History of Ranihat (Tehri Garhwal) Temples in Gurkha/Gorkha Rule over Garhwal

History: Major Temples of Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period -6

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal - 23

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -88    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -607

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)

            Ranihat was an ancient settlement just opposite of Shrinagar (present day Pauri Garhwal) at Alaknanda River in present day Tehri Garhwal (K.P Nautiyal, 1977, The Himalayas). Asiatic researches and Tehri Museum offered glimpses of Temple of Ranihat in Gurkha Rule over Garhwal.

 In Gurkha/Gorkha period too, there was sizable population in Ranihat. There were small and big temples in numbers. People used to cross Alaknanda by Jhula Bridge (plant fiber rope way) or by boats.

                            Rajrajeshwari Temple Ranihat

 The biggest temple was Rajrajeshwari and that temple still exists. Garhwal Kings donated Ranihat village and nearby villages to Rajrajeshwari temple and Gurkha retained land as same.                                 

                  The Bammargi or Tantrik were there governing the temple and they used to perform scared and enigmatic rituals in the temple. Those Bammargi used to have researches too on Tantra and Mantra.

Tantra is a system of extorted practices involving Yoga, Meditation, Hypnosis, Autosuggestion, asana, Exercise, Self Control for the fulfillment of worldly desires as well as the spiritual experience.

  The Devdasi (devoted to temple) had major population there and they used to dance, sing and had life of prostitutes.

  When a girl used to come to become a Devdasi (definitely by force from parents or society) the priest used to paste the Oil from the Lamp of Temple on her hair. From that day (Deeksha) those girls were called Devdasi. In reality they were religious prostitutes.  

                                     Das ka Math in Ranihat

  Das ka Math was again a Nath ritual place. Garhwal Kings had donated land for das ka Math. Later on Tehri King Sudarshan Shah also retained the Gunth (land to temple) to the temple.

                       Sureshwari Devi temple Ranihat

    Here too, Tantrik used to use the goddess temple Sureshwari Temple for Tantrik studies. Common people were interested in normal goddess worshipping. Land was donated for temple from Garhwal King and Gurkha Administration too.

                                         Ransi Temple Ranihat

 The temple was related to goddess Rati the wife of God Kamdev. The temple was connected to education of Kamkrida or Love Making perhaps in past.  

 Garhwal Kings donated land for the Rati temple and Gurkha and Tehri kings retained the land for the temple.

** History, Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal...Remaining part, read in next chapter

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com11/4//2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -608

*** History of Gorkha/Gurkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) to be continued in next chapter 

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

XX

                    Reference

Atkinson E.T., 1884, 1886 , Gazetteer of  Himalayan Districts …

Hamilton F.B. 1819, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal and the territories

Colnol Kirkpatrik 1811, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal

Dr S.P Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas part 5, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda

Bandana Rai, 2009 Gorkhas,: The Warrior Race

Krishna Rai Aryal, 1975, Monarchy in Making Nepal, Shanti Sadan, Giridhara, Nepal

I.R.Aryan and T.P. Dhungyal, 1975, A New History of Nepal , Voice of Nepal

L.K Pradhan, Thapa Politics:

Gorkhavansavali, Kashi, Bikram Samvat 2021 

Derek J. Waller, The Pundits: British Exploration of Tibet and Central Asia page 172-173

B. D. Pande, Kumaon ka Itihas

Sharma , Nepal ko Aitihasik Rup Rekha

Chaudhari , Anglo  –Nepalese Relations

Pande, Vasudha , Compares Histriographical Traditions of Gorkha Rule in Nepal and Kumaon

Pradhan , Kumar, 1991, The Gorkha Conquests , Oxford University  Press

Minyan Govrdhan Singh , History of Himachal Pradesh

A.P Coleman, 1999, A Special Corps

Captain Thomas Smith, 1852,Narrative of aFive Years Residence at Nepaul Vol.1

Maula Ram/Mola Ram  , Ranbahadurchandrika and Garhrajvanshkavya

J B Fraser , Asiatic Research

Shyam Ganguli, Doon Rediscovered

Minyan Prem Singh, Guldast Tabarikh Koh Tihri Garhwal

Patiram Garhwal , Ancient and Modern

Tara Datt Gairola, Parvtiy Sanskriti

XXX

Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha ks kumson psr Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas;  Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha  Rule in Himachal, Uttarakhand;कुमाऊं , उत्तराखंड काइतिहास ; गढ़वाल , उत्तराखंड का इतिहास ; डोटी , पूर्व उत्तराखंड का इतिहास;गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का कुमाऊं पर अधिकार इतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं कागढ़वाल पर अधिकार इतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का हिमाचल पर अधिकारइतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का  इतिहास ; नेपाल इतिहास

Xx

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Pauri Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Chamoli Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Rudraprayag Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Tehri Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Uttarkashi Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Dehradun Garhwal; 

Xx

History: Major Temples of Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Dhangu, Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Lansdowne Tehsil Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Pauri Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Chamoli Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Rudraprayag Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Tehri Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Uttarkashi Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Dehradun Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; History: Major Temples of Haridwar, Garhwal in Gurkha/Gorkha Period;  History of Yamunotri Temples in Garhwal,  History of Yamunotri Temples in Uttarkashi Garhwal, History of Yamunotri  Temple in Yamuna –Tones Rivers Valley Garhwal, History of Yamunotri Temples in Garhwal,  History of Yamunotri Temple Garhwal, History of Yamunotri Temple Uttarakhand, History of Yamunotri Temple Himalaya, History Gangotri Temple;  History of Barahat or Uttarkashi Temples in context Gurkha /Gorkha Rule; History of Devprayag  Temples in Gurkha/Gorkha rule on Garhwal; History Raghunath Ji temple in Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Garhwal; History of Shrinagar Garhwal, Temples in Gurkha/Gorkha Rule on Garhwal ; History of Ranihat (Tehri Garhwal) Temples in Gurkha/Gorkha Rule on Garhwal;