Khejuri

Khejuri (also spelled Khajuri) is a village and gram panchayat, in Khejuri II CD Block in Contai subdivision of Purba Medinipur district in the state of West Bengal, India.

==History== According to Binoy Ghosh, in an era when the Magh and Portuguese pirates raided the area and wild animals roamed around, the place was made suitable for human habitation in the early years of the East India Company's rule. Calcutta (later Kolkata) was just coming up and did not have a port till then. Large ocean-going ships used to drop anchor in the sea near by and load and unload goods. In the 18th century, with the establishment of the makeshift ‘port’ at Khejuri, there came up an Agent’s House and a Port Office. Khejuri developed as a place of rest and a meeting point for foreign sailors, complete with lively taverns. It also developed as a place where people came to recoup their health. It was an era when places such as Darjeeling, Puri and Gopalpur had not developed as health resorts. Except for a few dilapidated buildings and a cemetery, nothing remains of the old establishments. As Kolkata developed, Khejuri faded away. The rich and colourful life of yester-years is no more there, but the descendants of the Pundra-kshatriyas and Mahishyas, who had laid the foundations for development of Khejuri, are still there.