Bijlwan Community Story about Serving Tehri Prince King Sudarshan Shah in Exile

 (Folk Tales from Garhwal series-109)

          (Narrated by Dinesh Bijlwan, Andufi Village, Patti Kwili, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand)  

                            Bhishma Kukreti

                There are many community stories about Gurkha invasion and Gurkha rule in Garhwal. Bhishma Kukreti penned down such community stories in past.

            Garhwali Playwright and Drama Activist Dinesh Bijlwan told this author  one such community story.

        When Garhwal King was running from Gurkha via Tehri, Dehradun towards Haridwar, Prince Sudarshan Shah was also running and Gurkha followed him.

          Prince Sudarshan Shah had to spend many months in dense forest of Kansali (Bordering Haridwar, Dehradun and Saharanpur and perhaps Himachal too. Sudarshan Shah had with him a couple of Rajput body Guards, a couple of Harijan and a Brahmin Girijapati Bijlwan as Saryul (cook). Girijapati was not only cook but an astrologer, Mantrik for Sudarshan Shah in exile.

 The descendents of Girijapati tell the stories of Sudarshan Shah spending life as anonymous. Girijapati Bijlwan and a couple of servants used to visit villages for grains and food articles. Girijapati Bijlwan used to cook food for Sudarshan Shah in bamboo pipes. First one holed Green Bamboo Pipe was filled with food grains and some water and then one hole was covered by Red Mud. Then grain filled pipe was put on burning wood. When food was cooked the pipe was cut and cooked food was offered to the Garhwal prince Sudarshan Shah on big leaves.

 Later on, Prince Sudarshan Shah reached to Haridwar with the help of a Panda. Girijapati was with Sudarshan Shah in Haridwar too as trusted Saryul (Cook).

 When Sudarshan Shah became Tehri Garhwal King, he offered Jagir of irrigated fields of Andufi village of Kwili Patti. However, there were conflicts between the family of Girijapati and Sudarshan Shah for a petty matter. Sudarshan Shah cancelled Jagir to family of Girijapati.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 1/5//15, Mumbai, India

References

1-Bhishma Kukreti, 1984, Garhwal Ki Lok Kathayen, Binsar Prakashan, Lodhi Colony, Delhi 110003, 

2- Bhishma Kukreti 2003, Salan Biten Garhwali Lok Kathayen, Rant Raibar, Dehradun

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