Debaraja Barik Stays in Gosagareswar Chhaka of Old Town. His saloon is located at Badheibanka Chhaka.

He has been staying in the Gosagareswar Chhaka and has been offering services to Lord Lingaraj. He has been given land entitlements for his service to the Lord.

His father was Abakash Barik and they were two brothers. Debaraj Barik has 3 brothers and 1 sister. He has four children. Two of his children are son and other two are Daughter. He was born in the year 1945. All of his children are married. He is now staying in his own house at Gosagareswar Chhaka. Around 12 to 13 Sevayats provide type of services he used to offer to Lord Lingaraj.

Out of his two sons, one of his sons is working while the other one is accompanying him in the saloon.

Around 1945, only few houses were there in Gosagareswar Chhaka. And half of them belonged to those who were the Sevayats of lord Lingaraj. The Sevayats were given land and homestead land in return. But were not given any financial benefits.

There was Badheibanka Chhaka, Mahakhala Chhaka and Rameswar Chhakka existed. Around 1962 Bapuji Nagar and other towns developed. His Saloon predates to 1931. He used to charge 1 anna for making beard and 4 anna for hairdos. He used to earn Rs 4 to 5 rupees now a days. Now he earns 300 to 400 per day.

The vegetables were cheaper. It was started from 1anna per ser to 4 anna per ser.  Milk sold Rs 1 per litre. Rice sold less than Rs 1 per ser. People also traded items against Items.

People were not quarrelsome. There was no large-scale violence occurred among people.

There was no electricity by 1955. The major Chhakka have stand post where were majorly managed by NAC and they were powered by Kerosene oil. Every evening one man from NAC would come to put fuel inside the lamp and lighten them. The light stand posts were available in Patarasahi Chhaka, Nahak Sahi Chhaka, Kunjapatara Sahi Chhaka and other major locations.

Kulamani Garabadu, Satya Priya Mohanty & Harekrushna Mahatab were very popular figures in Bhubaneswar.

The climate of Bhubaneswar was very moderate. summer, winter and rainy seasons extremely well demarcated.

The girl’s participation in education is very poor. Only 15 % of the students were women. One class comprised of 35 to 40 students.

Marriages and Bratopanayan is a very low-cost affair. Within 1000 to 2000 one can organize a small marriage.

Cuttack road was there but road from Vani Vihar to Master Canteen developed later.

ORT bus was there which plied from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack and Puri around 1960. The price of the ticket from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar was around 1.25 rupees.

Paddled rickshaw was available which was also very economical in transporting people from one place to another.

Burial grounds were available in Ratnakar area in Badusahi and in Rameswar patna of Old town.

People were having individual wells. But lower caste people were not allowed to draw water from that of upper-class people.

He used to do saving by using a whetstone, which was available at village level haats. Now blades are used to shave since last three years.

In Kalpana Square there was one film hall named Roop Mandir.  The cost of the ticket was 8 anna to 10 anna. The upper-class ticket cost 1.25 ana. The upper class was having fan facility.

Dolajatra, Kumar purnima and Ashokastmi was held in Bhubaneswar with pompous and gay.

Football, kabaddi and tungli pua are known to be the sports played in the Bhubaneswar.

Jamukoli, Banana trees were abundantly available then which is not available or reduced very much.

Puri-Howrah express and Puri mail are few trains that I remember.

Dhoti and Punjabi were largely visible. A dhoti cost Rs 5 to 10 and Gamuchha 1.00 to 1.25 rupees. He used to buy them from local haat which happened in the right side of Lingaraj Temple twice a week namely on Monday and Wednesday. Saree was available in local market.  It cost around 2 to 5 rupees.

There was a shop belonged to Bhaskar Mohanty at Rathgada who sold sweets and Namkeen around 1962. It cost 25 paisa per sweet. Rasagola was also available.

Floods were seen in Dayanadi because of which Santarapur is flooded. The Santarapur bazar was yet to be developed till 1958. The water usually recedes in two to three days.

Capital Hospital was there in 1962. Municipal hospital was there. Gadadhara Mohapatra used to see patients free of cost or 5 anna from patients.