I was born in the year 1930 and stayed in Bhubaneswar for quite some time. I was born in Naharkanta and did not have much schooling. I became a truck driver and went to drive commercial trucks from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata and on other routes. I stayed with my children and relatives went on to stay in Bharat Villa later when my son built a house in our own property. I have six sons and six daughter in laws. I stayed for long 15 years in Kolkata as Driver. I stopped driving around 2000 when I grow old.
In the earlier days, people used to travel by foot. Very few people were having cycles too. Rickshaw started operating much after Bhubaneswar was created. Four people used to ride a rickshaw and pay from 25 paise to 2 rupees depending on distance. Howrah mail was connecting Bhubaneswar to Kolkata. The cost of ticket from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata was 6 to 7rupees per person. As he was a driver, he can talk about trucks The costs of the trucks varied from 5 lakhs rupees onwards.
The cost of the products in Bhubaneswar was so less. Patato sold from Rs 1 / Kg to Rs 5/kg. Brinjals were sold 50 paisa per KG. Fishes were abundantly available from Bhingarpur. First market in Bhubaneswar started in Unit-1 and Unit-2 later. Bhubaneswar traders were bringing their stocks from Cuttack Malgodwn. There was no big bazzar nearby. There was a Hat near Puskanda which is close by Nakhara. This hat was organised once in a week.
The climate of Bhubaneswar was cool. There is no such heatwave like what we used to face at present. We could able to work even during day time in summer season. There are no. of ponds and water points even within Bhubaneswar which are gradually erased from the map of Bhubaneswar due to construction activities.
I used to play Bagudi. Football was played at places. Volley ball was also not that popular. Cricket was almost non-existent. Kedar Gouri and Khandagiri were important places. Ashokastmi was a major festival of that time.
People in general were very cordial in nature. Burglary used to happen at some places around railway station. Small quarrels were amicably settled by community members. However police intervention were also sought when the crime is big. There were occasional fights between villages for land rights. But they were amicably settled.
There was no big school at any place. Medicals also existed at Unit-6. Petrol pump existed at places too. One such petrol pump existed near Kedar Gouri.BJP college has a big play ground.
There is a burial ground near Mancheswar which was big. Water tanks were installed near secretariat soon after the city was formed.
There was one narrow motorable road from railway station to Naharkanta. Police presence was scanty only few police were deployed at specific locations. The width of road was maximum of 10 ft. Bhubaneswar was not that hot in those days as very few building existed. Now heat is unbearable.
There are occasional storms in Bhubaneswar which resulted in breaking of trees. But no such large scale damage ever reported. Nandini Satpathy and Harekrushna Mahatab were popular. Samaj was very popular then & later Kalinga news paper came out.
