INTACH takes up cudgels to declare Paralakhemundi railway station as national heritage

Bhubaneswar: State convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) AB Tripathy today wrote to the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requesting the latter to maintain the heritage status of Paralakhemundi railway station.

In his letter, INTACH state convener Tripathy asked to take into consideration the heritage and historical relevance of the railway station and has given some recommendations that should be implemented. The new planned station is being constructed on the design of the Paralakhemundi palace.

An expert team from INTACH, Bhubaneswar comprising Anil Dhir, Deepak Kumar Nayak, conservation architect Satyam Jyoti and Bishnu Mohan Adhikari had gone to Paralakhemundi and submitted their report on the existing and newly coming up railway station.

The recommendations given by INTACH primarily say that the Old Heritage Railway Station should not be demolished. The present new building coming up is on a raised platform and overshadows the existing heritage structure. It is still in a very good state and does not need much restoration work.

The old station should be given Heritage Tag and preserved as it is. It is not only of importance to Odisha, being the first Railway Station of the State, but is an important railway landmark of the nation.

The Railways should consider running a new train from Baripada to Paralakhemundi connecting North and South Odisha. This will be a befitting tribute to two pioneers of the Railways in Odisha, KCIE Maharaja Goura Chandra Gajapati and Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo.

This can be a heritage train that will traverse the length of Odisha touching the historic cities of Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Berhampur etc.

Paralakhemundi Railway Station should be included in the Ramayana Circuit. Mahendragiri Hills, which are a biodiversity, heritage and pilgrimage site, has the nearest railhead at Paralakhemundi. The hills have some of the oldest temples of India which find reference both in the Ramayan and Mahabharat. A train named ‘Mahendragiri Express’ should be run from Paralakhemundi and Ayodhya, which will boost tourism and pilgrimage to the district.

At least two of the original heritage locomotives of PLR (Paralakimedi Light Railway) should be brought back and properly placed on a base at the Heritage Railway station.

 

About seven of the original locomotives are lying scattered at places that have no relevance to Paralakhemundi. A wooden Royal Carriage built in 1899 and used by the royal family of Paralakhemundi, which has been kept at the narrow gauge Railway Museum at Nagpur, too should be brought back for display at the railway station here.

There are many other artifacts relating to the PLR which have been kept at the Nagpur Museum. These include signaling equipment, electrical equipment, scales, uniforms, insignias, German silver cutlery, royal embellishments etc. They should all be got back, INTACH appealed to the Minister.

The old building of the Station Master, which is in a restorable condition, should be converted into a Museum of the PLR, wherein all the items be displayed. A proper art and photography gallery should also be set up. This will be a major attraction for tourists and railway aficionados worldwide.

Many of the wayside stations of PLR including the bridges, culverts etc should be preserved as heritage structures. The goods shed at Paralakhemundi railway station is a unique heritage structure that needs preservation.  A statue of the Maharaja should be put up in front of the new station building.

INTACH has implored that this piece of railway history should be properly preserved and highlighted. INTACH is bringing out a pictorial book on the history and heritage of the Paralakimedi Light Railway. It is to be released when the new railway station is inaugurated.