Founder Narasingha Choudhury: Ray Bahadur Of Jajpur

Ray Bahadur Ray Saheb Narasingh Choudhury Charan Badapanda was born to father Choudhury Prahallad Charana Badapanda Mahapatra and mother Choudhury Lakshmi Priya Mahapatra in Palada village under Dasarathpur Block of Jajpur district on Odia date Baishakh Sukla Chaturdarshi (Nrusingh Chaturdashi) 1873. The title Badapanda has been attached to his surname as his ancestors were the inhabitants of Puri.

He had learned Sanskrit, Veda and Upanishad from Pandit Kanhu Charana Patimishra and mastered Karma kanda, and Logic and Philosophy from Pandit Harihara Dev and mastered Astrology, Vastu Sastra from Pandit Kamadhenu Mahanta. At the age of 13 he married Choudhury Jahnabi Mahapatra in 1886. His father had died after some days of his birth and his mother died the year after his marriage in 1887.

The territory of his Zamindari extended from Mahanga in Cuttack district to the district of Balasore. For the proper management of his work he had appointed more than forty gumastas and for the supervision of the works of the gumastas he had appointed a chief Gumasta and he had appointed a Tahasildar for the management of his total estate. The status of Choudhury Sahib as a reputed Zamindar was clear from the fact that Choudhury had appointed two managers because during the British rule only the millionaire Zamindars had the discretionary power of appointing two managers.

For the propaganda of the greatness and miracles of Maa Biraja a (nanometer) nine letter rhyme 28 Canto book Biraja Kshetra Mahatma translated by Bipra Harekrushna Das was edited and printed under the patronage of Choudhury Saheb in 1938.He had donated Rs 1000 for the printing of the book ‘Purna Chandras Bhasha Kosha’

Being nominated as the first Chairman of Jajpur Municipality in 1951 he remained in that post up to his death in 1953. He had discharged his duty as the member of the Trusty Board of Biraja and Sidheswar temple. As his knowledge was widespread he had been selected as a member of Puri Mukti Mandap. Narasingh Choudhury was its first Secretary of the Sanskrit TOLL started by his father and Sadhu babu in 1828. Its management committee has been functioning since its inception till today.

The philanthropic contribution of Choudhury Saheb was enormous and far reaching. He had got a big building (named Town Hall) built in his own land in the centre of the town for the purpose of being used as a Meeting Hall and Library by the people of Jajpur . The same town Hall was also used for the inauguration of the District Judge Court.

Taking a land from the king of Sukinda for the purpose of building cattle shed for the safety of the cattle he had built one in Jajpur Road. He had made arrangement of the worship of Lord Balaji by building a big pucca house in the village of Dandasundari. The rites and rituals of the temple have been observed by generation after generation till today. Narasingh Choudhury Autonomous College which was built with his donation of 23.67 acre of land and Rs 1,00,000 got its validation as a govt. college by the Department of Higher Education on 19.07.1946.He had built Lord Someswar temple at Jaunlibandha in 1942.He had established a school at Khadagpur in West Bengal for the Odia students. He had established N.C High school near jajpur Road for higher education of the students. He had built a pucca house in Zilla School in order to fulfill the requirement of the growing number of students during the inception of the school. He had donated land for the playground of the Zilla School. He had built a Labour Room for the pregnant women in the then Govt. Medical of Jajpur.

Choudhury Sahib had been conferred the title of Ray Sahib by Viceroy and Governor General of India on 01.01.1934 and the title Ray Bahadur by the Viceroy of India on 1.01.1944.