FOLK DANCE OF BIHAR :BIDESIA

Bidesia is the most popular folk dance of Bihar people. The dance is said to have originated in the 20th century. It is a folk theatre form that is prevalent in the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of Bihar.
Bidesia Dance deals with the many social problems prevailing in the society. It is believed that the creator of the dance Bhikari Thakur, who was a barber by profession, used funny and sarcastic comments to bring forth the serious issue and still not hurt the feelings of the people. The stories portrayed are so touching and realistic that they bring back the memories of yesteryears when men were taken away as slaves in distant lands and when used to feel in the pain of separation. They are also used to spread awareness among the masses about poverty, poor status of women in the society. Bidesia is performed in theater style with rhythmic language, soothing songs, and attractive music that makes it the most famous dance of Bihar.
Bidesia is a popular form of dance drama, originated in Bihar ,folk theatre and prevalent in the Bhojpuri-speaking region of Bihar.It is believed that the creator of this plays is Bhikari Thakur, a person barber by profession (from a backward class), left everything in affection of drama. His dramas are dealt with many social issues, contradictory topics & conflict between the traditional and the modern, the urban and rural, and the rich and the poor.
Not only hard hitting but delicate matters & emotional battles are also powered down in through Bidesia e.g. the emotions of birha or pangs of separation find expression in the Bidesia. Women left alone behind by their men who are away for earning a bread & butter in the city, sing through these songs. The train, sometimes represented as the other woman, the weather, the in-laws are all criticized in these songs.
The overall form of Bidesia has been made so effective through the medium of vibrant dances and evoking music and heart-touching stories that paints a realistic picture of olden days. In Bidesia, the female roles are played by the male actor-dancers. Normally, they wear dhoti or shirt trousers and for the appearance of long hair they use artificial means, in case of female roles.
Though there are many new means of communication & entertainment have developed, Bidesia remains the most popular and refreshing relaxation for the Bhojpuris.
In olden days, Bidesia was famous as it gave voice to many social concerned topics like the cause of poor laborers and tried to create awareness about the poor status of women in Bhojpuri society. Casteism and communalism are also handled with due care in the same cultural tunes. Sometimes, the tone of Bidesia is sarcastic in nature.
Bidesia plays and style of theatre is very popular for their rhythmic language, sweet songs and appealing music. These plays are a true reflection of Bhojpuri culture. Bhikari Thakur used satire and light-hearted comments to maximum effect to put forward his views on social ills and other problems plaguing Bhojpuri society.

THE STORIES NEVER TOLD :- HEROES OF BIHAR

Heroes of Tirhut

Heroes of Tirhut-Chain Choudhary,Ounga Choudhary and Nubee Meah
The early establishments of Europeans in Bihar were in form of indigo plantations and factories,particularly in Tirhut.
Those were against the interests of local peasant and Jamindars. Some brave people of Bihar had opposed their unworthy settlements through various means. These Struggles though isolated are very much important keeping in mind the socio-political scenario of that time.
The Kontai house- the bungalow of the first indigo factory at Kanti built in 1778, A photo of 1897 A book named HISTORY OF BEHAR INDIGO FACTORIES Written by MINDEN WILSON was published by THE CALCUTTA GENERAL PRINTING COMPANY in 1905, which was based on archives of the indigo factories of Bihar and then official correspondence .According to this book,Mr. Grand was sent to Tirhoot in 1782 as Collector of Revenue, where he built three indigo factories. In these factories,he was conducting the manufacture of indigo on the manner of Europeans and was evidently making money. The mokarrarie patta of these factories were any how taken from the local jamindars and raiyats.
He was opposed by the local raiyats and when Lord Cornwallis arrived in Calcutta in 1786 as the first Governor-General of East India.

Company,Mr.Bathurst was appointed Collector of Tirhoot . on the 29th August 1787, by him and Mr. Grand was ordered to go as Judge of Patna in 1788. He was shortly afterward ordered to give up or dispose of his indigo factories in Tirhoot.
Thereafter, on the basis of his conduct as a Judge at Patna, he was removed from the service and was send to Calcutta .
Chain Chowdhary, a zamindar of tirhut had opposed the misconducts of the very early indigo planters in dewani adalat.There was a letter addressed to James Gentil, Indigo Planterof Attur Factory, from J. Neave, Judge of Tirhoo,dated 4th August 1793, telling him to prosecute Chain Chowdhary in the Dewani Adawlut and to file a suit to sign a penalty bond as prescribed by the 38th article of Revenue Regulation.
Ounga Chowdry and some raiyats of Kunouli petitioned against Mr. Hunter, proprietor of Daudpur Factory, for hoeing up land and oppression for the cultivation of indigo. There was a remark that Mr. Hunter seemed to be a very troublesome man. The Judge wrote him referring him to a certain section which he could see daily from 9 a.m. to 4 P.M., Sunday excepted, at' the Judge's Court and Mr. Hunter after some days, replied, asking, " In what Room?”
The British settler and interlopers of that time had established private forces, who had regular struggles with Indian raiyats and Jamindars .Their misconducts were often challenged and in some cases favorable decrees were followed by.
On 2nd November 1793 Mr. Neave, Judge of Tirhoot, ordered a Frenchman named Dombal, who was at Saraiya Factory, to at once go to Calcutta, giving due notice of date of departure when an officer of the Court would accompany him and place him in the hands of the Military Secretary.
On the 17th February 1793 Mr. Neave wrote to James Arnold of Dholi Factory, acknowledging his letter enclosing license to live in the country:—
Whenever the Brahmin you have beaten shall complain to the Criminal Court you will hear from me officially on the subject. In the meantime I caution you in the most serious manner against all ill usage of natives.There was also a letter to one Thomas Parke, a trader at Singhia, to quit the district within a month and go to Calcutta.
The brave Nubbee Meah of Hursinghpur
The Bungalow of Hursinghpur, was being built by M. H. Gale who was the manager of Pandaul Indigo concern. Nubbee Meah of Hursinghpur disputed the right to build and there was every chance of a serious row. So the Collector of Darbhanga went out specially to intervene. He unfortunately had a long beard and so had Mr.Gale, and Nubbee Meah , taking the Collector for the planter, attacked on him and badly wounded him. It ended in the Nubbee Meah eventually getting the worst of it, and where once lived the happy Nubbee family ,was demolished and the Hursingpore bungalow was erected.
The brave Nubbee Meah was sentenced heavily for taking the law into his own hands.

Folk tales of Bihar: A Trip to Heaven:-

 Folk tales of Bihar: A Trip to Heaven:-

 It has every element to please the heart of a common man- reality, religion, fantasy, luck and laughter. There was great economic pressure on the common man in ancient Bihar. Folktales such as this one helped to lighten the burden and to provide an escape from the drudgery of daily existence.

Rajdev was a poor farmer. He owned a small plot of land on which he grew seasonal vegetables like brinjals, pumpkins and cauliflowers. It was not much but for Rajdev it was enough. He worked hard and slept well for he was a contented man at heart.

One particular winter Rajdev grew a super crop of cauliflower. People came from far and near to admire the fresh, creamy looking, snow-white heads of cauliflower. One day Rajdev`s wife told him that their crop is the talk of the village and some might try to steal them so he can sleep in the fields at night to keep guard.

Rajdev thought this a jolly good idea. Right in the middle of his fields he raised a platform of bamboo and thatch. On this platform he spread a sheet and his bed was ready. That evening, after the family had eaten, Rajdev left his wife and children in his hut, walked to the platform and climbed up. Tired after the day`s work, he soon fell asleep. He slept soundly till the crack of dawn. Then he walked back to his hut to start another day. The same thing happened the following night.

On the third night Rajdev went to sleep on the platform as usual, but in the middle of the night something disturbed him. He sat up. It was quiet all around. The entire village was asleep.

Even the jackals in the forest beyond had fallen silent. Rajdev looked around and suddenly caught his breath in surprise. A shining white cloud was slowly coming down from the sky. As Rajdev watched the cloud headed straight for his fields and made a perfect landing among the cauliflowers. And out stepped an elephant. But it was no ordinary elephant. It was grey in colour and glowed as though made of silver. The elephant stretched out its trunk, uprooted a cauliflower and daintily placed it in its mouth, then another and another. Rajdev watched helplessly as the elephant ate up some twenty heads of cauliflower. Having had its fill, the elephant stepped inside the cloud again. The cloud slowly floated up into the sky and was soon lost to view.

For a long time Rajdev sat in a daze. As soon as he had recovered, he raced home to tell his wife what he had seen. The poor woman was fast asleep. Rajdev shook her awake and told her everything. But she would not believe him. She negated his idea and said that he must be dreaming. The following night Rajdev lay awake on the platform. Sure enough the elephant came again. As before, he ate his fill of cauliflower and went back the way he had come. Rajdev raced back home to tell his wife.

This time his wife believed him. She said that the elephant came straight from heaven. He belongs to Lord Indra, king of the gods, and his name is Aeravat. Rajdev was listening dumbfounded. His wife was the daughter of a pundit and knew a lot about such things. Suddenly she clutched his arm and said that the next time the elephant appeared he must hang on to its tail and take a trip to heaven.

A little more persuasion from his wife and Rajdev agreed. He was scared stiff at the thought of flying up into the sky at the end of an elephant`s tail. But somehow he picked up the courage to do so. The following night, when the elephant entered the cloud to go back to heaven, there was Rajdev hanging on to its tail.

Rajdev spent a full 24 hours in heaven and what a glorious time he had. Heaven was a beautiful place. The streets were paved with silver, the palaces were made of gold. When he got tired walking, he had only to wash at one of the many clear, cool streams to feel refreshed again. The air was full of birdsong and the scent of flowers. But what Rajdev enjoyed most of all was his visit to the kitchen. Right in the middle of the kitchen of heaven stood a giant dish of `halwa` (a sweet dish). Piping hot and sweet and flavoured with cardamom and to top it all there was nobody to stop him.

When Rajdev came back to earth via the elephant`s tail he walked as in a dream. It was not only the things that he had seen; it was the halwa that he had eaten. He could not think of anything else. That night he hardly slept. Day dawned. Instead of going to work in his fields, Rajdev went and sat in front of his hut. Some of the other men from the village passed by on their way to work and asked why he was sleeping. Rajdev replied that he had too much halwa yesterday. The men were amazed. Some more men had joined them. They all gathered around Rajdev and asked where he found all that halwa.

Now Rajdev`s wife had warned him not to talk about the halwa to anyone. But with so many people asking him for details, he forgot all about the warning. He proudly said that he had halwa in heaven. The other farmers thought Rajdev had gone out of his mind. They suggested him to meet the Vaid ji (village doctor).

However, bit by bit the farmers were convinced that Rajdev was indeed telling the truth. One by one they dropped their shoes and sat down in a tight circle around Rajdev. They too wanted to go to heaven with him. Rajdev had never received so much attention in his life. He got all puffed up. Without a moment`s thought he said that they can come to the heaven with him. He will hang on to the tail of the elephant and the next man catches his kurta and like this a number of people can make a trip to heaven.

There was a wild shout from the men gathered around him. Naturally, the news spread like fire. All the men of the village had a nice long bath at the river and got into their best clothes. The women were not going, neither were the children. But they all wanted a share in the halwa. The men offered to bring some in their pockets. And they could not carry bags for both their hands had to be free to hang on to the kurta of the man in front. Here was a problem indeed till someone thought of a sling bag. The women spent the entire day making sling bags out of sacking, old saris and old pajamas. When evening came, the men stood in a line near Rajdev`s fields, hearts thumping and mouths dry with excitement.

The night wore on. It became very dark. At first jackals howled in the forest beyond the village. But in time they fell silent. Even the village dogs stopped barking. Everything was quiet when a gasp went up from all the men. The shining white cloud was coming down slowly, ever so slowly. It made a perfect landing among the cauliflowers and out stepped a silver elephant.

The men waited patiently and in total silence till the elephant had eaten its fill. Then Rajdev ran forward and caught the elephant`s tail. There was a bit of a scramble as every man tried to catch hold of Rajdev`s kurta. But soon they fell in line. Each had a firm grip on the kurta of the man before him. Slowly the cloud rose in the air. With it rose the elephant and Rajdev and one by one, all the men, down to the last one who was the fat man of the village.

The journey to heaven was long and the men had waited all day for the promised halwa. So halfway up to heaven their patience gave out. The fat man in particular was feeling very anxious. He asked the man directly in front and asked whether there will be enough halwa left for each man. Now each man started asking the same question to the man in front of him. And so the question went from man to man, right up the line till it reached the man directly behind Rajdev. He replied that there will be enough halwa left for all.

The news travelled back to the fat man. For a while he was quiet. Then he could not stand it any longer. He grumbled that Rajdev must tell them exactly how much would be left. Once again the question travelled up the line till it reached Rajdev. This time Rajdev, replied, slightly irritated that there is enough. The news travelled back and for a while the fat man was quiet. But not for long and the journey did not seem to end and he was tired and hungry. So he jerked at the kurta of the man in front and asked again that how much halwa he can eat in heaven.

The question travelled up the line once again. But by the time it reached Rajdev, he had lost his patience. He threw out his arms as far as they could go and yelled to say a lot. The elephant`s tail shot out of his grasp and all the men came tumbling down to earth. The fat man came first and all the others landed on top of him. There was a series of loud thuds and then all was quiet. For a while they all lay there, stunned. Then slowly they picked themselves up, dusted their clothes and went back home, grumbling at the fat man for asking silly questions. That was the end of their dream of eating halwa, for sad to say, the elephant never came again.

Folk tales :-Wisdom

The two friends:-

Once there were two close friends who both possessed supernatural

powers. One could judge the quality of rice and the other the

personalities of men. Both of them started a long journey to see

the world. They passed many small villages and then came to a

large village which was the seat of the Raja. They went to the

Raja’s court and were hospitably received and asked to stay as

guests. They agreed, but when rice was served, the man who could

judge its quality refused to eat. The other man refused to eat

vegetables. The Raja was informed and, as the usual custom is,

wanted to have their food. They said they had reasons for refusing

the food. The Raja asked them, “Please, tell me why you

refuse”.

Thereupon the first man said, “Oh, Raja Saheb, the paddy of

which the rice was served to me was grown on a piece of land

which was once a burning ghat. I can smell the ashes of the burnt

bodies and wood.” The Raja then turned to the other man and

asked him why he was refusing to take the vegetables and told

him that his own daughter had cooked them. The second man

replied, “Oh’ Raja, I am very sorry if I am rude. But your daughter’s

breath has wafted to the vegetables. The food has a strong

smell of goat’s milk. I think that as a child your daughter was

nursed on goat’s milk.” The Raja at once sent for the Rani to find

out the truth.

The man sent out earlier returned and told the Raja that about

thirty years ago there was a patch of land used for burning

corpses. Paddy had been growing there since and the rice given

was of the paddy grown there. The Rani, too, confirmed that as

she had not had sufficient milk she had nursed his daughter

with goat’s milk.

Perceiving that both of his visitors were right and had supernatural

powers, the Raja persuaded them to stay in his court.

The two friends accepted the proposal and from then on lived in

the Raja’s court.

About Siwan and Places

.
■ Don: The Don village under Darauli block has remnants of a fort which is said to be connected with the famous Acharya Dronacharya, the guru of both Kaurav's and Pandav's. Dona's stupa is a lesser-known but popular Buddhist pilgrimage site, despite its isolated location. The Buddhist traveler Hiuen Tsang mentions a visit to Don in his account of his travels in India. He describ...es the stupa as being in ruins. The account of Dona's distribution of Buddha's ashes and being given the vessel is a mentioned in the end of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, which is described in Maurice Walsh's The Long Discourses. Presently Dona's stupa is a grassy hill and has a Hindu temple built over it. Nearby is an exceptionally beautiful statue of Tara now being worshipped as a Hindu goddess. This statue was carved in the 9th century A.D.
After the Buddha's cremation a dispute arose as to how his ashes should be divided. Eventually a Brahmin named Dona was given the task and he did it to the satisfaction of all the eight claimants. As a reward for his services, he was given the vessel in which the ashes had been collected and from which he had divided and he announced that he would enshrine this vessel in a stupa. This stupa later became a popular destination with pilgrims. When Hiuen Tsiang went there it was already in ruins but it still sometimes emitted a brilliant light. Don can be visited by road from Siwan, a major railway station on Gorakhpur–Guwahati route. Private vehicle is advised, as road condition beyond Siwan is very bad. Alternatively, this place can be visited by road in a day trip from Kusinara via Gopalganj.
■ Mehandar: Mehandar (near by Birti village) is in Siswan Blcok has beautiful temples of Lord Shiva & Lord Vishwakarma. The place is visited not only by the people of the locality on the Shivaratri day & Vishwakarma Puja but also by the all over places. It is known for its temple and a pond scatted over an area of more than 500 bighas. It is said that one Nepal king built these and took his bath in the pond and got his leprosy cured.
■ Amarpur: Amarpur village is situated at 3 km. West of Darauli. Ruins of the mosque of red bricks are still available in this village on the bank of river Ghaghara. This mosque was build during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan (1626–1658) under the supervision of the Naib Amar Singh but the work was left incomplete. The village derived its name from the builder of the mosque Amar Singh.
■ Mahpur: Shaheed Baba Ki Mazar, Purab Tola Bazar, Mahpur settled on a planned way on the banks of River DAHA.
■ Faridpur: Situated just near Andar, Faridpur is the birthplace of Maulana Mazharul Haque who played an important role during the freedom movement. Sadaquat Ashram in Patna originally belonged to him. He was a symbol of Hindu Muslim unity during freedom movement of India.
■ Hussain Ganj:9 KM form Siwan, this is a historical resattlements of the Zamindars who escaped from the British annexures from Banda Dist(UP) to Hussianganj. settled on a planned way on the banks of River Gandak. The haveli which is a mini fortess like with its mediaeval construction using red bricks(Lahori Bricks) and massive walls and Structure is maintaind till date by its inhabitants.
■ Darauli: A block headquarter now is said to be have been founded after the name of Dara Shikoh the elder son of the Emperor Shahjahan. Its name was Daras Ali, which later on was changed into Darauli. There is reminiscence of Mughal period ruins where a big mela is held every year on the Kartik Purnima.
■ Hasanpura: It is a village in the Hussainganj block. It is said that Makhdum Sayyad Hasan Chisti, a saint who came from Arabia to India and settled here, found it. He founded a Khankhah too.
■ Lakri Dargah: It is the place of pilgrimage for the Mohammedans. The village is so called because it contains the tomb (Dargah) of a Mohammedan saint, Shah Arjan of Patria, in which there is some good woodwork. The story runs that the saint, attracted by the solitude of the place, performed a Chila here, i.e., gave himself up to religious contemplation for 40 days. He also set up a religious establishment, which was endowed by the Emperor Aurangzeb. The anniversary of the saint's death is celebrated the 11th of Rabi-us-sani every year which attracts a large crowd.
■ Mairwa Dham: A block headquarters now, there is a celebrated Brahma Asthan, locally known as Hari Baba ka Asthan, the shrine having been built over the relics of the saint. There is also a mound called Chananriyam Dih from an Ahirni woman who is now worshipped in a shed built in front of the Dak bungalow, which occupies the top of the mound. The shrine is on the bank of the Jharhi River and fairs are held in Kartik and Chaitra months. There is also a leper home at Mairwa known as Kustha Sevasram, which is doing useful work.
■ Ziradei: It is a village in the Hussainganj Block. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Indian Republic, belonged to this village.
■ Maharajganj: A block headquarters now, it was also called Basnauli Gangar. It is the largest bazaar in the district. This was the place where great hero of Indian Independence Movement, Shri Phulena Prasad centralised his activity and fought against the British.
■ Bhikhabandh: A village in Maharajganj Block, there is a big tree under the shade of which Bhaiya-Bahini temple is situated. The story runs that these brother and sister fought Mughal sepoys in the 14th century and died here in course of fighting.
■ Famous shrines of Siwan Town: Baba Ajagaib peer, Hussain ka karbala, kali Mandir, Mehendra Nath mandir,
■ Bagaura: Bagaura is village in Darundha police station were encestor of Shri Koslendra Prasad Sahi ruled from centuries.
■Piyaur:Piyaur is situated at a distance of 16 km.south of Siwan. This place is located on the bank of river Daha and comes under Raghunathpur constituency.Piyaur has its own panchayat which includes Deipur,Basantnagar,Jhaua,Kabilpura and Ujraha. According to Census 2001,TRU is Rural,total population is 3054.Census Village Code is 01665700.Piyaur's anchal karyalaya(Block) has been changed from Hussaingunj to Hassanpura.Now the block is Hassanpura and police station is M.H.Nagar(Mazhar-ul haque Nagar)Hassanpura.Mahatma Gandhi said,"India is a country of villages,one needs to see our country,visit to a village of this country".To my mind,Piyaur has become a bright dream of M.K.Gandhi.Indeed,Piyaur is being to be an ideal village and progressing by leaps and bounds.This village is known for their literacy rate growth. Piyaur has generated a number of persons who have been living abroad such as Canada, London, Iran, Kuwait, UAE and KSA etc.(Written by M.Minhajuddin).
■Bilashpur...Bilashpur is 16 km west far Siwan and 2.5 km east to Mairwa Dham. Near by railway line.
■Khalispur-A village,5 km from siwan town, must to visit. There is a very long minaret(13floor height), fully covered with tiles, and that village is having all facilities and maintain all standard which a small city possess.
■ Punak The first Indian chief engineer of bihar's native village punak is one of educated and developed village ofSsiwan district.
■Pachlakhi:It is the birth place of Phulena Prasad and situated 10 KM far from the district headquarter
■Nadiyon:It is a village known for lala kamala laal, a renowed zamindar of british later came to support of indian movement.he is also known for his quarrel with benipuri and rahul sanskrityan
■Bhawrajpur:
■ Sarari: It is the place of pilgrimage for the Hindus.where a big mela is held every year on the Dashhara (Navratra).which attracts a large crowd. and big mela is held every friday (Mohammad Alamgir, Kapia Hatta.
■ Ukareri it village near 1 km from the Ghaghra river. A big fair is organized every year seven days after Diwali. This fair is called chhath pooja.

SIWAN:- Story of Legend who remained Unknown.

The tree under which Fateh Sahi's son's wife committed Sati. 

                                     The Sheesh Mahal constructed by Fateh Bahadur Sahi.



Hathwa Raj was a zamindari belonging to Bhumihar Brahmins which encompassed 1,365 villages, was inhabited by more than 391,000 people, and produced an annual rental of almost a million rupees.It is located in the Saran Division of Bihar.
Sir Kishen Pratap Sahi Bahadur, who was the Maharaja between 1874 to 1896 "had the heart of an ascetic. Soon after he was installed... he set out on a pilgrimage to the shrines of Northern India and travelled through almost the whole of India. Later on he used to pass a portion of the year in travelling and pilgrimage, mostly in, Benares.
Because Hathwa was the hub, it was the seat of the raja's residential palace; and Hathwa and its nearby villages housed most of the key retainers of the estate. In addition to the estate Kachcheri (office), located in the Hathwa cluster of villages, were the estate manager's bungalow, the Diwan's house, the Hathwa Eden School, the post office, the Raj dispensary, and the temple called Gopal mandir.
By the 1840s Hathwa was described as having large "bazaars" and bi-weekly markets. Fort, palace and bazaar: all the markets reflecting and exercising the power and authority of this great estate were thus in place by the early nineteenth century. An early twentieth century account describes Hathwa as an impressive standard market, its shops offering a range of agricultural and consumer goods and its specialists providing a variety of services. The presence of schools and temples further accentuated its centrality in the locality. Its salience - and its value to the estate - can also be quantified: the estate collected Rs. 1,400 per annum as professional tax from traders stationed there


The story begins with:-


 Fateh Bahadur Sahi was an independent ruler of this region whose territory spread across the Bihar-UP border. He belonged to the erstwhile Huseypur estate of the old Saran district of Bihar, from which descended the later-day Tamkuhi Raj of the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh and the Hathwa Raj of Gapalganj district in Bihar.
Among his successors, Kalyan Mal was an illustrious king and a contemporary of Akbar. The latter decorated him with the title of “Maharaja Bahadur”, which Jahangir reconfirmed with an additional title of “Shahi”, on the 87  raja, Kshemkaran. Kalyan Mal founded his capital at Kalyanpur (named after him) near Gopalganj, which was later on shifted to Huseypur. It was here that Fateh was born a son to Sardar Sahi, and was crowned as the 99  king in 1750 — seven years before the battle of Plassey.
Fateh Sahi's estate spread into the territories of Awadh and Bengal. So, when the East India Company gained control over these areas after the battle of Buxur in 1765, it demanded revenue from him. But he refused to oblige, challenging their legitimacy, and mobilised his supporters against them in 1767. He could be dislodged only when the British troops were sent in from Patna, after which he fled into the jungles of Gorakhpur.


About the place :-



Its is a semi-wild terrain on the UP-Bihar border hemmed by the two tributaries of the Ganga — the Ghaghara and the Gandak. Though remote and backward, its environment is enticing. Kushinagar, where the Buddha breathed his last, is situated on its west, and Balmiki Nagar, the abode of Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, in the east. In between the two, one may hear of great yogis Gorakhnath and Bhartharihari. Move on and hints of history wobble out everywhere. To add to the romance of the ambiance, you may hear folklores admiring an obscure but conspicuous hero of the region — Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Sahi. Historians do not talk of him; but the locals remember him for his valour and love for freedom.


the story continues :-


Although dislodged from Huseypur, Fateh Sahi continued to obstruct the collection of revenue in his former territory by launching raids from the jungle. In 1772, he marched into Huseypur and killed the Company's district revenue farmer. Yet, the British kept Fateh in good humour, fearing his disruptive activities. The district collector recommended his pardon for the murder, and he was allowed to return home at Huseypur. He was offered pension with a promise to stop any military action against him; additionally, he was advised to get full autonomy within his territory in lieu of a payment of Rs. 25 lakh and permission for the circulation of British currency in his estate. But Sahi did not agree; instead, he chose to be on war forever. Two months later, he left home and returned to his Gorakhpur hideout in the Bagjogni jungle. The British then designated Mir Jamal as their superintendent of the Huseypur revenue and the estate was farmed out to Basant Sahi, a pro-British cousin of Fateh Sahi.
Taking lead from Fateh, several local chiefs challenged the British authority during 1773-74 and refused to pay taxes. Biding his time, Fateh again marched into Saran in 1775. On May 3, on intelligence about the enemy camping at Jadopur near Huseypur, he dashed through darkness with a 1000-strong cavalry to reach the enemy camp just before dawn. In the bloody skirmish that followed, he killed cousin Basant Sahi and Mir Jamal, and escaped with the booty to his forest fastness. Hundreds were left behind dead and wounded. This happened in spite of the vigil of two companies of sepoys stationed in the neighbourhood to contain him. Basant Sahi's head was cut off and sent to his widow, who committed sati along with 13 aides whose husbands too were killed in the battle. The 14 stupas containing their ashes at Huseypur are worshiped till date.



During his rebellion in August 1781, Raja Chait Singh of Banaras tried to take advantage of the anti-British uprisings in Bihar. He financed Fateh Sahi, a relation, and encouraged him to kill the British and their sepoys. A formidable alliance was forged among the rajas of Huseypur and Majhauli, and the Padrauna and Narrowneys zamindars. Several zamindars from Saran supported Sahi secretly. In October, they assembled a force of 20,000 men at Munjoora and plundered and captured the Company's military station (established to suppress Fateh) at Baragaon. Panicked and helpless, the Saran Collector Grome approached, for help, the anti-Fateh clique of the royal family headed by Dhujju Singh, a family friend and guardian of Basant's minor son. Together, they fought a bloody war with Fateh and compelled him to retreat to the jungle. His Huseypur fort was razed to ground. In reward, Dhujju was called for by Warren Hastings at Banaras and decorated with a khelat of gold cloth. The British, however, did not dare punish any of the supporters of Fateh, fearing a mass revolt against the British in the region.
Fateh did not launch any major attack after that, except periodic incursions. His last raid to Champaran occurred in 1795. There is little information about his life thereafter. According to the Hathwa Raj chronicle, he became an ascetic in 1808. Definitely, he was not caught or killed by the British. Had it been so, they would surely have trumpeted the capture of their dreaded enemy.



Generations later:-



In fact, the British were so haunted by Fateh that his confiscated estate of Huseypur was conferred, by Cornwallis, on Chattardhari Sahi of the pro-British branch of the family, much later in 1791 and the title of “Maharaja Bahadur” not until 1837 (there could not be two rulers — Fateh being the original — of the same estate). After the demolition of the Huseypur fort, Fateh had established his capital at Tamkuhi where the 114 generation of his dynasty lives today; the descendents of Basant Sahi moved to Hathwa. The remnants of the Huseypur fort are still extant with numerous memorial spots in the surroundings.
Fateh Sahi was probably the first Indian ruler to revolt against the British on such a scale. He waged a guerrilla war against them for about 30 years, without any wavering in his goal to oust them. The British countered him with all their strength and resources. The hectic correspondence among the Company officials, however, vividly describes their frustration and travels, as they were unable to rein him in. They also declared a reward of Rs. 20,000 on his head, but in vain. Frustrated and distraught, they stooped to nasty tricks. Presuming that Fateh would participate in the marriage of his daughter, they surrounded the fort with the British forces and intelligence, waiting for the kill. But they could know of him only after he had left. He dressed as a pundit and walked on the traditional wooden sandals ( kharaun) well in front of the waiting soldiers!
During the hostilities, Fateh Sahi is believed to have collaborated with the king of Banaras, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, nawabs of Awadh and Bengal, and many chieftains and zamindars of UP and Bihar. He received wide and sustained support from the common people and his subject who paid him taxes even in exile. His war against the British may probably be considered as India's First War of Independence and he as its hero. He was a contemporary of Tipu Sultan whom the British defeated and killed brutally; but Sahi was never caught or surrendered to them. He rose against them before Tipu and almost a century before the Revolt of 1857 — India's First War of Independence. In terms of determination, and intensity and duration of aggression, Sahi's rebellion surpassed almost all uprisings before and after him. Sadly, no historian has worked on him seriously. Of late, there is a sudden surge of interest in him, however. The locals have produced tracts, novels, plays, even an epic on him.

Folk Tales of Bihar :-Vermilion and Marriage

Vermilion and marriage:-


Four Oraons (members of a tribe) were fast friends from boyhood.
They used to dance together on the same dance floor and
had sworn mutual friendship.
When growing up they took to different professions. One of
them hawked vermilion, another became a weaver, the third took
to wood carving and the fourth became a goldsmith.
Once they came upon the idea of going and seeing new places
while earning their livelihood. They took their tools and started
walking.
They visited many places. Once they had to spend a night in a
mango orchard. After having their meal they decided that as it
was an unknown place they had better take turns in keeping
watch overnight. The wood-carver was the first to keep the vigil
while the other three slept. After some time the wood-carver got
tired of sitting idle and, taking up a piece of dry wood, he chiselled
it into a female figure. He put the woman thus shaped on
her feet and woke up the goldsmith to take his turn.
The goldsmith got up and after a while spotted the wooden
figure. He thought, “She is a lovely girl but she needs an ornament”.
So he made a gold chain and put it around her neck. He
also made a pair of earrings and bangles and put them on her.
He then woke up the weaver and went to sleep. During his vigil
the weaver saw the wooden woman, admired her figure and ornaments
and started thinking, “Something is missing. Ah, she
should have a sari”. That very minute he counted up the threads
for a sari and wove a garment. Very fondly he wrapped her in it.
He then woke up the vermilion-hawker and saying, “Your turn
has come, brother, please be on the watch,” he retired. The hawker,
while on the watch, saw the wooden woman and anointed her
forehead with vermilion just at daybreak. The wooden woman
came alive and stood there, a coy and beautiful damsel.
The four friends started quarrelling as to who should marry
the girl. The wood carver said that if he had not given her a
shape she would have remained a log. The goldsmith claimed
her for the ornaments he had given her. The weaver said, ‘I gave
her clothes so she is mine”. The hawker insisted that he had the
best claim.


While the four friends were quarrelling they saw a holy man
coming. They made him their arbiter.
The holy man heard the claims of the four friends and said,
“He that made her is her father; he that clothed her is her elder
brother; he that gave ornaments is her uncle; but he that brought
her to life and put vermilion on her forehead is her husband.”
The four friends bowed to the decision and the woman became
the wife of the hawker.

Folk Tales of Bihar :- Bawan Ganga

Bawan Ganga :-

Once there was a poor low-caste man who eked out his living by hiring himself out as a field-labourer and by rearing pigs. The man had a daughter whose duty it was to drive pigs to the field. While grazingpigs one day on the full moon of an important festival, the girl saw a young Brahmin hurrying by. She was curious why he was almost running and asked him the reason. The Brahmin replied that he wanted to reach the river Ganges and bathe at the time of the full moon. The girl smiled and told him that he could not possibly reach the river Ganges in time, as the river was far away, but that she could solve his problem. The Brahmin wanted to know what she had in mind. The girl pointed to a dirty pool where her pigs were wallowing and told him that if he had real faith in his heart and if he had complete trust in her, he should dip into the pool, and she would bring about the exact auspicious moment of the full moon, and he, in turn, would earn all the merit of bathing in the Ganges. The Brahmin dived into the pool and found the bottom full of jewels and brought out a handful of them. The girl wanted him to dive again and he did so once more. This time he found mud at the bottom. The girl then told him that he had got the reward he deserved for the implicit faith in his mind and his confidence in her. The astonished Brahmin was very attracted to the girl and proposed marriage. The girl blushed, but smilingly said that she could not marry without her father's consent.

The Brahmin youth approached the father but the father did not wish to accept a high caste man. The young Brahmin was heart-broken at the refusal and threatened to commit suicide. The father was frightened of being responsible for the death of a Brahmin and reluctantly gave his consent. The marriage was duly performed. When the bride and groom were taking their leave, the father wanted to give a dowry. The girl told her husband secretly that he should only ask for a particular cow, a particular pig and a particular parrot. The poor man was taken aback at the son-in-law's request, but was obliged to grant the gifts asked for. The bridegroom and the bride left the village.

The parrot was not an ordinary bird. It had access to Lord Indra's court and visited it every day, bringing its mistress news of happenings in the court. The pig was the leader of all the pigs in the country; the cow was a «Suravi» or the auspicious cow that yields plenty.

The Brahmin boy and his wife lived very happily. One day the parrot brought the girl news that Indra had decided that in the approaching rain season there would be no rain anywhere in the districts except for on the barren hills and valleys of Rajgir. Everywhere else there would be famine. Hearing the news, the girl asked her pig to dig up the entire barren hillside and valleys with its herd of swine, which it also did. Then she asked the Suravi Cow to manure the fields, and that was also done. Then the girl asked her husband to sow rice in the dug-up area. The Brahmin husband was very puzzled but did as his wife requested. After some time it rained and that particular area was congested with rice. The couple supplied food to the other areas where the harvest had failed.

Indra was perturbed that his plan to bring about a famine had been thwarted. He ordered an army of rats to destroy the crops. The parrot smuggled the news out to its mistress, and the Brahmin husband procured an army of cats to guard the crop and the rats fled. Indra was furious and ordered a storm to be raised when paddy was being cut and stored on the threshing floor, the idea being that the grain would thus be blown away. Again the parrot brought the news and the girl advised her husband to dig a deep moat round the wall at the foot of the hill. This was done. The storm came but the paddy remained safe in the trench. This way the country was saved from famine because of the virtues, cleverness, and also resourcefulness of the girl.

The moat is still there. The pool in the southern defile of the south gate of the hill-girt Rajgir, where the pigs used to wallow, was named Bawan Ganga, or the Fifty-Two Ganges.

Bawan Ganga is a water-pool near Rajgir in Nalanda District and is associated with a folk-tale fondly recited by the people of Rajgir area. Rajgir, with its ancient relics, has been the seat of many kings and saints. The place, associated closely with Buddhism and Jainism, is picturesque and attracts many visitors.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad (The First President of India).continued..

Dr. Rajendra Prasad (The First President of India).
continued..

Gandhiji's influence greatly altered many of his views, most importantly on caste and untouchability. Gandhiji made Dr. Rajendra Prasad realize that the nation, working for a common cause, "became of one caste, namely co-workers." He reduced the number of servants he had to one, and sought ways to simplify his life. He no longer fe...lt shame in sweeping the floor, or washing his own utensils, tasks he had all along assumed others would do for him.

Whenever the people suffered, he was present to help reduce the pain. In 1914 floods ravaged Bihar and Bengal. He became a volunteer distributing food and cloth to the flood victims. In 1934, Bihar was shaken by an earthquake, which caused immense damage and loss of property. The quake, devastating by itself, was followed by floods and an outbreak of malaria which heightened misery. He dove right in with relief work, collecting food, clothes and medicine. His experiences here led to similar efforts elsewhere too. In 1935, an earthquake hit Quetta. He was not allowed to lend a hand because of Government restrictions. Nevertheless, he set up relief committees in Sind and Punjab for the homeless victims who flocked there.

Dr. Prasad called for non-cooperation in Bihar as part of Gandhiji's non-cooperation movement. He gave up his law practice and started a National College near Patna, 1921. The college was later shifted to Sadaqat Ashram on the banks of the Ganga. The non-cooperation movement in Bihar spread like wildfire. Dr. Prasad toured the state, holding public meeting after another, collecting funds and galvanizing the nation for a complete boycott of all schools, colleges and Government offices. He urged the people to take to spinning and wear only khadi. Bihar and the entire nation was taken by storm, the people responded to the leaders' call. The machinery of the mighty British Raj was coming to a grinding halt. The British India Government utilized the one and only option at its disposal-force. Mass arrests were made. Lala Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das and Maulana Azad were arrested. Then it happened. Peaceful non- cooperation turned to violence in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh. In light of the events at Chauri Chaura, Gandhiji suspended the civil disobedience movement. The entire nation was hushed. A murmur of dissent began within the top brass of the Congress. Gandhiji was criticized for what was called the "Bardoli retreat."

He stood by his mentor, seeing the wisdom behind Gandhiji's actions. Gandhiji did not want to set a precedent of violence for free India. In March 1930, Gandhiji launched the Salt Satyagraha. He planned to march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi seashore to break the salt laws. A salt Satyagraha was launched in Bihar under Dr. Prasad. Nakhas Pond in Patna was chosen as the site of the Satyagraha. Batch after batch of volunteers courted arrest while making salt. Many volunteers were injured. He called for more volunteers. Public opinion forced the Government to withdraw the police and allow the volunteers to make salt. He then sold the manufactured salt to raise funds. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

His service on the various fronts of the movement for independence raised his profile considerably. He presided over the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress in October 1934. Following the resignation of Subhash Chandra Bose as the President of the Congress in April 1939, He was elected President. He did his best to heal the rifts created between the incompatible ideologies of Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhiji. Rabindranath Tagore wrote to him, "I feel assured in my mind that your personality will help to soothe the injured souls and bring peace and unity into an atmosphere of mistrust and chaos..."

As the freedom struggle progressed, the dark shadow of communalism which had always lurked in the background, steadily grew. To his dismay communal riots began spontaneously burst all over the nation and in Bihar. He rushed from one scene to another to control the riots. Independence was fast approaching and so was the prospect of partition. Dr. Prasad, who had such fond memories of playing with his Hindu and Muslim friends in Zeradei, now had the misfortune of witnessing the nation being ripped into two.

In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was established to frame the Constitution of India, he was elected its President. Two and a half years after independence, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of independent India was ratified and he was elected the nation's first President. Dr. Prasad transformed the imperial splendor of Rashtrapati Bhavan into an elegant "Indian" home. He visited many countries on missions of goodwill, as the new state sought to establish and nourish new relationships. He stressed the need for peace in a nuclear age.

In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Prasad retired, and was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award. With the many tumults of his vigorous and accomplished life, he recorded his life and the decades before independence in many books, among the more noted of which are "Satyagraha at Champaran" (1922), "India Divided" (1946), his autobiography "Atmakatha" (1946), "Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminisences" (1949), and "Bapu ke Kadmon Mein" (1954).

Dr. Rajendra Prasad spent the last few months of his life in retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. He died on February 28, 1963. In her first citizen, India had imagined a life of possibilities, and seen an unsurpassed dedication to making them real.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad (The First President of India).

Dr. Rajendra Prasad (The First President of India).

Dr. Rajendra Prasad The First President of India
Name : Dr.Rajendra Prasad
Father's Name : Sri Mahadev Sahai
Date of Birth : 3 Decemeber, 1884
Birth Place : Zeradei, Siwan, Bihar
Date of Demise : 28 February, 1963

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, son of Mahadev Sahai, was born in Zeradei, Siwan, Bihar on December 3, 1884. Being the youngest in a larg...e joint family he was greatly loved. He was strongly attached to his mother and elder brother Mahendra. In Zeradei's diverse population, people lived together in considerable harmony. His earliest memories were of playing "Kabaddi" with his Hindu and Muslim friends alike. In keeping with the old customs of his village and family, he was married when he was barely 12 years old to Rajvanshi Devi.
He was a brilliant student; standing first in the entrance examination to the University of Calcutta, he was awarded a Rs.30/month scholarship. He joined the famed Calcutta Presidency College in 1902. His scholarship, ironically, would pose the first test of his patriotism. Gopal Krishna Gokhale had started the Servants of India Society in 1905 and asked him to join. So strong was his sense of duty toward his family and education that he, after much deliberation, refused Gokhale. But the decision would not rest easy on him. He recalled, "I was miserable" and for the first time in his life his performance in academia declined, and he barely cleared his law examinations.

Having made his choice, however, he set aside the intruding thoughts, and focused on his studies with renewed vigor. In 1915, He passed the Masters in Law examination with honors, winning a gold medal. Subsequently, he completed his Doctorate in Law as well.

As an accomplished lawyer, however, he realized it would be only a matter of time before he would be caught up in the turmoil of the fight for independence. While Gandhiji was on a fact finding mission in Chamaparan district of Bihar to address grievances of local peasants, he called on Dr. Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with volunteers. He rushed to Champaran. Initially he was not impressed with Gandhiji's appearance or conversation. In time, however, he was deeply moved by the dedication, conviction and courage that Gandhiji displayed. Here was a man alien of the parts, who had made the cause of the people of Champaran his own. He decided that he would do everything he could to help, with his skills as a lawyer and as an enthusiastic volunteer. continued....