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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
'''[[Rai Saheb]] Koovarji Karsan Rathor''' (1898–1976) was a noted [[Kutchi people|Kutchi]] railway & civil contractor, businessman & philanthropist from [[Cuttack]], [[India]].<ref name=c/>

==Life sketch==
He was born to Karsan Bhima Rathor in [[Madhapar]], who belonged to [[Mestri (community)|Mestri community]] of [[Kutch]].<ref name=x/><ref name=y/> His father Karsan Bhima was a noted railway contractor, who settled in Cuttack, while doing railway contract. The Shail Sadan Palace in [[Bolangir]] belonging to royal family of [[Patna (princely state)|Patna Raj]] was constructed in 1910 by Karsan Bhima Rathor, Jagmal Bhima Rathor & other contractor of Kutch like Parbat Vira of [[Khambhra]].<ref name=y/><ref name=k/> Further, Karsan Bhima and his elder brother Jagmal Bhima were the contractors, who were involved in building of railway lines from [[Kharagpur]] to [[Cuttack]] during the years 1892 to 1898 along with other contemporary [[Mistris of Kutch|Mistri]] contractors like Manji Jeram of Madhapar, [[Seth Khora Ramji Chawda|Khora Ramji]] and others from [[Sinugra]], [[Khambhra]], etc. In 1897 they were involved in laying the lines and building the bridge over Dhelang River in [[Khurda Road]] to [[Puri]] section for [[Bengal Nagpur Railway]], in 1902 works in [[Gondia]] - [[Jabalpur]] section, in 1906 works in Gondia - [[Nagbhid]] section and in 1910 the [[Tatanagar]] - [[Gorumahsini]] section with other [[Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas contributions to the Indian railways|Mistri railway contractors of Kutch]].<ref name=y>'''Nanji Bapa ni Nondh Pothi''' by Nanji Govinji Tank of Tatanagar. Compiled by Dharshi Jethalal Taunk (1999) It is a diary of railway contacts noted by Nanji Govindji Tank during his lifetime with last entry in 1954 later published as book with recorded documents. Book given ''Aank-Sidhhi Award'' by [[Kutch Shakti]] in 2000.</ref><ref name=z>'''Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj : A brief history & glory''' by Raja Pawan Jethwa (2007 : Calcutta).pp :19. Jagmal Bhima & Karsan Bhima - Railway Contracts & Rai Sahib Koonvarji Karsan Rathor - a brief life-sketch.</ref> They have also done works of building palaces, courts & highway in erstwhile princely states of [[Mayurbhanj]], Patna, [[Keonjhar]] & [[Sundargarh]].<ref name=k>'''Kutch Tari Asmita''' (1926) pp : 267</ref><ref name=z/>

Koovarji Karsan did his primary education in Madhapar and later studied from various school in [[Mayurbhanj]] and [[Cuttack]]. He joined his father's business along with his brother Raghu Karsan, as railway & civil contractor. But later he diversified into other businesses and started ice factory & flour mill in Cuttack named Bhima Ice Factory in the year 1922.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indian factories & labour reports , Volume 28|year=1974|publisher=India. Supreme Court|pages=268|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uBgOAQAAIAAJ&q=bhima+ice+factory}}</ref> Further, he also started another factory by same name at [[Chilika]] in 1928.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ecological and Fisheries Development in Wetlands: A Study of Chilka Lagoon By Kamakhya Pada Biswas|year=1995|pages=170|isbn=9788170351351|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hg9IAMuh-1MC&q=bhima+ice+factory&pg=PA170|last1=Biswas|first1=Kamakhya Pada}}</ref><ref>''' Proceedings of the Indian Science Congress''', Volume 49, 1962 . pp: 15</ref> Looking into plight of poor fisher-mans, he for many years, did not take storage charges from them. The present Ice Factory Road in Cuttack is named after their ice-factory.<ref name=x>'''Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir and History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia''' – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa of Calcutta compiled by Raja Pawan Jethwa published in 1998 in English.pp:15 Life-sketch : Karsan Bhima & Koonvarji Karsan Rathor of Madhapar, Cuttack.</ref> He also started cold storage and ice factories in [[Kendrapara|Kalapada]], [[Brahmapur, Odisha|Behrampore]] and Babugam.<ref name=z/> Later in 1929 he was one of the founder director of Cuttack Electric Supply Co Ltd.<ref name=z/><ref>{{cite book|title=Investor's India year book|year=1952|publisher=Place, Siddons and Gough.|pages=348|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gdkkAQAAIAAJ&q=Rai+Sahib+Koovarji+Karsen+Rathor}}</ref> He also started and owned a cinema hall and several hotels with his brother Raghu Karsan and was one of the big land-owners at Cuttack.<ref name=x/><ref>[http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/1187426/ Koovarji Karsan : Legal]</ref>
He was also noted for his philanthropy works like starting of school named ''Gujarati Pathshala'' in 1928, which was renamed Anglo-Gujarati School at Cuttack in 1941.<ref name=c/> Further, he also started a library having more than three thousand books at Cuttack in year 1931.<ref name=c>{{cite book|title=Cuttack, one thousand years , Volume 2 by Karuna Sagar Behera, Jagannātha Paṭṭanāẏaka, Harish Chandra Das|year=1990|publisher=Universe (Organization)|pages=293|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JRVuAAAAMAAJ&q=Kumarjibhai}}</ref> He was given title of Rai Sahib in 1926 by British for his works in development of railways, industries and philanthropy.<ref name=z/> He also started a [[Dharamshalas|Dharamshala]] & public dispensary in Cuttack and Puri for pilgrims<ref name=z/> and also built a [[Shiva]] temple in Cuttack, in memory of his father in 1964.<ref name=z/>

In his ancestral village at Madhapar in Kutch, the huge artificial pond made by his uncle, Jagmal Bhima Rathor in 1900, is today known as Jagasagar Lake, named after its builder.<ref name=z/> His father Karasan Bhimjee also built an artificial lake with steps near Suralbhit Temple, which today is known by name Karasan Bhimjee's pond.<ref name=z/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rathor, Koovarji Karsan}}
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Kutch district]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Odisha]]
[[Category:Indian people in rail transport]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:People from Cuttack]]
[[Category:Rai Sahibs]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian philanthropists]]

Koovarji Karsan Rathor - Revision history

imported>Ser Amantio di Nicolao at 17:30, 11 July 2021