D Prakash Rao: Cuttack Mourns An Icon

D Prakash Rao: Cuttack Mourns An Icon

When news of Padma Shri D Prakash Rao’s passing broke on January 13, condolences poured in from people of all walks of life. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, they all paid their obeisance to the legacy of Rao. For the city of Cuttack which enjoyed Rao’s amrit chai over khatti, the loss is immeasurable. Rao’s last rites were performed with full state honours.

Cuttack based Chef Rachit shared his experiences with Rao and said, “I have had tea from his stall many times. It’s a sad day not just for Cuttack but for the entire state as he represented the true spirit of Cuttack which is the brotherhood and a sense of fellowship. He was never short of interesting conversations and anecdotes. Even when he was personally not able to help somebody he would find someone who could help. He was a kind and caring soul and knew that education could solve most of the problems in our society.”

Rohit Srivastava, Chief Foodie at Food Findo shared his memories of Rao and said, “I met him for the first time during the Cuttack Food Walk, back in 2016-17. One great thing that I came to realise as a content creator was that he was extremely camera friendly and that was because he was very confident and believed in what he was doing. He was an amazing person to talk to. He always had stories and experiences to share.” 

“I have been to his stall many times. His stall is not just a regular khatti place but people come here and have serious and thought provoking conversations over cups of his special masala chai which he called ‘Amrit Chai.’ This chai had a special masala which made it different from the rest,” he added. 

Rohit feels that Rao was more than a chaiwalla. It was never only about the chai; people always went there for the conversations and that is the reason why he always invited everyone to visit his stall. He was inspirational and a gem of a person. “It is ironic that he passed away the day after the vaccine arrived in the state with a lot of hope. In his case it was not just about the number of years he lived but how he lived them,” said Rohit. 

Anubhav Sapra, Founder of Delhi Food Walks visited Rao’s stall in 2018. He shared his experience with Rao and said, “When we started our YouTube channel, the first state we visited was Odisha. Rohit of Food Findo introduced me to him. We had a great time with Rao. What I liked most about him was that he was very humble and down to earth. During the lockdown last year we were doing a campaign to support street food vendors and we interacted with Rao on an Instagram Live session. The dedication with which he supported the children’s education is inspiring.”

Hitesh Seth, a Cuttack based culture enthusiast, met Rao while donating blood. He said, “I saw him a few times while donating blood as he is a frequent blood donor. Over the years I got to meet and interact with him. He was a very simple man. I met him last on his birthday in November last year. He was an inspiration for many and he brought people together through tea.”

Rao believed in love and he always cared for everyone. With a bright and contagious smile on his face he always did whatever he could to help those in need and that is what made him rise above the rest. 

Picture Courtesy : Hitesh Seth