. Its
principal office was housed at Kadamrasul.
Furthermore, during the Non Co-operation Movement Dr. Harekrushna
Mahatab along with some volunteers of Cuttack city staged Satyagraha
infront of the train carrying foreign clothes. They succeeded in obstrtructing
the movement of the train for some time. Of course for this step Dr.
Harekrushna Mahatab and five of his associates were sentenced each to 15
days imprisonment. Furthermore, the students of Medicine college of
Cuttack also participated in the Non-Co-operation movement. Some of them
along with a few other students founded an Association called ‗Swaraj
Sebaka Sangha‘. Brajabandhu Das became its President. Naba Krushna
Choudhury, Ram Prasad Singh, Raghu Rout and Raj Krishna Bose, Dr. Atal
Behari Acharya, Dr. Ekram Ali and few others were arrested from Cuttack
and sent to Hazaribag jail. While taking them to the jail custody of Cuttack,
the police tied ropes around their waist and took round the streets of Cuttack
under the hot sun. And that was not all.
A National school was established in NuaBazar area of Cuttack city
Behind it, lay the effort of Madhusudan Biswal, Damodar Mohanty and Dr.
Atal Behari Acharya. It was during the Non Co-operation movement that

53
Rajgopal Chari, Motilal Nehru, Dr. Ansari and V.J Patel came to Cuttack on
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the 3 August 1922 and discussed with the leaders on the feasibility of a
Civil Disobedience movement in future. The prominent among the leaders
with whom they discussed were Gopabandhu Choudhury, Nilakantha Das
and Godabarish Mishra. Furthermore Subash Chandra Bose paid a visit to
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Cuttack in the 3 week of August 1922. His visit added momentum to the
Freedom Movement in Odisha. In 1923, the conference of the Utkal
Provincial Congress Committee was held at Cuttack with Acharya Prafulla
Chandra Roy in the Presidential chair. In Cuttack too the various
programmes of the Swaraj Party established by Chittaranjan Das were
implemented.
Mahatma Gandhi came to Cuttack for the second time in 1923. This
time he was invited by Madhusudan Das to visit his Utkal Tannery. He
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reached Cuttack on the 19 August and paid a visit to his farm. On that day
he also addressed a large gathering in the Municipality compound. He also
visited the leprosy colony situated in the outskirt of the Cuttack city.The year
1927 was significant in the Odishan history. That year Gandhiji came to
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Odisha for the third time. He arrived at Cuttack on the 20 December and
became the guest of Gopal Chandra Praharaj. On the occasion of his visit a
meeting was arranged at Cuttack in the evening of that day. That was the
day when Gandhiji observed silence for which he did not open his mouth. So
his speech was read out in the meeting. Next day he attended a meeting of
the Congress Workers and discussed with them on various matters with
regard to the Freedom Movement. During the discussion one Congress
leader asked him a question, ―Why do you advise us not to take any revenge
even if we are beaten?‖ In reply he said ―The Non violent agitation is more
effective. Follow it to the letter and proceed ahead‖. Furthermore, Gandhiji
also instructed the workers thus,‖ Those who want to serve Odisha, let them
spin in Charakha and make Odisha the store house of Khadi in India‖. He
also told them ―The humanity has submerged around the sea on all sides.
You give greater attention to human values.‖ In this Congress-workers
conference he entrusted the responsibility of the sale of Khadi to the workers
present there. Then from Cuttack he proceeded to Madras.
In 1928, Cuttack had the privilege of becoming the base of a
mysterious event. It was for introducing democratic set up in India, that the
British government appointed a commission of seven members in 1927 with
John Simon as its Chairman. Unfortunately all those seven members were
British people. So the Indian National Congress, Muslim League and all
other political parties were opposed to the formation of this commission.
Gopabandhu Das criticised it as ‗Simon Sata Bhaya‘ (seven Simon
brothers). However, despite the opposition the Simon Commission arrived in
India in 1928. So it was greeted everywhere with black flag and slogan, “Go
back Simon”. In this boycott agitation Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Pandit
Gobinda Ballav Pant were injured in police lathicharge. Similarly at Lahore,
Lala LajpatRai was beaten by the police. Finally he breathed his last in the
injury he sustained and became a martyr. But while the atmosphere in India
was surcharged with cry of hostility it is a wonder of wonders that a few
leaders of Odisha decided to welcome Simon Commission and present their
demand to make Odisha a separate province.
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 After 1928, the event moved fast in Freedom Movement and along with
it Cuttack marched apace. Mean-while the chief Director of the Freedom
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Movement in Odisha Gopabandhu Das passed away on the 27 June 1928.
That was the day of the Netroshtaba. The news of his sad demise shocked
the people of Cuttack most because Cuttack had been the pivotal centre of
his activities. All political institutions of Cuttack observed mourning. Then a
meeting of the Utkal PradeshCongress Committee was convened at Cuttack
in December 1922 to elect office bearers for the year 1930. There Dr.
Harekrushna Mahatab was elected as the President, Gopabandhu
Choudhuary the Secretary, Raj Krushna Bose the Joint Secretary, Ten
members were also elected to present Odisha in all India National Congress.
Of them mention may be made of Godabarish Mishra, Hare-krushna
Mahatab, Gopabandhu Choudhury, Naba Kishore Das, Gobinda Chandra
Mishra, Bhagirathi Mohapatra.
In 1929, in the same historic Lahore session of the Indian National
Congress, it was decided to launch a Civil Disobedience Movement.
In the residence of Gopabandhu Choudhuary, a meeting of the
members of Utkal Provincial Congress Committee was held with Dr.
Mahatab in the chair. Some members expressed their opinion to join
Mahatma Gandhi in his Dandi March and not to do anything separately in
Odisha. But Dr. Mahatab was known to have influenced the members to
break the salt law at Inchudi in the District of Balasore with Gopabandhu
Choudhury taking the lead. It was agreed upon. Accordingly two days after
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the Dandi March, on the 6 April 1930, twenty one volunteers started from
Cuttack. While Gopabandhu Choudhury took the leadership, Acharya
Harihar Dash, Gopabandhu Mishra, Dr.Mahatab, Laxmi Narayan Mishra,
Gouranga Charan Das, Jadumani Mangaraj, Krupasindhu Hota,
Pranakrushna Padhihari, Rajkrushna Bose, Binod Kanungo and a few other
volunteered themselves to join the party. The march was formally opened by
Rama Devi and Malati Devi by garlanding each one of the volunteers. On the
way Gopabandhu Choudhury and Atal Behari Acharya were arrested on the
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8 April. There after Acharya Harihar Dash took the lead. In this way as
many as four batches of volunteers started from Cuttack and proceeded to
Inchudi.
Having seen unprecedented success of the Civil Disobedience
Movement in Cuttack city the British authorities resorted to some
suppressive measures. To start with, the activities of the Congress Party
were declared unlawful. Apropos this declaration, the Congress office
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established in Cuttack city was locked by the police on the 13 December
1930. So the next day a complete Haratal was observed in the city. The
front-ranking leaders like Malati Choudhuary and Lingaraj Mishra were
arrested. But all these measures hardly affected the flow of the Freedom
Movement in Cuttack city. Cuttack city participated in the social programmes
heralded by Mahatma Gandhi.It was in 1934, that Gandhiji came to Odisha
for the fourth time. This time he came through Jharsuguda and reached
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Cuttack on the 16 May 1934. On the occasion of his visit in the evening, a
meeting was arranged in the bank of the river Kathajodi. A sensational event
was known to have taken place before the commencement of the meeting.

55
Some Sanatani Pandits with some of their followers showed Black flags to
Mahatma Gandhi because he was championing the Harijan Movement. But
a man with Himalayan patience as he was, Gandhiji stood least worried for
the same. Rather he told them to speak out first in the meeting all that they
had to say. So they were taken to the Pandal. After their speeches Gandhiji
explained the importance of the Harijan Movement with such convincing
argument that the attitude of the Pandits was completely changed. This time
the women of Cuttack donated rupees seventy eight and eight annas in a
meeting held on the occasion of his visit. Some others also collected money
from the people and donated an amount to the tune of 822 rupees eight
annas. During Gandhiji‘s visit to Cuttack Rama Devi was running an Ashram
for the volunteers. On her request, he visited the Ashram. He was so much
pleased with the working of the Ashram that he complimented her thus
“Rama Devi and her small group are working nicely. I have not seen it
anywhere else. For their own self they have not demanded any special
privilege”.
The year 1938 was a land-mark in the Freedom movement in Odisha.
That year the fourth session of the Gandhiji Seba Sangha was convened at
th st
Delanga in Puri district from 25 March to 31 March. Although the city of
Cuttack did not directly participate in this session still then many leaders
from this city remained in charge of its management. Gopabandhu
Choudhury was the Chairman of the Reception committee for this session.
Furthermore, the chairman of Cuttack Municipality Satyanarayan Sengupta
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discussed in this session on 27 March about the drainage system of
Cuttack city.
In 1942 the city of Cuttack was fortunate enough to have the presence
of an outstanding women leader. She was Mira Ben. English by birth she
was the daughter of a Naval Commander. Her name was Miss Slade. The
political philosophy and constructive programmes of Mahatma Gandhi
influenced her so much that she decided to stay in India and dedicate her life
to the cause of the Indians. On Mira Ben‘s request Mahatma Gandhi sent
her to Cuttack. In the wake of her visit to Cuttack in May 1942 Mahatma
Gandhi wrote a letter to Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab in-forming him of the
programme of Mira Ben. So Mahatab received her at Cuttack Railway
Station and took a meeting arranged on the occasion of her visit. There she
threw light on different programmes of Mahatma Gandhi and appealed to the
people to prepare themselves for giving a stubborn fight to the Japanese in
the event of their attack on India. After the meeting Mira Ben proceeded to
Bhadrak. Meanwhile the Utkal Congress Socialist Party was established with
Surendra Nath Diwedi as its President, The working Secretary of All India
Congress Socialist Party Ramananda Mishra came to Cuttack in July 1942.
His main purpose of the visit was to collect facts on the political condition of
Odisha.
The year 1942 proved to be most momentous in the history of Freedom
Movement in India. That year Indian National Congress under the leadership
of Mahatma Gandhi took a decisive step and that was the adoption of the
Quit India Resolution and following it the movement. This resolution was
prepared by the working committee of the Indian National Congress which

56
 th
met on the 14 April 1942 at Wardha. It was finally adopted in a general
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session of the Indian National Congress. On the 8 April in Golia Tank field
at Bombay four delegates from Cuttack city attended various sessions. They
were Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, Malati Choudhuary, Surendra Nath Diwedi,
Prahlad Roy Lath. Prior to it, an interesting event was known to have taken
place in Cuttack in April 1942. That was about a top secret letter of the
British government on mobilising public opinion against the Quit India
Movement. One advocate named Bhupan Bose skilfully managed to steal a
secret instruction of the British government and handed it over to Dr.
Harekrushna Mahatab. This was written by the Secretary to the government
of India, Frederick Pulk to all Provincial governments. The copy of this letter
was circulated by the then Deputy Secretary Durga Charan Das to all District
Magistrates and S.D. Os of Odisha. In this letter the Provincial government
were directed to create public opinion against the proposed ―Quit India
Movement‖. The copy of this secret instruction was handed over by Dr.
Mahatab to Gandhiji at Wardha with the understanding that he would not
disclose his name because in future the source of getting further secret
instructions might be jeopardised. Gandhiji also promised to publish it under
his responsibility.
In 1946, the Congress ministry was formed in Odisha with Harekrushna
Mahatab as the Prime Minister. Cuttack city remained as the capital. From
here Dr. Mahatab issued an order to release all the Prisoners. When India
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achieved Independence on the 15 August the occasion was celebrated in
Cuttack city with much pomp and splendour and maddening joy. The city of
Cuttack also played a role in the amalgamation of Gadajat States with
Odisha. For this purpose, Mahatma Gandhi sent Information to Mahatab
saying ―If you can give the consent of atleast two Rajas of Odisha I will tell
Patel to proceed in this matter‖. So Dr. Mahatab tried and succeeded in
getting the consent from the Raja of Hindol and Rajmata of Ranapur. Such
letters were handed over to Mahatma Gandhi. Consequently towards the last
part of 1948, These Rajas signed in Cuttack Raj Bhawan the instrument of
Accession. Raja of Patna, Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo was the first to sign.
The story of the movement for Freedom will remain incomplete if one
forgets to mention the fight put up against the Britishers by Subhas Chandra
Bose, the great national leader. Sixth son of Janakinath Bose and
Prabhavati Devi who came from Calcutta and settled at Cuttack, Subhas
Chandra was born in their house in Odia Bazar which is now visited by
thousands of people, particularly on Subhas‘s birthday. From Subhas
Chandra‘s incomplete autobiography ―An Indian Piligrim‖ we learn that all his
brothers and sisters had initially studied in the Protestant European School
run by the Bapist Mission and Subash also joined this school.
After studying in the P.E. School for six years, Subhas was transferred
to Ravenshaw Collegiate School, where he joined the fourth class. The
Headmaster of the school was Sri Beni Madhav Das. As he writes in his
autobiography, ―The very first day I saw him taking his rounds – I was then
just over twelve – I felt what I should now call an irresistible moral appeal in
his personality..... And I secretly said to myself that if Iwanted an ideal for my
life, it should be to emulate him.‖ Unfortunately, two years later, Sri Beni

57
Madhav Das was transferred. But Subhas started a correspondence with
him. He learnt from him how to love nature and be inspired by her, not
merely aesthetically, but ethically as well. ―Surrender yourself completely to
nature‖, Das would write, ―and let nature speak to you through her protean
mask.‖ This sort of contemplation had given him peace of mind, joy and
strength of will.
Shri Beni Madhav Das was also responsible for influencing Subash
Chandra in another aspect, which left a lasting impression. In 1912, Beni
Madhav introduced another student, Hemanta Kumar Sarkar to Subash.
Hemanta Sarkar came to Cuttack and Puri on a tour. Hemanta was
connected with a group in Calcutta which had as its ideal spiritual uplift and
national service along constructive lines. Subash says in his book that he
received from Hemanta the first political impetus in his life. It was thanks to
Cuttack that Subhas Chandra came in touch with Beni Madhav Das.It was in
Cuttack that Subhas Chandra discovered the ideal to which he could give his
whole being. One day by sheer accident, he came across the works of
Swami Vivekananda among the collection of books of a relative of his. He
had hardly turned over a few pages when he realised that here was
something which he had been longing for. He borrowed the books, pored
over them. Swami‘s letters as well as speeches from Colombo to Almorah,
replete as they were with practical advice to his countrymen, inspired him
most. He emerged with a vivid idea of the essence of Vivekananda‘s
teachings. ―Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya Cha‖ – For one‘sown
salvation and for the welfare of the world – that was to be his life‘s goal.
Swami Vivekananda gave him the ideal.
The city of Cuttack also gave Subhas Chandra his first experience of
social work. Before he was sixteen, he went to a village on the outskirts of
the town with a group of friends with the object of rendering some service.
They entered the village primary school and did some teaching there. They
felt greatly encouraged as, in their outing, they were warmly welcomed by
the teachers and the villagers in general. However, they did not have the
same experience everywhere. In another village, as they entered, the
villagers, who had seen them from a distance collected in a body and as
they advanced, the villagers began to retreat. The group of young students
were shocked and surprised at first without understanding why they were
regarded not only as strangers but as suspicious characters or enemies by
villagers, whom they wanted to serve. Later they realised that whenever
well-dressed men had come into the village they must have done so as tax-
collectors or in some similar capacity and had behaved in such a manner as
to create a gulf between the villagers and men from the town.
Subhas sat for the Matriculation Examination in March, 1913 from the
Ravenshaw Collegiate School and came out second in the whole University.
His parents were delighted and he was packed off to Calcutta, where he
joined the Presidency College.
During his first year in College, Subhas returned to Cuttack to spend
the vacation there. On returning to Cuttack, he got into his old set again. He
accepted the invitation to join a party of friends going into the interior on a
nursing expedition in a locality which was stricken with cholera, with the
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leader of the party being a half-doctor, whose belongings consisted of a
book on homoeopathy, a box of homeopathic medicines and plenty of
common sense. In those days cholera was regarded as a fatal disease and it
was not easy to get people to attend cholera patients. Evidently, this group
of youngmen were absolutely fearless.Subhas Chandra Bose once again
came back to Cuttack perforce for a comparatively longer stay in March,
1916. Following the ―Oaten incident‖ in the Presidency College (about which
I shall not elaborate as it is well known), he was rusticated from the Calcutta
University. It was felt that to allow him to stay in Calcutta without any
ostensible vocation was extremely risky and a quiet corner like Cuttack
would be far better for him. He could not continue his studies. The expulsion
was for an indefinite period and there was no certainty as to when the
University authorities would relent and give him permission to resume
studies. How could he spend his time? He took to nursing again. Interesting
and useful though nursing was, it could not fill all his time. Moreover, he
thought, nursing was but an expedient; it was not a permanent remedy for
any of our national ills. So, he decided to try his hand at youth organisation.
He got together a large number of youths and they started an organisation
with different departments for physical, intellectual and moral advancement.
Subhas also wrote that at this time he was brought face to face with the
problem of untouchability. His forced sojourn in Cuttack during this period
gave him experience in social work, insight into social problems and
opportunity to develop his organising skills. He returned to Calcutta to
continue his studies after about a year when the Calcutta University
withdrew the order of expulsion.
Later Subhas Chandra Bose entirely plunged himself into the fight for
freedom. If Mahatma Gandhi continued his fight against British rule with the
process of civil movements in India, Subhas Chandra Bose decided to fight
directly against the foreigners by forming the Indian Azad Hind Fauz to throw
the rulers out of the country. As it is difficult to narrate the entire story of
Netaji in detail, a brief account of the major events are given below that
reveals that Netaji stands next to Gandhiji in his fight, struggle and sacrifice
for the freedom of the country.
Subhas Chandra Bose was the student of P.M. Academy. He passed
entrance examination with a high record in Patna University. He was the
Secretary of the students‘ Union in Presidency College, Calcutta. He stood
second in B.A.; studied in Cambridge in 1919-21 and got into I.C.S but
resigned from I.C.S. in 1921. He served in the flood work in Bengal and
became Chief Executive officer of Calcutta Corporation. Several times he
courted arrest in the freedom struggle and suffered in Jail, fell sick and later
went to Europe for treatment. He became Great revolutionary leader of India.
He was Congress president in 1939. Due to difference with Gandhiji he
resigned from congress and formed Azad Hind Fauz. At the time of Second
World War in 1941, he was under house arrest but he left India and went to
Germany through Afghanistan in disguise. He met Hitler and went to Japan.
Then he came to Singapore and formed Indian National Army in ‗1944‘ and
entered India up to Kohima. He is said to have died in an Aircrash near
Formoja while leaving Singapore to Japan. Known as Netaji he is a
household name in India, Germany and Japan. His life is known all over
59
India but many people do not know that he was born at Cuttack, where he
had his early education.
Thus the city of Cuttack has played vital role in the struggle for
freedom of the country right from 1857 to 1947 and as much, it has added to
the fame and glory to the freedom fighters of Odisha and of the people of
Odisha and by this way raised the image Odisha in the struggle for freedom
of the country.
1. THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES IN CUTTACK
If Puri is known throughout the country for Lord Jagannath, the city of
Cuttack is famous for the palaces, temples, mosques, Churches and various
other buildings that speak of the ancient kings, emperors, and rulers who
have left their imprint in these ancient monuments. Although much of the
original beauty and magnificence have been destroyed as most of these are
in ruins, and yet many of these monuments have stood the ravages of time
and still stand as examples of the ancient glorious and magnificent
architectural art of rulers of Cuttack City.
First and foremost is the famous and most historical Barabati Fort
which speaks of the glory of Ganga Dynasty. The Fort has a historic story
about its building.
Having firmly established themselves in Odisha with capital at Cuttack,
the Gangas ruled for fourteen generations in unbroken succession. One of
the Ganga kings Anangabhimadeva-II ( A.D. 1216 -1236 ) issued a copper
plate grant from Cuttack referring to it as ―Abhinava Varanasid Kataka‖ The
epithet Abhinava (new) was intended to distinguish it from old Varanasi
situated on the Ganges in North India.
Another tradition recorded in the Madalapanji refers to the fact that
Anangabhimadeva used to reside at the town called Chaudwar Katack-old
name of Cuttack. While he was residing there, one day the king crossing the
Mahanadi saw on its southern bank in the vicinity of the Visweswara Siva
situated in the village Barabati in the Kodinda Dandapata, that a heron had
killed a hawk. The king was astonished at this unusual event and laid the
foundation of a Kataka in the Barabati village and after building the palace
called the place as the Abhinava Varanasi Katak and left Chaudwar Katak.
This tradition is supported by his copper plate grants. Anangabhimadeva-III,
a very powerful monarch of the Ganga line of kings in Odisha, whose
memory is still cherished with pride by the people not only for his remarkable
victory on the rapidly advancing Muslim army from Bengal but also for
extending the limits of his empire in the west up to the border of the Haihaya
territory is credited in the local traditions as the builder of some Jagannath
temples in Odisha. The chief among them was the temple of Purusottama
built by him in his capital among them was the temple of Purusottama built
by him in his capital called Abhinava Varanasi Kataka on the right bank of
Mahanadi. He too, granted lands to a Brahmana named Devadhara in
Kodinda Visaya for maintenance of this temple and its presiding deity Lord
Purusottama. The idol of Purusottama (Jagannatha ) made of stone.

60
 Barabati fort witnessed the fortunes and the fall of the long line of
Ganga and Suryavamsi rulers. In A.D. 1361 Firoz Saha invaded this place
and made its king captive due to treachery of his officers. The last two or
three kings of the Ganga dynasty became very weak and Odisha became
the happy haunting ground of the invaders both from the north and the
south. Kapilendradeva otherwise known as Kapilesvara retrieved the lost
fortune and prestige of the kingdom after occupying its capital during the
absence of the king for an expedition in the southern parts Kapilendadeva by
waging successful expeditions from this place soon succeeded in carving out
an empire which at its height extended from the Ganges in the north to the
Kauveri in the south. Purusottamadeva after the death of his father
maintained the strength and integrity of this far flung empire with the help of
the vast standing ARMY. During the time of Prataparudradev the kingdom
entered into a period of turmoil, murders and treachery. Govinda
Vidyadhara, the treacherous minister of Prataparudradeva, killed all possible
successors of the late king and paving his way to the throne through
bloodshed, established the infamous short Bhoi dynasty also at this place.
The last Bhoi king Raghunatha Chotaraya was killed by his general
Mukundadeva of the Chalukya lineage. He ruled from A.D. 1560 to A.D.
1568 with his residence within the Barabati fort area. It is he who ensured
the fortifications of Barabati. In the last year of his reign Odisha was invaded
by Sultan Karnani, the Sultan of Bengal, and in the turmoil that followed the
Muslims invasion, Mukundadeva was killed by a local traitor. With his death
the Hindu rule in Odisha came to an end in A.D. 1568.
During the rule of the Muslims and the Marahattas it continued to be the
capital of Odisha. They added to the buildings of Barabati and strengthened
its fortifications. In addition, the Muslims, built a place on the Kathajori known
as Lalbag, the residence of the Governor and the Marathas extended the
fortification to the outskirts of Barabati by constructing horse stables near
present Chauliganja area.
The British army took possession of Barabati fort, the main seat of
occupation of Odisha rulers in October, 1803. The assault on the Barabati
th
fort began in the night of the 12 October and the British troops entered in it
th
in the afternoon of the 14 .
Barabati fort which for centuries was the residence of the ruling
dynasties became the prison for confinement of several illustrious rulers of
the land. In 1880 the Raja of Kujnga, in 1818, the Raja of Khurda and in
1819 the Raja of Surgaja with his family members were kept under strict
confinement in this fort. In addition, vandalism to destroy the fort was
intensified in the early phase of British rule. In 1828 under the suggestion of
Peckenham, the Commissioner, stones of the fort were used for repair of the
revetments and public roads and even sold to the moneyed persons at a
price of rupees five to six per hundred pieces of dressed stones. In 1829
the Light house at the False point and the Cantonment road of Cuttack were
constructed with the fallen stones of this fort. In the same year with an
intention of searching out hidden treasures of the fort an excavation work
was undertaken. Unfortunately, the result of the excavation is not known.
The hidden treasures of the fort no doubt might have decorated the

61
casteless of the Nobles in England. Further demolition of the fort continued
till the year 1855 when R.N. Sore, the Collector, Cuttack under the orders of
the Lt. Governor attempted to stop in vain. In 1837, the Superintendent of
Embankments caused further destruction by removal of the remains of the
walls of the fort. Toynbee observed in 1873 that the fort was converted into
an unsightly series of earthen mounds and a wilderness of stone pits.
Everything is lost except an earthen mount, the mosque of Fateh Khan
Rahim, the gate-way and the revetment of the fort. This is known as the
Sahi Monque of Kila Fort which is under the Archology of Survey of India
and when the most elite Muslims offer their daily prayer and after the annual
prayer of ―Eidul Fitre‖ and ―Eidul Zuha‖. This is the most historical mosque of
Cuttack city managed by a Managing Committee. The destruction thus
caused to this stupendous citadel is irreparable and a tremendous loss to
the archaeological treasures of Odisha.
Abul Fazal, possibly on the basis of information obtained from Raja
Mansingh who conquered Odisha in A.D. 1592 furnishes us an account of
the Barabati fort. He w rites Kataka (Cuttack). The city has a
stone fort situated at the bifurcation of two rivers, the Mahanadi held in high
veneration by the Hindus, and the Kathajodi. It is the residence of the
Governor and contains some fine buildings. For five or six kosh round the
fort during the rains, the country is under water. Raja Mukand Deo built a
palace here nine storeys in height, the first store was taken up for the
elephants and stables, the second was occupied by the artillery and the
guards and quarters for attendants, the third by the patrol and get keepers,
the fourth by the workshops the fifth, the kitchen, the sixth contained the
public reception rooms, the seventh, the private apartment, the eight, the
womens apartments and the ninth, the sleeping chamber of the Governor.
It was here, possibly the Mughal Subedars held their periodical court
sittings. William Bruton who visited the place with Ralph Cart wright in A.D.
1633 was very much impressed with the magnificence and pomp of the
stately court of Malcandy as he calls it. The English travelers reached the
place from the east over a long narrow causeway and were conducted
through the labyrinth of buildings to the court of public attendance. As
regards the Barabati fort informs that ―To the north of the city at the
bifurcation of the Mahanadi and the Kathjori stood the citadel of Cuttack.
Fort Barabati, a spacious area a mile and a half in circumference, defended
by a broad ditch faced with masonry by double walls of stone and by square
slopping bastions, which clearly bespeak its indigenous origin. Fifty years
before the coming of the English, Mukund Deo the last Hindu ruler of Odisha
had built within it a castle of grey granite with nine lofty courts, but he had
lost his kingdom to the Moslem and Agha Mahamod Zaman of Tehran, a
Mughal viceroy, abided in the stately place Malcandy.
There is little in the present appearance of the fort or qila as it is
generally called which answers to the above description. Soon after the
place was occupied by the British forces, all the buildings in the fort were
pulled down by the Public Works Department and the stones obtained were
utilized for construction works. The fort now houses the Cuttack club, few
residential quarters, District level Offices of the State Government, play

62
ground, mini stadium, old barracks, stables and a fine three-domed masque
named after one Fathe Khan. Originally there must have been several tanks
within the fort area, but these were mostly silted up now except one on the
western edge of which stands the tomb of a Muhammedan saint known as
Bokhari Saheb. The tomb is a flat-roofed wooden structure about 18 feet by
15 feet and consists of two rooms, the eastern or the back one containing
the grave. The growth of a peepal tree not only caused immense damage to
the plinth of the mosque but also to the stone masonry on the tank side.
The only remnant of the Barabati fort area massive heap of earth
supposed to be the site of the nine-storey palace in the centre, an arched
gate-way on the east (and a broad moat faced with stone masonry all
around the fort).
The moat which is entirely under pisciculture, now measures about 100
feet wide and 12 feet deep. The stone facing has disappeared every where
except on the east and south sides.
The gate-way consists of an arched opening 9 feet 3 inches wide and
16 feet high, flanked by two square sloping towers to the right and left. A
large banyan tree has taken root on the southern tower. The moat is crossed
by a solid causeway flanked by short masonry walls.
Very recently as many as eight large sized cannons were recovered
from a place close to the entrance gate of the fort and removed to the
Odisha State Museum for preservation and display. Close to the newly
constructed Cuttack Club building foundations of magazine houses and
arsenals could be traced. Parts of these fallen buildings have already been
remodeled for other purposes. The Fathe Khan mosque has also
undergone some repairs by the Odisha State Archaeology.
Another ancient temple seen in the premises of the Basuli Thakurani
shrine of Baniasahi of Cuttack town preserves a large hoard of temple
fragments which include naga and nagi figures, yaksha with raised hands,
ascetic with disciples, upper parts of a lady with outstretched garments,
amalakasilas, lotus medallions, mounted lions, broken parts of a Saktipitha
and several miniature Sivalingas. In addition, a Narayan image, a figure or
Saraswati and two Buddhist icons are under worship at this place. The two-
handed Saraswati image in standing pose displays manuscript and rosary in
hands. The Narayan image is much damaged and repaired through cement
mortar. The Buddhist Avalokitesvara image is worshipped by the local
people as the figure of Brahma; Fashioned in standing pose this image
displays rosary, lotus and varadamudra in three hands, fourth being kept on
the hand of a demonic attendant. Tara, the Buddhist goddess, very often
found carved with Avalokiteswara image is also envisaged with this image.
She is carved seated in folded hands displaying the lotus bud. Flying
Gandharvas, Kinnars, Kirtimukha, Kiritamukuta, etc. are carved along with
the image. Buddhist images seem to have been brought from elsewhere.
The Buddhist images, one a figure of Amitabha and the other of
Jatamukuta Lokeswara are seen firmly planted to the ground on either side
of the masonry mandapa in front of the modern Solapuama temple located
in the Pilgrim road of Cuttack Town. They were said to have been brought to
63
this place by John Beams during his search for antiquates from the
neighborhood of Lalitagiri.
The standing Buddhist image on the left side of the temple as indicated
earlier is identified with Jatamukuta Lokeswara. It is designed in standing
pose on a lotus pedestal flanked by a Tara in the attitude of unfolding a lotus
flower and Hayagiba in a demonic appearance in four hands. Top portion of
the back slab is flanked by two Dhyani Buddhas seated on lotus flowers. In
addition, a crown is held on his head by flying gandharavas hovering in the
sky. His matted locks of hair which are arranged in crown shape allows, few
strands run up to the shoulders. His four hands display rosary and
varadamudra in the right and lotus and spouted jar on the left. The
decorative ornaments including multi-stranded girdle with loops, armlets,
necklaces, bangles and ear-ring are very artistically fashioned. The trivali
indicated on his neck add youthful vigour and grace. A long inscription is
found at the back of this image and the Dharani is inscribed on the aura.
Both the images referred to above were carved in the variety of stones
available in Ratnagiri complex of Buddhist in Odisha and stylistically
th th
assigned a date in the A.D 8 and A.D 9 centuries.
In the premises of the Ravenshaw College, Cuttack a hero stone is
seen firmly planted on a masonry pedestal. The piece was collected from
Sisupalgarah of Bhubaneswar, for display in the provincial Museum originally
located in the Ravenshaw College building. With the shifting of other
antiquities to Bhubaneswar this piece was left over permanently. The stone
slap depicts a royal figure in full military vigour brandishing a double-edged
sword in right hand and a curved rectangular shield in left hand. The
attendant to his right holds the royal umbrella over his head. Another
dwarfish figure to his left turns the face towards the royal figure. The lower
register too, contains another armed personel displaying a curved sword and
rectangular shield. The arched top of this sculpture contains few lines of an
inscription. Both the armed personnel and the royal figure are envisaged
within deep cut niches of the stone slap. Hairs on the head of the royal figure
are combed behind and tied to a building knot. He is provided with a short
undergarment, waist belt, necklace upavita.
Of the later Hindu temples mention may be made of the Amareswara
temple of Bakshi Bazar, Gangamandir of Kaji Bazaar, Raghunath and
Jagannath temples of Telanga Bazar Lakshmi-Narayana temple of
Mansinghpatna, Landa deula near District Judge Court and Pareswara Siva
temple of Pareswara Sahi. Some of these temples, like the Gangamandir
and Amareswara Siva of this town appear to have been originally built in
earlier period, others convey the idea of much later constructions. The
garbhagrihas in respect of the two earlier temples referred to above are
located in much lower levels and their bada portions are almost covered with
earth of the surrounding ground. The loose sculptures preserved in the
premises of these temples testify to our assumptions.
The Lakshmi-Nrusingha temple of Mansinghpatna has been built on old
ruins. Besides the main shirne, it has the jagamohan and natamandapa in
front. Within the garbhagriha an image of Vishnu displaying samkha,
chakara, gada and padma in four hands is worshipped as the presiding
64
deity. Close to this figure an image Gajalakshmi has also been kept. She
displays varadamudra in the right hand and holds the stem of the lotus
flower in left hand. Inside of Jagamohan image of Krishnam, varaha Vishnu
and Narasimha have also been preserved. The natamandir has in its centre
a large size Garuda image. It has been fashioned in the conventional pose
Garuda images of similar magnitude are not seen anywhere else in Odisha.
Best representation of Garuda is however noticed in the Madhava temple of
the Prachi Valley.
The Raghunath temple of Telanga Bazar is credited to be the work of
Gajapati Mukundadeva who lost the kingdom of Odisha to the Muslims in
A.D 1568. The temple complex is located within a spacious compound
whose outer walls are topped by pyramidal battlements. It has the main
entrance on the eastern compound wall and four pyramidal structures at the
four corners. The floor of the spacious compound is paved with cut stones.
Both the main temples and the jagamohana are built over high plinths.
The jagamohana is fronted by pillared mandap. All the structures have been
thickly plastered with lime mortar and white washed. The main shrine is in
rekha order with saptaratha plan and the jagamohan in pidha order. The
outer walls display projecting gajasimhas on rahumukhas in three sides.
Besides, monkey figures in various postures are inserted on paga
projections. The outer faces too, represent panels carved with figures of
Rama, Hanuman, Siva, Parasurama, dancers ascetics and musicians. The
niches meant for the Parsvadevatas are filled with figures of Trivikarama,
Vishnu in the north, Narasimha in the west and Varaha-Vishnu in the south.
Inside the sanctum image of Rama, Lakshman, Bharat, Satrughana and Sita
are placed on a high masonry pedestal.
Cuttack town also contains a series of Mathas of much later date. They
include the Mastaram Matha, Rasabehari Matha, Tulasipur Matha, Gopalji
Matha, Bangalisahi Matha, Anata Gopa Matha, Jagannath Matha, Chaitanya
Matha, Nala Matha, Sangati Matha, Choudhury Matha and Radhakrishna
Matha. Mastaram Matha seems to have been constructed during the
Maratha period.
Cuttack town has the distinction of three Jaina shrines of modern origin.
They are located in Choudhury Bazar, Jaunliapati and Alamchand Bazar.
The one Jaunlipati is nothing but part of a residential building. The Jaina
temple of Alamchand Bazar was completed during the year 1974 only.
Architecturally the Jaina temple of Choudhury Bazar is best preserved. It
displays all the major features of an Odisha temple. Situated within a
spacious compound it has the main temple built in rekha order and
jagamohan in pidha style, a feature common in the later temples of Odisha.
A small chamber between the temple and the jagamohan serves the
purpose of antarala. It rather links both the structures and the space so
created helps the pious devotes to stand and pay respectful homage to the
deities worshipped in the sanctum from a close distance.
As indicated earlier the niches of the jagamohan preserve a large hoard
of Jaina Tirthankaras, Chaumukhas, Ganadhara and Purvadhara figures.
Among the Trithankara figures mention may be made of ―Isabhanatha,

65
Parswanatha (Fig – 10) Ajitanatha Padmaprabha and Santinath. The two
Chaumukhas, designed in shape of pidhas, mundis are represented by four
leading Tirthankaras in standing pose. The stone slab contains one hundred
and eight Gandhara and Purvadhara figures. It is learnt from reliable sources
that Jaina devotees of Cuttack town collected them from leading Jaina sites
of Odisha like Udayagiri, Khandagiri and Podsingidi. The marble idols of the
temple represent figures of Santinatha, Parsvantha and Chandraprabha.
Similarly the brass icons contains of images of Risabhanatha, Ajitanatha,
Santinatha and Parsvanatha. They are all of recent make and donated by
Jaina adherents of Cuttack town. The marble idols were mostly brought from
Jaipur of Rajsthan.
A Jaina Risabhanatha figure tracedto the AD. 11th century has also
been fixed to a niche of the Jagannatha temple built by Baba Sagar Dasa at
Dolamundai of Cuttack town. It was recovered from a tank of the
neighborhood during the time of renovation. It displays all the conventional
attributes of a Jaina Tirthakara like tree, chauri-bearers, triliner umbrella,
flying figures, halo, jatabhara, astagrahas, kneeling, devotees, lotus
pedestal, offerings and figures of gandharvas and kinnaras mounted on
elephants. These heavenly figures display garlands on their hands and play
of different kind of musical instruments.
Cuttack town also enjoyed for a pretty long time the honour of being the
seat of political authority of the Muslims in Odisha. During the period
numerous Muslims monuments were built at Cuttack for use of the religious
adherents and pomp and pleasure loving Nawabs.
The Lalbag Palace of Cuttack which came into being during the year
A.D. 1633 is described by T. Motte in A.D. 1766 as a large building laid out
in a number of courts in the Morisco taste. The principal entrance of the
palace runs the great street formerly built in a straightline one mile and half
long and still the chief place of business in the town. Inside the Lalbag lies
the tomb of the saint Shah Mansur stretching from east to west instead of
north to south. The Juma Masjid of Balu Bazar bears the characteristic
features of a congregated prayer hall. It stretches from east to west to
facilitate the performance of prayer by the devotees who while praying
should turn towards Mecca. The access to the Mosque at present is through
the southern gate. Inside the courtyard there is a cistern or hauz for the
purpose of wazu or abulations. Inside the main hall there is a pulpit (nimbar)
with three steps from where the Imam delivers his khubat. The niche or
mibrab indicating the Qibal enhances the beauty of the mosque. Three
stately and magnificent bulbous domes, a cupola and a few other small
domes add a pearl like decoration to this structure. To crown all, there are
the two tall and elegant towers on both sides of the mosque. A brilliant view
of the Cuttack town can be obtained by climbing the steps leading to the top
of the towers. This mosque built by Nawab Ekramkhan in A.D. 1689 was
dedicated to Aurangzeb‘s daughter Shahzada Begum.
The Dewan Bazar mosque built in A.D. 1666 was another monument of
beauty and grandeur of Cuttack. Various component parts of this mosque
appear to have been added in different periods. The saiban and the
peshgah were of a later date. Symmetrical vaults and arches adorn the
66
unpartitioned hall. The semispherical domes and a few small towns add to its
overall beauty. A large tank situated near the mosque attaches a natural
charm to its religious sanction. The Qadm-i-Rasool enclosed on all sides by
high stone walls is the main burial ground of the Muslims at Cuttack. It
contained among others, the grave of Mahammad Taqikhan, the Deputy
Nazim of Odisha who died in A.D. 1735. It was a monument of beauty built
by Shujauddin Khan. At four corners of its high compound walls are four
small yet strong towers constructed out of chiseled stones. The Qadm-i-
Rasool is through the Naubat Khana (Music chamber) built around A.D.
1757. The Sarai constructed by Nawab Shujauddin is a simple structure
consisting of six chambers for the residence of travelers with a big gate in
the centre. It is adorned with four flat domes and pucca pavements from all
directions of the grave yard to the main octagonal building with a magnificent
dome in the centre. It contains the foot print of the prophet engraved in a
circular stone. The octagonal building has door –ways on all cardinal
directions. The inner part of the big dome is covered with delicately coloured
floral paintings. The dome outside is adorned with a golden pinnacle.
The mosque inside Qadm-i-Rasool corresponds in architectural design
to the Ujjala Khan mosque at Mahammadia Bazar and the Sahi Masjid of the
Barabati fort area. These three mosques are adorned with beautiful domes
on hexagonal bases. The stones and tiles used in them are also of the
same quality. In boldness of conception and excellence of execution, these
three mosques, however, are inferior mosques of Cuttack town.
Among other Muslim monuments of Cuttack town mention may be
made of Panjee Shah of Odia Bazar, Bukhari Shah of Barabati fort, Malanga
Shah in the compound of General Post Office, Bakshi Bazar, Mastan Shah
on the Cantonment road, Sadarkhan mosque of Shaikh Bazar and the Fateh
Mahammad mosqaue of Odia Bazar.
Among the civil works of great engineering skill of Cuttack are the
revetments of the river Mahanadi and Kathjori which protect the town from
the floods of these two rivers. The traditional account on the basis of
Madalapanji associates these to works with the name of Market Keshari of
the Keshari dynasty of kings ruling in the A.D. 10 century.But no
corroborative archaeological evidence could be traced up till now.
Lt. John C. Harrish, the Government Engineer reports in 1885 that ―The
revetment as an irregular line of masonry, partaking of the character of a wall
in some portions of a simple casing, in others, constructed of large blocks of
laterite and sand stone, set in mud cement and painted with lime plaster
exteriorly, the weight of its crest varying from 17 to 30 feet above the low
water line and width at top and bottom respectively from 3 to 4 and 5 to 8
feet. Upon what foundations, that wall rests is a matter of the purest
speculation on this day. It is not known in fact to have any foundation
whatsoever, other than such as it has formed for itself by settlements, either
gradual, owing to the action of gravity upon the loose soil beneath it reduce
as this is, during floods to a semi-fluid state or again bodily, in the form of
breaches after the subsidence of the water.

67
 The stone revetment is in horse-shoe pattern. It begins on the left bank
of Kathjori from near the Puri ghat and stretches westward as far as the
Chahataghat of the Mahanadi and then stretches on the right bank of the
Mahanadi upto Jobra ghat. This continuity of the revetment indicates that
the revetment was made at the time of the bifurcation of the Kathjori river
from the Mahanadi, otherwise there is no reason for erecting the revetment
from the Chahataghat to Satichaura burial grounds. Kathjori river has
receded from the opposite bank of the Chahata ghat to Naraj since the time
of erection of the revetment. The present condition of the revetment
particularly of the Kathjori side is due to constant repair during the British
period.
Moffat Mill, the Commissioner of the Odisha Division records in 1847
that ―this solid embankment was constructed by the Mughal Government in
the reign of Jahangir, 225 years ago and has been always kept in repair by
our Government‖. However, have not got any contemporary evidence from
the Persian sources regarding the maintenance and repair of the revetment
during the Mughal rule in Odisha‖.
We do not know when and how this great work of engineering skill was
executed as a protective measure of the capital of Odisha since the time of
th
Anangabhimadeva-III in the first quarter of the A.D. 13 century if not earlier
as known from the tradition. According to Nagari Copper plate inscription
Abhinava Varanasi Kataka was built earlier to A.D. 1230. The modern village
Bidanasi (a corruption of Varanasi Kataka) has been built on a place where
the Kathjori river was once flowing.
2. MERGER OF PRINCELY STATES
Although India achieved its freedom from the yoke of British Rule in
1947 and general people of the country were relieved from the stigma of
slavery and yet a large chunk of Indian Mass was not free from the rule of
Kings, Maharjas and Nawabs under whom the people or royat of various
princess served and in many states these subjects were tortured by these
rulers. Hence Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel and other leaders
seriously thought on the problems and resolved to solve the problems by
enacting the Instrument of Accession Act. in 1948 under which all these
independent states were merged with the Indian union. Thus Indian people
were completely free after the merger of these princely states from slavery
after 1948.
In the beginning the Odisha Province was created with only six districts
leaving a major portion of Odia speaking tracts at the disposal of the Rajas
and Maharajas. These areas, known as ‗Gadjats‘, had no unified rule of law
nor any tenancy or revenue law. The wishes of the feudatory rulers were
considered as the law of the land. The rulers who were enjoying the
patronage of the Britishers kept their subjects under their total control. In
some areas they had let loose a reign of terror and exploitation was in the
highest pitch. The people in absence of any organization were unable to
raise their voice against the mighty rulers.
Against this background Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab became the Premier
of Odisha. He played a vital role in the Prajamandal agitation during its
68
struggle against the tyranny of the feudal chiefs. He also took a pioneering
step for the merger of the feudatory states with the main land of Odisha. The
agitation which reached its peak in Nilagiri State provided an opportunity for
Dr. Mahtab to fulfill his dream. The ruler of Nilagiri despite his all repressive
measures could not suppress the agitation. The Government of Odisha
while informing the centre about the developments that had taken place at
Nilagiri requested it to take stern action against the ruler of the State. The
argument put forth by Dr. Mahtab convinced Sardar Ballavbhai Patel, the
union Home Minister and it was decided to take over the administration of
Nilagiri on November 14, 1947. Accordingly a Battalion of Odisha Military
Police marched into the Nilagiri State under the leadership of Nilamani
Senapati, the then Commissioner of Odisha. Initially there was an
apprehension of an armed conflict between the state police and the forces of
the ruler. But this could be arrested through dialogue. Jayanta Ghosh, a
veteran Journalist of Balasore who had intimacy with the Raja of Nilagiri
warned him about the dire consequence of a confrontation with the state
power. Then Nilagiri was captured and the Raja formally handed over the
administration of his state to Odisha Government. The merger of Nilagiri
with Odisha Province paved the way for merger of other feudatory states.
Naba Krushna Choudhury, the Revenue Minister who operated the Nilagiri
merger while addressing public meeting at Cuttack on November 18, 1947
warned the rulers of the Princely states saying ―they should see the writings
on the wall. The only course open before us is that of retaining our freedom
and developing strength to establish real sovereignty of people. The
principle applied to Nilagiri may have to be pursued in case of all other
states, if they went the same way‖. At the same time at a high level meeting
held at Delhi on November 20, 1947 in which Dr. Mahatab was present it
was decided not to recognize the Eastern States Union, an organization
formed by the rulers of Odisha and Chhatisgarh in utter disregard to
linguistic, economic and social consideration. It was also decided in the
meeting to discuss with the rulers of Odisha in order to explore the
possibilities of merger of feudatory states with the Odisha Province at the
th
earliest. The date was fixed on 14 November 1947.
As scheduled, Sardar Patel, the iron man, accompanied by K.V.K.
Sundaram, the union Law Secretary, V.P. Menon of the state ministry
reached Bhubaneswar Airport on the evening of November 13. They were
taken to Cuttack in a huge procession. Patel spent the night at the official
residence of the Chief Minister inside the Killa Maidan. During the night both
the Sardar and Dr. Mahtab finalized the plan of the merger of the Princely
States after prolonged discussion on various aspects. The draft
memorandum relating to the merger of States which was circulated among
the rulers was redrafted and the revised memorandum was reprinted
overnight. In course of discussion Patel also ascertained from the Chief
Minister if he had the tenacity to tackle the rulers incase the talk failed and
whether the Chief Minister had grip over the administration to face the
situation. When he was fully convinced, the Sardar gave the green signal.
Then came the historic moment of real action. On early hours of November
14, Sardar Patel attended a meeting of the rulers at the Raj Bhavan, Cuttack
(now known as Sishu Bhawan). At the outset the revised memorandum was
circulated and the Sardar explained to them that the merger of the states
69
which would enable the state to march ahead with other states of India. The
rulers were taken aback when they found a totally different memorandum
from what was circulated to them earlier. But both the Sardar and Dr.
Mahtab pleaded their ignorance about any other memorandum. The young
prince of Ranapur, Brajendra Chandra Singh Deo, Narendra Mohapatra
intervening in Sardar‘s speech said ―The rulers should be allowed some time
to discuss with their subjects before taking a final decision in this regard‖.
This remark of Singh Deo made the Sardar furious who retorted saying.
―The rulers who in order to save their skin from the attacks of the people
seek protection of the Government of India do not have any moral right to
talk about the subjects‖. He further said, ―If you do not accept our proposals,
I do not take responsibility for law and order in your state. You take care of
yourself‖. This warning of Patel worked like magic and baring two all the
rulers signed the paper of merger then and there. While the Maharaja of
Kalahandi Pratap Keshari Deo sought some time to complete the formalities,
the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj Pratap Chandra Bhanj Deo made a plea that
since he had handed over the administration of his state to a popular
government, he may be allowed atleast one year time to sign the merger
st
treaty. The agreement signed by the rulers was given effect from 1
st
January 1948. Mayurbhanj state joined with Odisha a year later i.e. on 1
January 1949. Earlier, the instrument of merger was signed by the Maharaja
th
on the historic day of 17 October 1948 and the ministry of States issued an
order (vide no. 388-p/48 dtd. 31.12.48) for governance of Mayurbhanj State
st
with effect from 1 January 1949. The two other states Sareikela and
Kharasuan originally merged with Odisha were subsequently handed over to
th
Bihar Province on 17 May 1948. These two states had the access only
through Mayurbhanj. Since Mayurbhanj State did not join with Odisha
initially, the rulers of Sareikela and Kharasuan took the plea of inaccessibility
with Odisha and preferred to be in Bihar. Later on two other Gadjat namely
Banki and Dampada of Cuttack District were merged with Odisha
Government State.
The merger meeting was attended by the following 12 rulers.

(1) Raja Brajendra Chandra Singh Deo, Brajendra Narendra Mahapatra

(Ranpur)
(2) Raja Sriram Chandra Singh Deo (Kharasuan)
(3) Raja Harihar Singh Mardaraj Bhramarbar Ray (Khandapara)
(4) Raja Narayan Chandra Birabar Mangaraj Mohapatra (Baramba)
(5) Raja Bahadur Ananta Narayan Mansingh Harichandan Mohapatra
(Narasinghpur)
(6) Raja Bahadur Nabakishore Chandra Mardaraj Jagdev(HIndol)
(7) Raja Sreekaran Radhanath Bebarta Patnaik (Athagarh)
(8) Raja Sarat Chandra Munipal (Pallahara)
(9) Raja Bir Chandra Jadumani Deo Jenamani (Raikhol)
(10) Raja Kishore Chandra Mardaraj Harichandan (Nilagiri)
(11) Raja Bahadur Kishore Chandra Deo Bhanj ( Daspalla)
(12) Raja Hrudaya Chandra Deo Birbar Harichandan (Talcher)

Thus alongwith other princely states of Odisha, the state of Cuttack

district like Tigiria, Athagarh, Badamba, Narasinghpur, Banki and Banki-
70
Dampada were also merged into the Govt. of Odisha and thereafter the
people of these states (Gadjats) felt completely free as the independent
subjects of India.
3. The Role of Cuttack in Cultural Assimilation and social Integrity
Odisha Known in the ancient history of India as Kalinga, is chiefly
renowned for its oldest and largest city, Cuttack, unique for its geographical
location, situated between the two major rivers, namely the Mahanadi and
the Kathojodi, which not only sandwich the city from two sides, but have
provided the most strategic features to all its ancient kings and even the
Nazims and Soubedars of the Mughal Emperor of Odisha. If Odisha is
famous for its holy town Puri, the Land of Lord Jagannath, it is also chiefly
known for its oldest capital city Cuttack, which has the citadel of the Barabati
Fort that has given shelter and most strategic defensive protection to all the
rulers, irrespective of their cast, creed, faith and dynasty.
In the annals of history, more than a thousand years old city of Cuttack
has played a significant role for various events revolving around it through
centuries. It has witnessed the rise and fall of several emperors and empires,
the invasion and occupation by many Indian and some external powers like
the Muslims, the Mughals, the Marhathas and finally the British. During all
these periods, Cuttack became the centre of political activities, nerve centre
of many sensational activities, and chief stage of numerous spectacular
events. Cuttack came to figure during the rule of Sultan Firoz Tughlaq
dynasty in Delhi. In November 1360 A.D. he came to Odisha and entered its
capital Cuttack which was under the rule of the Ganga king Bhanu Dev III.
But later Cuttack became more prominent during the Mughal period when
Emperor Akbar in 1565 sent two persons from his court as envoys to the
court of king Mukunda Dev to enlist his support in his design for a battle with
the Sultan of Bengal. They were Hasan Khan Khanganchi and Bhatta
Mahapatra, a noted Odia Musician in Akbar‘s court. Owning to Akbar‘s
catholic outlook and policy of India for Indians, there started in the whole of
India a period of tolerance and cultural harmony that continued to be seen
even among the people of Cuttack till the advent of British Rule in India. With
the establishment of Muslim rule in Odisha, there was distinct impact of
Perso- Arobic language on Odia language and literature. There were also
Persian and Arabic words in the inscriptions and literature of Pre-Muslim
period in the history of Odisha. With the advent of Muslim rule and even after
that, Persian remained the court language as a result of which the people
were required to read Persian for various purposes. It is interesting to note
that in all the early years Odia writers like Upendra Bhanja, Brajanath
Badajena, A Samanta Singhar, Baldev Rath, Fakir Mohan Senapati and
Radhanath Roy, we note a lage number of Arabic, Persian and Urdu words.
It is astonishing to note that more than two thousand Arabic and Persian
words were found in Odia Literature during this time. Similarly many Odia
and Sanskrit words were taken in developing Urdu language. Such was the
impact of the language of the two communities on each other that this
affected the dialect, intonation as well as the pronunciation of the respective
languages. In this context the earliest example is Sal Baig, the first Muslim
th
poet in Odia of the early part of the 17 century for his devotional poems to

71
Lord Jagannath. It is said that none could excel Sal Baig in his devotional
songs which have remained most popular among the Odia people through
centuries. Another famous work entitled Pandnama by an eminent Persian
poet Shaikh Sadi (1194-1282) was translated by an Odia Muslim writer
named Abdul Majid under the little Prodh Kabya in 1868 which had great
impact on Odia people.
Cuttack is chiefly known throughout the country for its Hindu- Muslim
culture assimilation. Though the Muslim population in Odisha is rather small,
the Hindu-Muslim socio-cultural harmony in the state in general and in
Cuttack in particular has been unique in the whole of India. During the reign
of Hindu as well Muslim rulers the relationship between the Hindus and
Muslims was quite cordial and characterized by goodwill, mutual love and
immense trust and tolerance. Both the communities influenced each other
with all their cultural features to such an extent that a perfect synthesis was
created.
Although, the Muslim rule came to an end in 1751 A.D., the socio-
cultural assimilation endured long enough beyond the Marhatha and British
periods. Of course long before this the people of Cuttack had been living in
perfect religious amity and social harmony participating as well as sharing
the joys and pleasures in their respective annual festivals. This is usually
noted in Cuttack in general and in the rural areas in particular.
Similarly in the sphere of religion, the worship of ―Satya Pir‖ is seen as
the most popular practice among the people of both communities in Cuttack.
It is a combination of Sanskrit word ―Satya‖ and Persian word ―Pir‖. For the
worship of Satya Pir many literary works have been produced. They are
known as ―Pala‖ in Odisha. The Palas are bright examples of Hindu- Muslim
culture assimilation. Originally the ‗Satya Pir Cult‘ was a non-communal affair
a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity.During the time of festival the people of
Cuttack used to organise various ‗Yatra‘ and ‗Tamasha‘ which illustrate a
fine example of the assimilation of the two cultures. Among the operas
prevalent in Cuttack, the most famous are the ‗Palas‘ and the ‗Tamashas‘.
The Moghul Tamasha of the poet Banshiballav Goswami, written in a mixed
language of Persian, Urdu, Bengali and Odia is yet popular in Bhadrak area
of Odisha. Both Hindus and Muslims take part in its staging. The common
people of both communities witness and enjoy the ‗Tamasha‘. The Hindu-
Muslim masses are least distinguishable during this time. It is a common
sight to see both Hindus and Muslims participating in each other‘s festivals
like Holi, Diwali, Dusshera, Idd and Muharram.
The people of both the communities not only tolerate each others‘
beliefs but also seriously believe in their faith. A bright example of this is
th
illustrated through the life of the famous Odia writer of 18 century namely
Fakir Mohan Senapati. Since he was exposed to serious ailments his
grandmother took the shelter of two Muslim Pirs (saints) and when saved
from illness, she changed his name from Braja Mohan to Fakir Mohan and
every year during Muharram she made him a Fakir to keep her promise to
the Pirs.

72
 There are many mosques monuments and shrines where Hindus and
Muslims flock together on every Thursday to get their wishes fulfilled.
Qadam-e-Rasool of Cuttack is a shrine dear to both the Hindus and Muslims
alike. It has become a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity in Odisha. In the
opinion of Dr. M.R. Tarrafdar, a Pakistani historian, the worship of Qadam-i-
Rasul is probably a result of the Hindu influence on the Muslims. Originating
in Buddhism, this type of fetishism seems to have made its way into
Hindusim, Christianity and Islam.
Similarly the shrine of Malanga Shah Wali in Dhobi Lane, the Bibi Alam
in Alamchand Bazar and Mastan Dargha also draw both Hindu and Muslims
during festive occasions. A fine example of this fusion of faith and culture
may be witnessed even to day at the shrine of Hazrat Bokhari Baba in
Kaipadar about sixty km of the North West of Cuttack. Here Hindus and
Muslims turn up in great numbers like the shrine of Khwaja Mohiuddin Chesti
at Ajmer to seek blessing and beneficence from the saint. A peculiar feature
projecting the Hindu-Muslim assimilation is to be seen here when we find
that Shirni / Prasad flowers and sandal paste are sold only by the Hindus
who have been allotted Sanands (records) for the same through ages. The
Muslims and Hindus purchase the offerings from the Hindu dealers and offer
the same to the Muslim saint with full faith and obeisance.In customs,
manner, dress and food both the communities have borrowed from each
other. Muslims even now believe in the principles of Hindu astrology. In the
rural areas, Muslims prepare horoscope of the child soon after birth. Thus
living together side by side for centuries, the Hindu and Muslim communities
have imbibed each other‘s ideas and customs on a permanent basis.
Whenever two types of civilizations and culture come into contact with each
other, it is quite natural that one would exercise its influence on the other.
The process of assimilation and the interchange of customs and thoughts
draw the two communities closer.
The city of Cuttack thus serves a model example of the Hindu-Muslim
social, cultural and religious harmony and unity. The greatest feature of this
unity lies in the complete trust in each other and the perfect understanding
and fellow-feeling amongst themselves. One of the outstanding examples of
this is to be found in the life of a humble Muslim of Sutahat, Cuttack, namely
Late Aminul Islam, who published thousands of booklets of popular songs in
Odia, Bhajans and Kirtans like the Koili that became most popular and
appealing among the Odia people. He was a great patriot and sincere
freedom fighter having great love and regards for Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas
Chandra Bose and others. In the year 1939 in September Netaji visited
Cuttack the city of his birth. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was the Alderman
of the Calcutta Corporation. Seated on an elephant along with Pandit
Nilakantha Das, the then President of the Provincial Congress Committee he
went round the Cuttack City. When the procession arrived at Sutahat
crossing, Aminul Islam welcomed with garlands Subhas Chandra Bose and
Pandit Nilakantha Das on behalf of the Cuttack City Sirajud-Daula Memorial
Committee. It may be noted here that during this period of national upsurge,
Sirajud-Daula‘s battle against the forces of the East India Company was
viewed as the first battle for freedom and the nationalist Aminul Islam had
closely associated himself with the Memorial Committee.
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 His greatest contribution to Hindu Muslim understanding lies in his
publication of an authentic almanac an Odia Panjika. In 1935 for the forst
time in Cuttack under the title Odisha Kohinoor Press Panjika was published.
For Hindus this Panjika is an invaluable asset and as such it has found place
in countless Hindu Homes. Himself a devout Muslim with a unique catholicity
of spirit he has richly contributed to the preservation of Hindu religious
customs in particular and Hindu culture in general through this almanac. It is
a matter of unique significance that this almanc published by a Muslim has
found acceptance in the great Hindu temple of Sri Jagannath and Aminul
Islam thus has in fact dedicated his life in the service of Lord Jagannath.The
Hindu-Muslim masses are least distinguishable during their festivals. It is a
common sight to see both Hindus and Muslims participating in each other‘s
festivals like Holi, Diwali, Dussahera, Idd and Muharram.
On the other hand, the Muslims in due course of time have also
adopted many Hindu customs, manners and beliefs. The efficacy of
exorcism, doctoring, healing by distribution of Tawidh to cure evil eye, belief
in omen etc, has passed from Hinduism to Islam through the Sufis. Many of
the Muhammadans believed in the principles of Hindu Dharma. The
anniversary of the death observed by the Muslims is a custom borrowed
from the Hindus.
The process of assimilation and interchange of customs and thought
drew the two communities closer. As a result of this, in due course of time, in
most of the rural parts of Odisha, the Muslims have adopted Odia tradition,
apart from their own Islamic culture and tradition. They speak Odia and have
adopted Hindu customs, traditions and way of life. As a consequence, in the
field of ordinary life, the two communities are living side by side in harmony
and mutual attachment.
Above all, it may be further noted that right from the medieval time
Odisha has been the most peaceful and happy place for the people of all the
castes, creeds and religions despite the wars and fighting that have taken
place due to the various invasions by foreign rules. Even during the most
turbulent and devastating period of the division of the country and aftermath
of independence, Cuttack remained undisturbed and peaceful while people
in all over the country had to go through most horrific and tragic experiences.
This will go as an example of co existence in the city in the pages of history.
th st
Even now during the 20 and 21 century, the people of different faiths
and religions have learnt to live in perfect social harmony and amity. Social
activities and social events have formed different associations to create
awareness and maintain the traditional peace and harmony among the
people of Cuttack. Under the patronage of late Rangannath Mishra, the
former Chief Justice of India and the first Chairman of Human Rights
Commission and a member of International Court of Arbitration, a society
was formed known as Sarva Dharma Sadbhavana Jagarana Mahasabha
which was led by late Dr. Srimati Annarpuna and Late Dr. Manmohan
Chowdhry whose chief concern was to create an awareness for love,
tolerance, peace and harmony in the society. This organization is active and
working at the national level for the last 30 years with its chief mission to
keep the place as a land of love, peace and harmony in the country. Late
74
social activist Asghar Ali of Bombay was its adviser and worked for this. A
th
national level convention was held at Cuttack on January 18 2003 to
disseminate the message of communal concurrence and social amity all
over the country.
Cuttack from the ancient time has been the centre of different cultures
of India. We find the manifestation of the great Indian Culture, that of the
Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas reflected in the life of the citizens of
Cuttack. Traces of the culture of the Mughals, Muslims, Marahattas and the
British also got integrated in to the life of the citizens of Cuttack, the culture
which is the real characteristic of the spiritual vitality and unity of India.
National integration is the natural process of the inter-play of such cultures
and the growth of cultural bond between different communities.
Thus besides the Muslim influence on the Hindu culture of Cuttack, the
city has also received equal cultural elements from other communities like
the Bengalis, Telugus, Tamils, Christians and many others.
Since Cuttack was under Madras, Bengal, Bihar and other
presidencies, large number of these people have settled in Cuttack and
thereby absorbed as much from the culture of Cuttack as have influenced
the same.
First and foremost are the Bengali people who have not dominated the
society of Cuttack but have also left indelible influence on the culture of
Cuttack. Durga Puja, which is essentially a major Bengali festival, has been
completely taken by the Odiya people and this has been a major festival in
Cuttack. Similarly Kali Puja also common to dominate Cuttack festivals and
most of the people in Cuttack have taken this as their own festivals. Besides
festivals and fairs, the Bengali culture has influenced the customs, language
and manners of the people of Cuttack. Above all it is the Bengali language,
literature and expressions which have been completly assimilated in the
culture of Cuttack.Same is the case with Telugu culture which has been
accepted in parts of Cuttack. Large numbers of Telugus not only live in
Cuttack but also observe their major festivals in which the people of Cuttack
not only enjoy but also participate with open heart.
The various temples and places of worship manifest the culture of
Telugu people. The Ragunathjew Mandir in Telengabazar was established
by the Marahatts. Its architecture and layout are exquisite. We find the
combination of the southern and northen elements in its construction. It is
similar to that of the wall of Sri Jagannath Temple. The Amaravati Gate at
the entry of the temple is similar in some places to such gates found at
Hampi the Capital to the Vijaynagar Empire, Halibid and Warrangal. In
addition to the Raghunathjew temple, they also established the Mastaram
Math in Seikhbazar and Amareswar Temple in Buxibazar, both considered
important places of religious worship. In the huge campus of Raghunathjew
temple, there is also a Jagannath temple. For a very long time one Raja
Raghunath Raj was in charge of the Marahatta territory in Odisha and was
managing this temple. The temple possessed vast properties. It is said that
th
Cuttack itself consisted of 3/4 of Debottar land. Maths and Temples have
been disposed of their land and occupied by the citizens and government on

75
which the modern Cuttack city stands. During the period of Raja Raghunath
Raj a cavairy consisting of 100 numbers was stationed at Telengabazar.
Most of the members were Telugu and a Telugu Colonel was in charge. The
locality derived the name of Telengabazar from them. Some of the
employees in their establishment were residing on the other side of the river
Kathojori in a village established for them, which is now called Telengapenth.
Some Telugu weavers and cobblers had migrated and settled down at
Cuttack along with the Telugu officers during the Marahatta regime. The
weavers in Dewanbazar, Odia bazaar, Baunsagali and a part of Pattapol are
the remnants of the original settlers. Some Telugu chronicles mention about
the conquest of Odisha by Sri Krishnadeva Raya of Vijaynagar particularly
his victory over Prataprudradeva, the last of Gajapatis around 1540 A.D.
There is no record to show that Krishnadeva Raya had ever reached
Cuttack. He stopped at Sreekurman in Srikakulam District where he erected
a victory pillar. Some members of Telugu community also migrated to
Cuttack during his period and some of the weavers in Jagannath Ballava,
speak of their origin from Srikakulam district during the regime of
Krishnadeva Raya. Part of his territory was known as Trilinga Desa and
hence Andhras are also known by the name of Telugu at Cuttack.There are
large number of people of Andhra people in Cuttack as well as in Odisha
they have been playing considerable role in establishing bonds of friendship
between the Odia, Andhras and other communities. They have completely
merged themselves with the State of Odisha and have been participating in
its cultural, social and political activities as citizens of the State. They have
established a beautiful Venkateswara temple in Dewanbazar. In cooperation
with the Tamil and other communities from the South temples also have
been established for Ganesh and Subramanya near Gadagadiaghat. In the
premises of the Amareswar Mandir, a Rama Stupa was erected by His
Holiness Sri Jiyyar on which are engraved in Sanskrit slokas from the
Ramsyana. The stone idols of Rama, Laxman and Sita are fixed for worship.
The local Telugu celebrate Ramanavami every year in cooperation with the
local Odia community on a very large scale. Renowned artists from Andhra
participate in the function.
The mixture of different cultures in India and the evolution of the
Bharatiya National culture is visible if one walks through the streets of
Cuttack which have a cosmopolitan outlook. It looks as if regional cultures
like pillars are holding the structure of the national culture in the city of
Cuttack.
Telugu also played important roles in Odisha administration. Late
P.V.B. Rao, Advocate of Cuttack was elevated as a judge of the Odisha High
Court. Late B. Jagannath Das former Chief Justice was the First Odia who
became a judge of the Supreme Court. Late M.S. Rao was a renowned
advocate. Akasi Somasekharan of Dewanbazar was a Municipal counsellor
and established a Math at Deul Sahi. In the High Court Sri V. Gopal Swami
was a sitting judge and there are several renowned Telugu advocates. In the
State Government and other officers several Telugus have been serving with
distinction, maintaining good relationship with the Odias.

76
 The Christians living in certain specified areas have the various
churches like the Catholic, Protestant and others. There people not only
have the Odia names but their manners, cultures and languages are the
same as those of the people of Cuttack. These Christians are not only a part
and parcel of Cuttack city but they have completely accepted the life and
society of Cuttack while at the same have influenced,the Cuttack society with
their society and its various festivals like Christmas, Good Friday and the
New Years days. Above all the city of Cuttack can never forget the
contribution that the Christian Missionaries have made in beginning the
Printing Press for the first time in Cuttack and opening various Missionary
Schools in Cuttack for the education of the people of the city. Hence the
Christians have also played a major role in the development of the rich
culture of Cuttack.
Thus all these different people with their culture have not only enriched
the culture of Cuttack but also have been completelyassimilated it into an
organic composite culture of Cuttack. In other words, it may be said that
Cuttack has the unique feature of being the meeting ground of various
civilizations, races, cultures and history. Hence an objective study of the
socio-religious history of Odisha in general and the city of Cuttack in
particular projects a unique example of cultural assimilation of the religions,
amity and social harmony among various groups. It is a place of perfect
peace and cordiality that need to be highlighted before the country for
greater national integrity.
Contemporary History of the District
Contemporary history of the district dates back to the independence of
the country in 1947. Cuttack, the ancient capital city of the State, was
witness to many political and social events. The First Pre-Independent
th
Assembly was held in the historic Ravenshaw College Hall on 28 July,
1937. The second pre-Independent Assembly held in 1946 also met for its
th
first session in Ravenshaw College. On 30 September, 1946, a motion was
adopted in the Assembly to shift the capital of Odisha from Cuttack to
Bhubaneswar. The first session of the post-Independent Assembly was held
th
in new capital on 4 March, 1952.
The major political event after independence was the merger of princely
states and abolition of estates. This has been dealt with at length earlier.
After the commissioning of the new capital at Bhubaneswar, the Secretariat,
Rajbhaban and other important offices moved to Bhubaneswar. But the
police headquarters and the State HighCourt still function at Cuttack.
Soon after independence, Gandhiji wanted congressmen to engage
themselves in nation building through soial work and rural uplift. The
Sarbodaya movement was one such effort in this regard. Sri Gopabandhu
Choudhury and his wife Rama Devi established Seva Ghar (Abode of
Service) at Bari. The ashram took up such works as village sanitation,
removal of untouchability, planting of saplings, cattle tending, bee keeping
(Apiculture), training for cottage industries and promotion of Khadi. Utakal
Khadi Mandal was formed under Gopabandhu Choudhury.

77
 Bhoodan Movement was basically a voluntary donation of surplus land
by landholders initiated by Vinoba Bhave, a staunch follower of Gandhi.
Vinoba and his followers firmly rejected electoral politics for power. They
were engaged in true social work at the grass-root level for the poor in the
society. In response to a nation wide call for Bhoodan Movement,
Gopabandhu Choudhury, one of the top Gandhian leaders of Odisha along
with his wife Rama Devi started collecting land for the landless on 07
January, 1952 from Ramachandrapur village near Bari. It was attended by
Acharya Harihar Das, Pandit Krupasindhu Hota, Radha Ratan Das. The
marchers covered eight districts. A non-official Bhoodan Yagna Samiti was
established under the Chairmanship of Gopabandhu Choudhury with its
headquarters at Cuttack. From among the followers mention may be made
of Sri Biswanath Patnaik, Ratan Das, Nimain Sahoo and Baya Subudhi.The
death of Gopabandhu Choudhury on 29 April 1958 was a great setback for
the movement. Despite legislative measures, the movement lost its
momentum after the Fourth Five Year Plan, when the ceiling surplus
provisions came into force.
Growth of political leadership
Cuttack is the nursery of political leadership in the state. Down south,
politicians with mass appeal have come from arts, especially movies. But in
Odisha the scene is different. Most politicians have come from the
background of jounalism. Since most of the newspapers were published
from the city, it was quite but natural that the politicians were groomed and
nurtured accordingly. Besides this, politicians with mass base i.e. lawyers,
doctors, teachers have also made their mark in state politics. Other leaders
have come from student politics. During the Bihar-Odisha border agitation in
1954, the death of Sunil Dey in Cuttack due to police firing near AIR
intensified the agitation. It threw up a host of student leaders into active
politics later. The 1964 student agitation is another example. A minor
incident at a radio shop between students of Medical College and
Ravenshaw College ignited the whole state and forced the central
Government to intervene, resulting in the change of State leadership. Those
who led the agitation then later became successful in their political career.
The progress with regard to art, craft, architecture, etc. have been
discussed in separate chapters.
In order to make administration pro-active and people-friendly three
new districts were carved out from Cuttack district in 1992-93 i.e.
Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur. Accordingly,Police Administration
were also reorganised. As per the Census, constituencies for Assembly and
Parliament have been reorganised. Cuttack assembly segment has now
been made Barabati-Cuttack, Choudwar Cuttack and Cuttack Sadar. Niali
comes under Jagatsinghpur Parliamentary Constituency whereas Salipur
and Mahanga come under Kendrapara Parliamentary Constituency. Some
NACs have been upgraded to municipalities.Cuttack municipality has now
become a Corporation.CDA (Cuttack Development Authority) looks after the
welfare and wellbeing of the city of Cuttack while taking into account future
expansion of the city limits.

78
Industry
There is no gain-saying the fact that industrialisation can provide
employment and opportunity for better life apart from agriculture and
business. Choudwar was a dream location for late Biju Patnaik for setting up
industries. It became an industrial hub with Orissa Textile Mills, Titlagarh
Paper Mills, Kalinga Tubes, etc. After Kalinga Tubes was closed down, the
premises are now used by IMFA for power generation.The education has
seen a quantum jump after post independence with the establishment of a
number of schools, colleges, ITIs, Engineering Schools and Professional
Institutions. The premier Ravenshaw College is now a University. The
establishment of a National Law School is another value addition in this
regard.
Despite peace and communal harmony, the district has seen several
devastations due to natural calamities like floods, cyclones (1969,1971)
supercyclone(1999). But everytime it has limped back to normalcy, thanks to
the resilence of the people. The district has seen a lot of development with
regard to infrastructure i.e. roads and connectivity. The new bridges over
Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Birupa and conversion of anicuts into barrages have
eased the traffic flow considerably. The twin cities of Cuttack and
Bhubaneswar are more accessible now than it was earlier,and both are
under one Police Commissionate.
The city of Cuttack still retains its old world charm along with modernity.

79