Starting of Khantduva or Bhail-Bhailo festival by King Lakshmi Chandra

(History of Kumaon from 1000-1790 AD)

         (History of Chand Dynasty Rule in Kumaon)

History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar) - Part 177

                                              By: Bhishma Kukreti

           Mantra Accomplishment (Mantra Sadhana) by Lakshmi Chandra

            Lakshaman Chandra /Lakhmi Chand or Lakshmi Chandra got Kumaoni /Champawat crown in 1597. Most probably Lakhmi Chandra attacked on Garhwal in 1597 just after his taking over the rule. There were seven attacks on Garhwal kingdom by Lakhmi Chandra or Lakshmi Chandra. It means his seventh attack on Garhwal was in 1602 as according to folklore, Man Shah the Garhwal king reached Champawat in 1602 AD. Lakshmi Chandra was humiliated by Man Shah.

      Lakshmi Chandra or Lakshman Chandra started accomplishing Mantra Sadhana from 1602 to 1605.

             It is said that the ‘Pinus’ carrier farmer said that if King would have have been religious he would have not seen so embarrassing position.  The sarcastic remarks by Pinus carrier affected Lakshman Chandra.  He called his court Guru and told him that he was becoming Sanyasi and ready to hand over kingdom to other.   Guru told to the king Lakshmi Chandra to wait for one year. Guru brought black magic from a Guru of  Bengal. The Mantra was given to Lakshmi Chandra.

          In the mean time, Lakshman Chandra built three Shiva temples as Lakshmeshwar temples in Almora and Bageshwar.  King Lakshmi Chandra donated land to temples of Bageshwar, Jageshwar, and other places.

  Now, King Lakshmi Chandra was sure that he would win over Garhwal due to Mantra power. King Lakshmi Chandra made strategy to attack on Garhwal eighth time. He ordered to keep dry grass on hills of Kumaon from bordering region of Garhwal till Almora that as soon as he won Garhwal there should be fire on Grass on all hills. His idea was that as soon as he won the Garhwal kingdom the fire from one hill to other hill would inform his winning Garhwal.

       It is most certain that when on Ashwin Sankranti  , Lakshmi Chandra attacked on Garhwal and looted the bordering villages of Kumaon l the people burnt grass in each hill and this way information reached to Almora where grass were burnt too.  From that day, people celebrate ‘Khantduva’ festival on Ashwin Sankranti day in evening by burning grass piles.

People in night dance with following folk song –

Bhail Bhailo ji , Bhailo Khantduva

Gaida ki jeet , khntad ki har

Gaida pado shyol, khantad pado bhel

               Gaida Bisht was Kumaoni army commander who was migrated from Garhwal. Khantud Singh was a Garhwali Garhi army in charge. Gaida killed Khatad Singh. It was a very small win by Kumaoni king over Garhwal. However, the King magnified it as if he had won whole Garhwal.

        It is still a discussion point that it was a Viajyoutsav (festival of win) for Kumaoni king and people and the name of festival is on the name of Garhwali commander. It might be that initially the name would be Gaida-Khantuduva but in later stage the name Gaida name was forgotten.

Today, Bhail Bhailo is also celebrated in Garhwal on after eleventh day of Deepawali. With changed words –

Bhail Bhailo ji , Bhailo Khantduva

Gai  ki jeet , khntad ki har

Gai pado shyol, khantad pado bhel

The day was Ashwin Sankranti of 1605, when Lakshmi Chandra attacked Garhwal eighth time.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti -bckukreti@gmail.com 31/10/2013

                                      References

Dr. Shiv Prasad Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag 10, Kumaon ka Itihas 1000-1790

Badri Datt Pande, 1937, Kumaon ka Itihas, Shri Almora Book Depo Almora

Devidas Kaysth, Itihas Kumaon Pradesh

Katyur ka Itihas, Pundit Ram Datt Tiwari

Oakley and Gairola, Himalayan Folklore

Atkinson, History of District Gazette

Menhadi Husain, Tuglak Dynasty

Malfujat- E Timuri

Tarikh -e-Mubarakshahi vol 4

Kumar Suresh Singh2005, People of India

Justin Marozzi, 2006, Tamerlane: Sword of Islam

Bakshsingh Nijar, 1968, Punjab under Sultans 1000-1526 

The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 13 page 52 

Bhakt Darshan, Gadhwal ki Divangit Vibhutiyan

Mahajan V.D.1991, History of Medieval India

Majumdar R.C. (edited) 2006, The Sultanate

Rizvi, Uttar Taimur Kalin Bharat

Tarikhe Daudi

Vishweshara nand , Bharat Bharti lekhmala

Aine-e Akbari

Akbari Darbar

Tareekh Badauni

Eraly Abraham, 2004 The Mogul Throne

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

                           

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -178  

History of Kumaon (1000-1790) to be continued….

 Middle Himalayan, Indian Medieval Age History of Chand Dynasty rule in Kumaon to be continued…

  (Middle Himalayan, Indian Medieval Age History (740-1790 AD to be continued…)