The INTACH Baleswar Chapter has demanded that the age-old heritage bridge near the Jaleswar market in Baleswar district, popularly known as Baramuha Pola, be saved from demolition.
INTACH Baleswar district convener Himansu Das told reporters on Thursday that the bridge is an important vestige of the Jagannath Sadak. “The Works Department is constructing a new bridge and proposes to demolish the old heritage one which locals protested and submitted a memorandum to this effect to the authorities. Hence, the department should refrain from demolishing the structure,” said Das.
The bridge was made way back in 1880. Initially, a wood structure was built over a small nullah, the backwater of Subarnarekha. Subsequently, a concrete bridge was made. The pilgrims to the Puri Jagannath Temple were using the bridge. The 136-year-old bridge has survived the test of time, he said.
From 1825, the Old Trunk Road was used and subsequently, it was known as Jagannath Sadak as devotees used to go through the road to Puri. Sri Chaitanya Dev, Guru Nanak and Santh Kabir too took the road to Puri. Besides, Moguls, Marathas, Afghans and, subsequently, East India Company personnel were using the road.
There were ghats, rest sheds and trees on either side of the road for the comfort of the pilgrims while some were using horses, elephants, palanquins and bullock carts, besides by barefoot.
In fact, the Marathas and the British used to collect toll for maintenance of the road, said INTACH Odisha head Anil Dhir, who had taken a bullock cart journey on the road in 2013.
He wants to save the heritage road’s glory.
Dhir had listed about 1,700 vestiges of the road. He had remapped and documented all the remains of the structures on the road.
“A detailed report was submitted to the Government for notifying 200 structures still prevalent as heritage structures and urging for their conservation and preservation,” said Dhir.
“Baleswar has several heritage sites, most of them bearing the brunt of neglect.
Most of them in state of ruins,” he said, adding “INTACH has made a detailed listing of all monuments and the district administration would b approached for notifying them as heritage sites.”
INTACH Baleswar co-convener Uday Ranjan Das too stressed on preservation and conservation of the heritages of the district.