Hukitola: A British-era building on an uninhabited island in Odisha

In an uninhabited island in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Odisha, the British built a huge building with a triangular façade for guess what? To store rice imported from Burma (now Myanmar)! The Victorian structure, built in 1866-67, also has a well-planned rainwater harvesting system that ensured drinking water for its occupants in the middle of the sea.

The building is named Hukitola after the then-local Chief Engineer of Irrigation, J Huki Waker, who designed it. Hukitola is on Jambu island, about 50km from Kendrapada. The place is in the deltaic-shaped elevated landscape and is home to rich mangrove forests. 

Hukitola’s proximity to the shore has led to its rapid popularity among tourists as an offbeat eco-tourism location replete with history, architecture, and natural beauty.

Tourists take a boat or desi danga to reach the historic place, which makes the journey interesting.

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This edifice was originally built as a warehouse to store rice purchased from Burma and played a crucial role during the 1866 Naanka famine, which devastated a third of Odisha's population. 

During the famine, the building’s strategic design, including cross-ventilation, helped preserve the stored grain for months without any pest attack or contamination despite being in a mangrove forest. 

The British used the Hukitola building as a naval base during the Second World War. 

The structure, 120 ft in length and 60 ft in width was built using stones from the ruins of Barabati Fort in Cuttack. They were transported by ships and boats to construct the building.

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Hukitola once had Burmese teak doors and teak cots for inhabitants. However, with time, they were looted and now only the structure remains without any doors or windows.

The building spans over 7,000 square feet and is constructed using laterite stones of various colours—white, blue, black, and green—bound with traditional lime mortar. It comprises six large rectangular rooms, some with interconnected smaller rooms, and features a terrace accessible via two staircases. 

The structure showcases neo-classical architectural elements, including arches and rusticated wall corners. 

Rainwater Harvesting System

The most notable feature is the building’s advanced rainwater harvesting system. The sloped roof made of brick and iron beams channels rainwater through cast iron pipes into four big water pots. This collected fresh water was used throughout the year by British soldiers, workers and merchants visiting the otherwise uninhabited island. 

In recent years, the Odisha government, in collaboration with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), undertook restoration efforts to preserve the building's historical and architectural integrity. Hukitola is now an eco-tourism destination with historical significance and unique architectural features amid mangrove forests. 

Hukitola stands as a testament to 19th-century engineering and colonial history, offering insights into the region's maritime and architectural heritage.

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