INTACH seeks heritage status for oldest railway station of Odisha at Paralakhemund

Established in 1899, the railway station was the first dedicated railway line as well as the first royal railway station of Odisha

Updated on: May 9, 2023, 13:35:13 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has sought heritage status for Odisha’s first railway station at Paralakhemund while opposing the move by the Indian Railways of demolishing it.

INTACH, Odisha chapter convener has written a letter to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (Parala Rail | Twitter)

In a letter to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, INTACH, Odisha chapter convener, AB Tripathy urged him to consider the heritage and historical relevance of the station urging him to set up a museum and a photo gallery.

“It is still in a very good state and does not need much restoration work. This old station should be given a heritage tag and preserved as it is. Many of the wayside stations of the PLR (Parlakimedi Light Railway), including the bridges, culverts and other facilities should be preserved as heritage structures. The goods shed at Paralakhemundi station is a unique heritage structure which needs preservation. Many other artefacts, including signalling equipment, electrical equipment, scales, uniforms, insignias, German silver cutlery and Royal embellishments should be kept at the Paralakhemundi station by creating a museum. A statue of Maharaja should be put up in front of the new station building. It is not only of importance to Odisha, being the first railway station of the state, but is an important railway landmark of the nation,” Tripathy said.

Also Read:Archaeological remains of 13th-15th century temple discovered in Odisha: INTACH

The new building being built is on a raised platform and is being constructed on the design of the royal palace of Paralakhemundi overshadowing the existing heritage structure.

Established in 1899, the railway station was the first dedicated railway line as well as the first royal railway station of Odisha.

The section was established by Goura Chandra Gajapati of Paralakhemundi and was known as Parlakimedi Light Railway (PLR).

INTACH suggested that railways should consider running a new train from Baripada to Paralakhemundi which will be a fitting tribute to Maharaja Goura Chandra Gajapati and Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj.

It said Paralakhemundi railway station should be included in the Ramayana Circuit due to the Mahendragiri hills in the vicinity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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