| Snigdha Sahoo |
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| #1 |
I was pleasantly surprised to see a new face of Bhubaneswar when I visited it last week. And I was visiting it after a gap of four years. I couldn't believe my eyes. A place which I thought had no order and no future suddenly raised my hopes.
The most excellent thing I found was the 'jhoti' and such other traditional paintings tastefully painted on the walls on both side of main roads. It makes one get the real feel of Orissa - a state that bears the name of Utkal: the land of arts. Now whoever enters Bhubaneswar by air would feel that he or she is truly entering a land of arts as he/ she sees the paintings on walls both side as one drives out of the airport.
And imagine, no one anywhere has dared to paste a poster on such beautiful wall-paintings. None of the paintings are vandalised or disfigured by any means. A great improvement of civic sense! Bhubaneswar, I am proud of you !!
Whose idea was it? I asked some locals and got to know that this was the brain child of Aparajita Sarangi - the municipal commissioner of Bhubaneswar. Not only this; there is another great thing that she has done for Bhubaneswar. She has cleared all main roads of road-side vendors. All such road-side vendors are now shifted to beautifully planned Vending Zones whrere the make-shift shops are again tastefully painted in green colour. Could you imagine that you would someday find the footpath infront of the Capital Police Station without the vendors? It has happened.
Now the roads are cleaner. Sreet lights are smarter. Today's Bhubaneswar raises hopes for a better Orissa in the times to come.
Keep it up, Aparajita !
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| ananya |
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| #2 |
ok bbsr has changed, but a lot more needs to be done. don't see the areas where chief minister and governor live. go to he bastis of old town. u will see another face of bbsr. |
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| Sasmita |
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| #3 |
Well said Ananya.I am fully agree with you |
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| Rasmi |
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| #4 |
Snigdha , Ananya you both are right !
BBSR has changed , in many ways . both positive and negative !
and that happens with every city.
but here I want to say that, let's be positive sometimes , lets be happy sometimes. Snigdha was happy because she has seen the airport road with a great make-up which was not there before 4 years, even though Governor and chief minister, ministers (or whoever the so-called VIPS are) stayed there that time also. Let's appreciate every single development and try to do something for the other part.
and airport is an integral part of a capital city because that's what attracts more tourists, more business and so more money for the city and hence for the state !
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| Sashmita |
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| #5 |
Yes BBSR has changed a lot, in a good way and a bad way also.
It looks like developing, lots of colleges coming, specially IIT , new companies like Infosys, more malls (but still unwanted crowd over), clean roads (only in specific areas where VIPs travel)
Bad ways, because now thief's are roaming around the city, you can't trust anyone. I would have almost lost my gold mangalsutra in an auto rickshaw. one of its thread was cut in 10mins ride. You cant wear any jewelry in BBSR.
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| Minati |
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| July 10, 2009 at 12:53 PM |
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| #6 |
So what can we women do specially in our families to help Orissa prosper faster?
Any thoughts?
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| Snigdha Mishra |
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| #7 |
Snigdha -- I too was in BBSR in December 2008 (after 3 yrs) and was delighted at the changes which had taken place in the city -- the "jhotis" on every wall, uniform green stalls,etc. Call me a pessimist but I did not think this happy state of affairs would last after Aparajita Sarangi left her post. However, I went back to BBSR in July (last month) and everything was still in a more or less pristine state!! Nothing had been defaced. This too in the middle of the monsoons!!
I am proud of the Oriyas. I think they are showing that if they are given something to be proud of, something to preserve -- they will take pride of ownership in it and not deface it.
As a case in point, I tell my American friends about the Archaeological Society and what has been done to build and maintain gardens around some of the lovely old temples in BBSR. This time I checked out Rajarani, Mukteswara, Bhaskareswara AND Udaygiri. Those gardens are still doing great and I have been watching them for the last 15 yrs!
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| Sibani |
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| #8 |
I fully agree with Snigdha. And Snigdha the changes that you have seen have happened over a period of few months. I had been to BBSR in October '07 when the revamp had just started and then went in April '08 when I suddenly saw all the difference in the face of the city. I was truly delighted. It made me really proud. When I compare my city with any other city I find it so very neat and well planned city. Hardly ever in any non-metro you see separate vending zones and so much of organized manners. Hats off to Ms.Aparajita Sarangi.
-Sibani
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