PURI --- SOME INTERESTING FACTS

The British takeover of Puri on the 18th September, 1809 was apparently with little opposition. After the disastrous defeat of the Marathas, the British made Puri the capital till 1816 when the capital was shifted to Cuttack as it was a more central location. Puri was made a separate District in 1829 by the East India Company and was placed in charge of a District Magistrate.


Interestingly, the District Magistrate, Puri, JS Armstrong in the fateful meeting of 22 eminent persons of Puri on the 16th August 1880, had opposed the conversion of Puri to a Municipality though both the Deputy Magistrates, Civil Surgeon, the Honorary Magistrate, the Munsif, the Post Master, the Head Master were in favour of the proposal. The proposal was lost as 14 were against and 8 supported it.

A meeting was held on the 16th August 1880 of influential persons of Puri town to discuss about conversion of Puri Choukidari Union to a Municipality. 22 persons who attended the meeting, included J.S Armstrong, the District Magistrate; Dr B Gupta, Civil Surgeon, JC William, Deputy Magistrate, Kumal Nath Ghosh, Deputy Magistrate, Debendra Lal Some, Munsif, Purna Chandra Banerjee, Post Master, Pandit Gopinath Misra, Honorary Magistrate, Sagur Chandra Chakravarti, Head Master of a Government School.

Dr B Gupta referred to the very inadequate strength of the Health Department to maintain sanitary condition of the town because of the large influx of pilgrims. Puri town stood third in the list of mortality out of 93 towns in Bengal Presidency. The high death rate was mainly due to the great insanitary conditions of Puri town. (Source: Local Self Government in British Orissa 1869-1935)

Colman Macaulay, the Secretary to Government of Bengal was terribly annoyed at the District Magistrate, Armstrong for having voted against the formation of the Municipality. Macaulay insisted on carrying out the orders of the government. Armstrong wilted and Puri was made a first class Municipality on the 1st of April, 1881.

I suspect a grateful citizenry of the town commemorated Armstrong's memory by naming an important city street after him for having voted against sanitation. The hoary tradition still continues.

The year 2016 witnessed an unprecedented assault on this ancient office of the District Magistrate when the incumbent while discharging his duties, was physically ruffled and threatened by miscreants, right in front of a huge police force, Minister, senior officers and devotees during Niladri Bije.
What can be a more poignant illustration of the decline of public order !!!


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( pictures show me on the Puri beach on the 3rd July, 2018 and the three Chariots on flooded Bada Danda, on the 2oth of July, 2016, in front of Gundicha Temple )