As we celebrate our birthday a thousand year city will visualize sixty third years of its foundation as Capital City on 13th April 2011. The present population of the city is hovering around million. Similarly the city is transforming from a Heritage & retired mans city into a Knowledge based society by attracting many educational institutions, information technology based industries and home to leading corporate houses. So as the city’s civic body transformed into Municipal Corporation from Notified area council in 1952 and introduced Police Commissioner System. The city has transformed itself many times to meet the changing needs of the society. Its time to look back how we moved to this point in history !!!!!!!!!
The Beginning
In 1948 first Prime Minster Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid down the foundation of new capital of Orissa, perhaps the first in Independent India. It was a German Dr. Otto. H. Koensiberger prepared the first Master plan with concept of neighborhood and gridiron pattern. The Master plan prepared covers an area of 16.48km2 with a density if 10 to 12 families per acre for 40000 population.
It is believed around five thousand temples were once located in Bhubaneswar. Even today, hundreds of temples that still stand majestically as mute witnesses to its glorious past; one can study the chronological development of temple architecture from the start of the 7th Century AD to its culmination in 13th Century AD. The area was ruled by several dynasties such as the Guptas, Mauryas and Suryas. Over a span of time, the city has been known by different names such as Kalinga Nagar, Tribhubaneswar, Temple City, Ekamra Kshetra and finally as Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar derived its name from the word “Tribhubaneswar” means the God of Universe (Lord Siva).
The Growth
Bhubaneswar was planned as an administrative town with a single nucleus – the Secretariat – and the city being planned as a grid around this central nucleus. The policy intervention for modern Bhubaneswar was for the purpose of Administrative Capital comprising of residential houses and government buildings. As a result the first plan restricted vertical and industrialized growth, which resulted in residential houses than commercial housing for almost three decades of inception.
The City Planning
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTegZvIwTM3w_5wNnnvU1pmuXJHLAjYZIyqkm-NbwQi4vKbYWEOLN6koL8F-doZ7uPfavb72BaBEBGqNjQFZo8QPRFFwxAUoyf7mpRPgYF8IXPq-PZORGUYj6qL39M_D5xB-AMGwR8FPYP/s200/BHUBANESWAR.jpg)
The city plan was revisited many times over the year ensuring that it remains lively for all categories of people. It began with the Ebenezer Howard’s Garden city to François Perroux idea of economic Growth Poles in City Planning. The city integrated both concepts in its linear growth over radial. Allowing development of multi nodal growth of cities based on emerging activities i.e Chandrasekharpur as I.T. enabled services, Mancheswar as household industries etc.
The Emerging Centre of Megalopolis
Bhubaneswar is located in the eastern part of India with edge stretching to South Eastern India and past historical links with the countries of South East Asia. The towns of Puri, Cuttack and World Heritage Konark are all located within about 60 kms from Bhubaneswar –and all these places have been in existence for 1000 years or more. Perhaps if one travels from Hyderabad in south to Kolkata one will come across Bhubaneswar at the centre. In between located are some of the emerging cities within hours of distance i.e. Kharagpur, Baleswar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Berhampur, Vishakpatnam. All of these cities are either attracting big investments or in pipelines. This is perhaps the emerging Megalopolis of eastern India in days to come.
The City Shining by Surprise
The city has emerged as hub of industries, education and tourist destination for many. In recent studies of World Bank ranked Bhubaneswar as 3rd best city in India to do business 2009, Confederation of Indian Industries identified within 37 most livable cities of India and Morgan Stanley recorded emerging market. This all compliments progress that Bhubaneswar has made in last one decade emerging from a disastrous to progressive city of this part of the world.
The biggest assets of this city its heritage, culture and unique style of growth will take into a new height in days to come. The challenge is how the youths and old joins their voice in engaging themselves with modern city planning and multi level institutions each one its own leadership!!!!!!!!!!!
thanx...its a news 4 friends like us.
ReplyDeleteDr.Piyush Ranjan Rout sir
ReplyDeleteI came to know about you and your blog while exploring about Orissa paintings i got following blog link.
http://elusive42.windforwings.com/2009/05/bhubaneswar-wall-paintings-oriya.html
Sir now i introduce something about me. Sir i am dokka sriivasu from kakinada of andhra pradesh state. sir i am collecting coins, stamps, post cards etc. and sharing them in my blogs.
Sir i have special interest and fascination on Indian Heritage and Culture. Sir this is my Heritage of India blog.
http://indian-heritage-and-culture.blogspot.in/
Dr.Rout sir these are my Folk Art on Palm Leaf. Sir 8 years back i got them from Orissa State Museum Bhubaneswar.
http://indian-heritage-and-culture.blogspot.in/2012/04/folk-art-on-palm-leafs.html
Dr.Rout sir recently i gave my First seminar on Indian Heritage and Culture.
http://indian-heritage-and-culture.blogspot.in/2013/02/my-first-seminar-on-indian-heritage-and.html
Sir these are my Warli paintings greetings cards.
http://indian-heritage-and-culture.blogspot.in/2013/02/warli-paintings-greetings-cards.html
Sir i request you please look into my blog and share your valuable comments.
Sir further i want Palm Leaf paintings, Patachitra paintings and other folk and traditional paintings. Sir it is possible to you to send some of these paintings and also books etc. to me for my research on orissa heritage.