Priyanka From Phulabani.

 Phulabani the place of Hills,Herbs and Haldi (Turmeric). It has Daringbadi that is named as the "Kashmir Of Odisha" and has records of snow falls during winter. People from this place are very hospitable and they truly carry humanity with them. Most of the inhabitants are the Adivasi i.e Schedule Tribe.

                      

Phulbani is surrounded by a number of scenic water falls . The Turmeric (Haldi) of this place makes your food tasty and colorful but it has many tasteless and colorless  stories associated with it.
Today we have a story of Ms. Deepika Dash from this town. The willingness to live life has given her a second life to enjoy. 

Mr. Susant Dash was living a happy life in Phulbani. He was having his wife and two daughters Priyanka & Deepika in his family.Mr. Dash was having a small shop on the Phulbani main road. It was a very small shop having cakes, biscuits and cold drinks. His elder daughter was studying in Berhampur and the younger was there with the family. The happy family broke into pieces due to a small leak in the gas cylinder.

Science has contributed a lot to our man kind but a small mistake can lead to a miserable life ahead and this is just a burning example.

The month in June 2017 was a great wedding season in the locality. As priyanka was in berhampur she was missing her home and this was her good luck.

It was 16th June 2017 Mr. Dash had returned from his shop,Before the dinner started Deepika was lightning the mosquito coils to get rid from mosquitoes. As soon as she lit  suddenly a blast occurred. It was the blast of cylinder gas and this was due to the leakage. All  of them were surrounded by fire. With the help of family and friends they were rushed to The Phulabani Hospital.

Deepika while getting treatment from a Hospital in Visakhapatnam.

  

After some first aid the Duty Doctor referred them to Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Hospital Berhampur. Their condition was so bad that again the attendees were suggested to shift them to a hospital in Visakhapatnam or Bhubneswar with better facility. The relatives took all the three patients to Visakhapatnam.

Till now Ms. priyanka was not aware of what had happened to her family. Nobody gave any type of information to her. All the three were admitted into a private hospital in Visakhapatnam. After the admission Priyanka was informed and she rushed to Visakhapatnam from Berhampur. The doctor said Mr. Dash was no more. Except Deepika everyone returned home for the last rituals.Two friends of Priyanka were there in the hospital.  

She is Priyanka dash

Here comes the struggling story of Priyanka.After the last rituals of her father she returned to Visakhapatnam where her sister was admitted. she had very less amount of money with her. She requested her friends to help. Then it started like a chain and many people came forward to help them. Its Priyanka who struggled from a very small age. She was the one who was next to her sister .

Many people helped the family. There were friends, family and unknown people helped during their bad days.  Many helping hands were seen from out side India also. I along with my few friends tried our best to help them. The red cross society of Phulbani helped by paying 30k. The family was having  50k with them but the hospital charge was around 8 lakhs.

The Victim Deepika Dash

After such an horrible incident because of her willingness she is here now. She was admitted in Visakhapatnam for 01 Month and then in Bhubneswar Hospital for 02 Months. This accident happened in her intermediate first year and in the second year board exam she secured first class.

Now she is in +3 second year in Phulbani college. Kudos to both the girls for their strong will power.

Now the mother and the younger daughter are staying in Phulbani. the finance minister of their home is Priyanka who is working as a teacher and as a private tutor in Berhampur . They are hoping for a better future .

May God empower the family. May the upcoming days bring them Prosperity,happiness and growth.

              Shibashish Mahapatra                                                                                                                  

Email- shibashishmahapatra.100@gmail.com                                                                                     

A Happiest Man From The Busiest City.

Rourkela a place of brotherhood. Many call it as Mini India. Every Rourkelities have a different feeling towards Rourkela and that can not be described in pen and paper. This is the most cleanest,Smartest and safest city in Odisha. Though Rourkela has a Steel Plant,many educational institute and many more things which are lightened but it also has a very dark side .

               A picture of Rourkela Steel Plant first steel plant in the country post independence.

Today I am writing a story on an old man. Despite he puts himself towards the dark side but he always carries a positive thinking with him. This may encourage many of us who thinks I CAN'T. So   let's begin.

                                         A picture from Rourkela Junction Railway Station

Meet Mr. Meghanada Lenka from Rourkela. He was born and brought up in Bhapur town now in Nayagarh district then from the undivided Puri district. Went till class Fifth in Bhapur school and then stopped going school due to bad financial condition. When he was 20 the whole family moved to Rourkela as his father got a contractual job inside the Rourkela Steel Plant.

What ever his father was earning was not sufficient to the family of six people and being the elder son he has to work here and there for some extra income. One evening while coming back from work he got a Pull cart on a very cheap rate.This was the turning point and he never looked back.

He started selling sprouts chat as he had some experience working in a shop. He opened his Cart Stall near Sector-2 bus stand and moved to many places due to the restrictions of the local government authorities. He changed many places inside the town but now from the last few years keeping his cart near the Konark cinema hall in Sector 21.

Though Rourkela has many big educational institutes this man failed to give a proper education to his children. This couple have four children two are sons and the rest daughters.Both the daughters are married and settled happily. The sons are too married though they are jobless. This man has a grandson from his elder son, who is reading in an English Medium School in Standard 2.

When he was struggling for a place to keep his trolley the RUPAM cinema hall shifted from Bondamunda in the late 80s. The same cinema hall can be seen as KONARK hall near Sector 21. In the late 90s Mr. Lenka thought to keep his cart near to the hall. Time changed and from the last 22 years he is keeping his cart next to Hotel Deepti .

I am personally a great fan of his sprouts. When I was in Rourkela Muncipal College everyday we used to visit his shop. Now also whenever I visit Rourkela , I try to meet him. Still he remembers me and the best thing is that the sprouts tastes as it was before 15 years. I never felt a change.

This time when I was talking to him I noticed his face was dull and he is becoming older day by day.  He was depressed as both his sons are jobless.He is the one man who is earning for a family of 7.

Still he is more happy. He is not working under anyone.Expressed his happiness as a businessman. Said both his sons help him . The elder one opens the shop in the morning and the younger one does the marketing.  Both the daughter in law are well cultured and caring. As he is becoming older his health is not so sound. 

                                 A picture of Lord Hanuman from Hanuman Vatika in Rourkela                             

At the end he is having a happy family.Though the earnings he is having is not a huge but they are happy in that. Wished him all the success,happiness,joy and prosperity in his future .Hoping to see him again I said a good bye and went to Koelnagar where my parents lives.

His story reminds me 

                                               
 "MONEY CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS"

Shibashish Mahapatra

Coconut-Profit Not.

Puri the land of Puja ,Panda and Poda Pitha. This place is also famous for Lord Jagannath. Puri itself is one from the four abodes (Char Dham).Puri receives many people through out the globe . The beaches here in Puri are clean and few times it has taken lives. This  city attracts people not only from India but also from abroad.

Every village in Puri have a direct connection with Lord Jagannath. Many people think coming to Puri helps in getting Salvation ( Moksha ). Every part of Puri has some stories that links with the Lord.

Though Puri helps in the way of salvation but still it has struggling stories of people.. Today I have a story different from Lord Jagannath and the Grand things that happen in PURI .

Today I have Mr. Rabindra Behera from BirPurushottampur village of Puri District. This village comes near Sakhigopala which is around 45 kms from Bhubaneswar on the way to Puri. Mr. Behera is 32 years old and he earns his bread and butter by selling tender coconut on a road side shop. He has a family of 6 to look after. His father was a farmer and due to the non profitability he quit farming.

Sakhigopal region is famous for coconut production. The tender coconut shops on Puri road has boomed from the last few years. The main reason is less export to the other states. There is a number of shops but the profit is very negligible says Mr.Behera. This is a seasonal business and it had a great profit when there were lesser shops.The profit is more during summer as compared to the other months of the year.

A coconut field can be seen in the above image

Due to the poor financial condition of the family Mr. Behera didn't went to school after standard 5.He always have been a great support to his father in his paddy field and the daily earnings.  As he was jobless, thought to start a business rather working in a paddy field.He thought of selling tender coconut on the road as he was getting the materials easily and it had a very less investment. In the starting days it had a good profit as there were very less number of shops. Now the profit is less and  it induces him to start something new again.

He works throughout the day for a monthly earning of 7k to 10k. He has an aim to provide proper education to his children as education can change their lives. Because of today's costly education system he doubts on himself but still hopeful of a better future. 

Though his father is not keeping well now a days but he has been a great support to his business. His mother and wife are looking after the family. In his words both the males are working like Finance Minister whereas the Females are working as Home Minister .

He has a great knowledge about his products with a great selling power. During my ten minutes stay at his shop never missed his smiling face. Apart from selling Coconuts he helps passengers by showing the way to nearby villages. I must say he works as a local Google Map.

Our conversation ended after paying his efforts. We asked him about few visiting places near Puri. Started our journey. We wish the family all the good luck for their future.

Jay Jagannath

   

Shibashish Mahapatra                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The Bihari Uncle In Jharsuguda

It was a hot October and the small town in Odisha ie. Jharsuguda got many name as The Aluminium City,the Power House of Odisha,The Thermal City etc. While I was going I found an old man selling Sugarcane juice near Beheramal Railway Crossing. I stopped and thought to have a glass of Ganne Ka Juice (Sugarcane Juice).As it is seen in the picture he was standing under the tree with a rickshaw having all his instruments.

He is Mr. Manohar Lal Yadav aged 63 from Katihar district. He is staying in Jharsuguda from the last couple of months and chosen selling sugarcane juice. Before this he had a peaceful life with the family.He has two sons both are married.All the members were working in the paddy field that he owns.For that field both the sons fought between them and taken their own shares.Nothing left for him.

Not to be dependent he thought of going out. He misses his beautiful wife. She is all alone in the village and this feeling can be seen from his face.Now he is Struggling and fighting everyday so that in the future the old couple can enjoy.

Coming to Jharsuguda was not easy but not so difficult as most of the sugarcane juice seller in Jharsuguda are from Bihar. He came with some young people. Started staying in a small house like a bachelor. In the morning once getting up they have to cook food for breakfast and lunch and again coming from  work for the dinner.

There is not a handsome profit in this business as a glass of juice is sold at Rs 10/-.When he arrived in the Aluminium city he looked for machine that is used in this process.To his goodness he managed to get one on a rental basis that charges Rs 2000/- per month. The raw metals i.e the Sugarcane is locally available."The whole process requires a lot energy and at this age I feel very hard" he added.

When I asked for his earnings he added sometimes it is 600 to 2500 a day. It depends on the weather and the location he is standing. These people do not have any common place to keep their cart. If there is no raw materials then they have to close the shop.Above that penalty from the Municipality and they have to pay to the local Gundas.

I thought of having a glass of juice but ended up in two for having some more talk. When I asked about the business he said a line "Nobody have time for it". Then I thought yes he is correct because getting juice from sugarcane is a long process. The man has to put the sugarcane in the machine for again and again. In this busy days no one wait for a while. The sellers are struggling for selling it.

The youth can order for cold drinks from different companies and it takes few seconds.

Sharing a little experience in his cart.

This festive season lets wait for few minutes more and help these people who are really struggling. 

 They too have  families and there are many more stories................


Shibashish Mahapatra