🚨 A 2,385-kilometre cycle ride from Cuttack to Peshawar, a daredevil extraction of a foreign leader behind enemy lines, liaising with the CIA and sheltering political dissidents like Ram Manohar Lohia and JP Narayan - welcome to the maverick world of Biju Patnaik. Born on this day in 1916 in Cuttack, Biju Patnaik belonged to a family deeply rooted in freedom struggle. While his father, Lakshminarayan Patnaik, hailed from the literary and culturally rich village of Nuagaon in Ganjam, his mother Ashalata Devi, had an interesting subplot.

🧵All India Radio and Odisha🧵

Broadcasting in India commenced in the 1920s.

Between 1937 and 1940, as India was still under British rule, All India Radio took shape, establishing its administrative structure and program patterns. Lionel Fielden, the then Controller of Broadcasting in India, penned a comprehensive report in 1939, shedding light on the diverse activities of AIR, the purpose of its programs, and the challenges faced in fulfilling its multifaceted objectives.

🧵John Beames and Odia 🧵

Born in Greenwich, a few hours after Queen Victoria ascended the throne, Beames spent his formative years travelling around England due to his father's job.

Beames displayed an early linguistic prowess, winning prizes in Classics, Sanskrit & Persian. Joining the ICS, Beames served as a collector and District Magistrate in Balasore in 1869, leaving an immediate impact. His subsequent assignment in Cuttack until 1878 solidified his role as a key administrator in Odisha.

🚨 Thread 🚨

Established in 1970, the Urdu Library of Orissa at Buxi Bazar, Cuttack, was once a hub for students from all walks of life.

Now, it lies dilapidated. ⬇️ Located right in the vicinity of Stewart School and Stewart Science College, the library is also quite close to St Joseph's, SB Women's College, New Stewart, Christ College, St Xavier's, Cambridge, etc.

Very convenient for students to pick up books without having to travel far.

Latest on Dateline Cuttack.

Buxi Bazar lalmohanpatnaik.tumblr.com/post/695371776…

Excellent piece on the popular misconception that Buxi Bazar is named after Buxi Jagabandhu.

The name and the locality predates the freedom fighter. It's named after Mir Bakshi, a Mughal administrator. "A letter written by an Acting Magistrate of Cuttack to his higher authority in 1814 indicates that the area was named as Bukshee Bazar prior to the beginning of Paika Rebellion and much before the coming of Bakshi Jagabandhu to Cuttack."

This day in 1939, the Football League was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War. The Luftwaffe almost decimated the Polish town of Wielun on September 1, destroying more than 75% of the city and killing nearly 1,200 inhabitants. Two days later, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared war on the Nazis.

This day in 1885, in a Scottish Cup first round fixture, Dundee Harp beat Aberdeen Rovers 35-0.

A ridiculous score-line, obviously, but it still was not the highest scoring match of the day. ⬇️ Twenty miles away, in the same competition, Bon Accord FC lost 36-0 to Abroath FC.

However, Bon Accord were not a football team but an Aberdonian cricket club known as Orion Cricket Club.

Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Minister of Information & Broadcasting Mrs Indira Gandhi with Bhairab Mahanti during a Barabati Raffle prize distribution ceremony in New Delhi in 1964.

A tiny 🚨 thread 🚨 on how a small town lottery received nationwide attention. ⬇️ We all know how the idea for a sports stadium in Odisha came about. If you don't know, I've got you covered. ⬇️

https://twitter.com/scoutdesk/status/1502542648024104965?t=F6sbO9TbQYuEe71v21jAGw&s=19

🚨 Thread 🚨

Almost every Odia household has this calendar called 'Panji'. It's not just a calendar but also an ephemeris, a book of tables that gives the coordinates of a celestial object at specific times.

It's venerated as sacred in Hinduism & is produced by a Muslim family. These days there are many Panjis to choose from but this one in particular, thr Kohinoor Press panji, is considered to be the most authentic. It even has a nod of approval from the Jagannath Temple in Puri.