It was a boring, tired and dried summer afternoon of late nineties. I took a Cuttack-Baripada bus for my home, from Ravenshaw college as I couldn’t find a seat in direct buses to Jajpur. I got down at panikoili, a junction on NH-5 from where I had to pick up a matador or a trekker to jajpurtown 21Km away. The trekker I choose was fairly empty and seem to be hungry for some more passengers. There a guy at his twenties came near and asked us where does this trekker goes? I replied “Town”. He looked puzzled and a bit annoyed too. “ Which town man?” He yelled. I innocently replied “Its going to Town”. We were so familiar to this jargon and I was unable to find out why this guy is allergic to my reply!! Must be he had a fight with his girlfriend! He repeated the question. Now the driver ruptured his silence “Sir, Town is Town. There are three towns in the whole world. George Town, Cape Town and Jajpur town. You don’t know even this?”. Everybody giggled. I added, “ The former twos are at South Africa and the third one is here where we are going.”
Even till today, I used to copy that driver’s statement to non-oriya friends when they ask about my hometown.
Jajpur town popularly known as Biraja Khetra, the place sacred to Goddess Biraja, the symbol of Sakti (Power). It’s a small but cute city surrounded by River Baitarani by half circle and a High level Canal at the other half. Jajpurtown is believed to be one time capital of then Kalinga empire.
Jajpur is also famous for a very unusual but wrong reason. There is a famous suffix added to "Jajpuria"... i.e. "Tautaria". You know whats the meaning? If you dont know its good. I am not going to translate that term in English!!
One of my friend was consoling me when I got fried to such a comment at Ravenshaw. She said, "Look man, there is a famous phenomena called Radioactivity in Nuclear Physics. What happens, the radioactive substances emmit radiations and make other substances as radioactive. In this process, they loose the radioactivity day by day and becomes normal element. And on one fine morning they suddenly find others around them aquired the same property and tag which was once hanging on them!! Anything more you need pintuli??"
Indeed I liked the statements and they got very useful and handy in throwing them upon others...miles away from its origin.
Some salient features if I would describe about Jajpurtown, then they would be as (unbiased):
1. People are very peace loving and dont indulge in public fighting or cold war. They talk a lot popularly known as 'Guli'. They dont harm anybody.
2. In town you will find puri-aludum or Iddli-Ghuguni stalls more in no. than its population.
3. You will find all most all items from grocery to stationary cheaper than at any other city in INDIA. I bet it. I know from very reliable source that they even keep a margin like 75paise to 1.5 ruppes on a Rupa Brief !!! And the result is their financial status.
4. In town, you will see people roaming / travel on roads like they are moving in a park. They feel the roads are very near n dear.
