Daruthenga, the village on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, has been in news for their resistance to garbage dumping. However, very few people are aware of the glorious past of the village which is the birthplace of Pindiki Bahubalendra, one of the less-known yet great fighters of the Paika Rebellion in 1817.
Born in 1768, the great paika warrior Pindiki Bahubalendra and a close aide of Buxi Jagabandhu, demonstrated resistance against the British oppression.
According to Prafulla Bahubalendra, a descendant of the legendary fighter, Pindiki Bahubalendra had joined Buxi Jagabandhu in his fight against the Britishers. During the Paika Rebellion, he torched the police station at Gopa, Banpur, Khurda and killed Charan Patnaik, the traitor who had conspired with the British to capture Jayi Rajguru. He had also killed the British Army officer Lt. Paris and Fricdos.
In 1818, the British captured him after one of his friends had betrayed him. In 1821 when he tried to escape from the jail, he was shot dead, says Bahubalendra, quoting from historical documents.
Drifting into nostalgia, Prafulla Bahubalendra recounts the glorious history of Khurda:
“Once upon a time, the entire area was under our jagirdari. But because of our resistance to the Britishers, the land passed away from our control. We had failed to get it back. With the city rapidly expanding, the price of the land has touched sky high. One guntha of land is now being sold for Rs 5 lakh. Where will I get the money to buy a piece of the land? Now, I have encroached on government land, which was once ours.”
During the visit of PM Narendra Modi, Prafulla Bahubalendra will be felicitated at the Raj Bhavan because of his great grandfather Pindiki Bahubalendra’s contribution to the freedom struggle.
Image Source: http://amareshcd.blogspot.in
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