Madho Singh Bhandari: A Great Army Chief and Great Social Welfare Activist

Folklore, Folk Legends, Folk Myths, Jagar of Kumaon-Garhwal –Haridwar (Uttarakhand) -35

 Chivalry, Gallantry, Graciousness Folklores, Folk Legends, Folk Myths, Ballads of Bravery of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar, Uttarakhand –20 

                                         Bhishma Kukreti

            Madho Singh Bhandari had been a great personality of Garhwal, Uttarakhand. Madho Singh Bhandari was a great army chief. Madho Singh Bhandari was great social welfare activist. Madho Singh Bhandari was also a great lover of his second wife Rukma. There are many folktales versions about great army chief and social welfare activist who sacrificed his son Gajendra Bhandari for bring canal to his village , Maletha (Today’s Tehsil-Kirtinagar, Tehri Garhwal).

  The following lines are from long Jagar about the life of great brave man Bhad Madho Singh Bhandari

                      कुमाऊं, गढ़वाल , हरिद्वार की लोक गाथाएँ/जागर  -35   
वीर भड़ माधो सिंह भंडारी लोक गाथा वीर-वीरंगनाएं  गाथा : भडौ , कटकू, भड़वळि  या पांवड़ा,जागर 
(सन्दर्भ : डा गोविन्द चातक )


कैसो छ भंडारी तेरो मलेथा ? ऐ  जाणो रुकमा मेरा मलेथा  
 भैंसों का खर्क मेरा मलेथा , घांड्यों कु घमणाट मेरा मलेथा
बाखारियों का तांद मेरा मलेथा , ऐ  जाणो रुकमा मेरा मलेथा  
कैसो छ भंडारी तेरो मलेथा ?देखणो को भलो मेरा मलेथा  
फुल्दा फूल मेरा मलेथा  , गौंमुड़े को सेरो मेरा मलेथा 
गौं मथे पंद्यारो मेरा मलेथा, ऐ  जाणो रुकमा मेरा मलेथा  
ल्यासण की क्यारि मेरा मलेथा, बांदू की लसक मेरा मलेथा      
बैखू की ठसकमेरा मलेथा , ऐ  जाणो रुकमा मेरा मलेथा    

                       Madho Singh Bhandari as Brave Army Chief

      Great Bhad Madho Singh was army chief of Garhwal Kingdom, Shrinagar at the time of Mahipat Shah (1629-1646)

                  At this time there was chaos in upper Garhwal at the border of Tibet by Tibetan terrorists. The king started campaign himself to calm down the terrorist activities of Tibetans at Niti region. His army chief was another great Bhad Lodi Rikhola and Bhad Madho Singh was his deputy. All reached to Niti valley. It was unbearable cold there at Niti valley. The old custom was that Brahmins and Rajput had to cook food and take by putting of the upper garment. The King Mahipat Shah made new custom that people should cook and eat brad (Roti) and Vegetable (Bhuji) with putting on dress. The King regulated another new custom that people can take Roti-Bhuji from kitchen (Faud or Ruswad) to other places too.  

                 Garhwalis won the war with Tibetans and King appointed two Bartwal generals for Niti valley to check the encroachment from Tibet. Both Bartwal generals could check down the Tibetan encroachment.

                 After sad demise of great Bhad Lodi Rikhola, great Bhad became the army chief og Garhwal kingdom. The Garhwal King provided the responsibility of permanent solution for checking Tibetan attacks on Garhwal by drawing a border line among two countries.

       Great Bhad Madho Singh Bhandari attacked to Tibetan kingdom. The Tibetan King agreed upon peace. Madho Singh Bhandari constructed platforms at the borders of Tibet and Garhwal. In British time, British included the line of control between Indian and Tibet laid by great Bhad Madho Singh and Tibetan king into McMahon line.

          At the time of fixing the border line, Madho Singh reached to Tibetan China (chhota Chine). Due to sever cold and continuous fight with Tibetans, Madho Singh fell ill. He understood that he would not live for long. Madho Singh Bhandari advised his commanders not to leak his death information to Tibetans. He asked his commanders to put his body into oil soaked cloth. Madho Singh advised that when peace is restored they should take his body to Shrinagar and cremate at Haridwar.   

            Madho Singh Bhandari died in China. No information was leaked about his death. After some time, his dead body was taken to Shrinagar the capital of Garhwal Kingdom.

                    Maletha canal construction by Madho Singh Bhandari   

  

                There is another folk story connected to great Madho Singh Bhandari. Madho Singh Bhandari constructed a tunnel on a difficult hill for constructing canal from one are to his village Maletha. According to folktale, when water did not come Madho Singh Bhandari offered the head of his son Gajendra Bhandari to Devi goddess.

 There is another famous folk song sung everywhere related to great brave man Madho Singh Bhandari   

एक सिंग रंदु बौण , एक सिंग गाय का
एक सिंग  माधो सिंग, हौर सिंग काहे का

 The great brave man story had been influencing Garhwalis for many centuries. That is why modern literature creator as Rup Saklani, Jit Singh Negi, Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna, Baldev Rana and many more created various literature in Garhwali.

Copyright (Interpretation) @ Bhishma Kukreti, 25/5/2013

Folklore, Folk Legends, Folk Myths of Kumaon-Garhwal-Haridwar (Uttarakhand) to be continued…36  

Chivalry, Gallantry, gracious Folklores, Folk Legends, Folk Myths of Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand to be continued…21    

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