বিষ্ণুপুর
VISHNUPUR, or as it is commonly called Bishnupur, which at present is the headquarters of a Sub-division of Bankura district, - was formerly the capital of the Malla Rajas of Vishnupur, who ruled over this part of Bengal for several centuries. Their territory, which used to be known as the Mallabhum, comprised the whole of the present Bankura district and portions of the neighbouring districts of Burdwan, Midnapur, Singhbhum and Manbhum. The ancient Rajas of Vishnupur trace back their history to a time when the Hindus were still reigning in Delhi and could count five centuries of rule over the western frontier of Bengal, before the conquest of the Province by Bukhtiyar Khiliji, which, however, made hardly any difference to the Vishnupur Rajas. The rapid currents of the Damodar, Darakeswar, Shilavati and other rivers and the extensive Sal forests provided ample protection to these Jungle-Kings and they were seldom interfered with.
The term Mallabhum signifies the land of the wrestlers or fighters, and is explained by the legend that the first Raja received the title of Adi Malla from his skill in wrestling and fighting. Various interesting legends have been recorded by the different historians as to how Adi Malla came to found the Malla dynasty in Vishnupur, but the most plausible account is that given by French in his “Land of the Wrestlers."
The popular story runs as follows: In the year 102 of the Bengali Era, corresponding to 695 A.D., a prince of one of the Royal Houses of Joynagar, in Northern India, was on his way with his wife on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Jagannath at Puri. While camping at Lowgram (a village six miles from Kotulpur), his wife gave birth to a son (Raghunath) in the house of a Brahmin named Manahar Panchanon and died soon after. The Raja, unable to take the baby on his pilgrimage, went his way to Puri, leaving the child and his sword Joy Sankar for his protection under the guardian ship of the Brahmin and a Kayastha named Vagirath Guha. The Raja never returned, but the child grew up into a boy under the care of a woman, Bagdi by caste, who acted as a wet nurse to him, and when he reached the age of seven years was employed by the Brahmin in tending his cattle. One day when, overcome with fatigue, he had fallen asleep under a tree, two huge cobras shaded him from the rays of the sun with their hoods, which they raised above the sleeper's face. Manahar Panchanon saw this strange sight when he came there in search of the boy and judged that the boy was destined to be a king. This story has a historic background, as a huge hood of a cobra, carved out in stone, is still in existence at Lowgram and worshiped under the name of Dandeswari, and as also the royal ensign of Mallabhum bore the device of a huge cobra erecting its hood and the members of the family even now forbear from striking at the hood of a serpent. Another sign of the coming greatness of the boy, Raghunath, was that one day, while fishing with other boys of the village, he caught gold bricks in his net. The Brahmin thereafter took a special care of the boy and he was given the education of a warrior.
When he was only fifteen years old, he had no equal in wrestling and archery in all the country round. This earned for him the sobriquet of Adi Malla, the first or unique fighter, from the aboriginal ruler, the Raja of Panchamgarh, and he was soon raised to the status of a petty chief of Lowgram and six other adjoining villages. Thereafter, he extended his small principality by annexing Jatbihar (in Indas Police Station) and after defeating the Raja of Pradyumnapur or Padumpur (in Joypur Police Station), he ascended the throne, following an ancient Hindu custom by worshipping the flag of Indra (the Jupiter of the Hindu Pantheon). This custom prevails to this day at Vishnupur, the occasion being marked by large festive gatherings of Santhals, with whose aid Raghunath is said to have vanquished his adversary. Hunter's “Annals of Rural Bengal” records, however, a different story of how Adi Malla came to occupy the throne of Pradyumnapur. He says that "the King having died, his obsequies were celebrated with great pomp, and people from all parts went to the funeral feast. The Brahmin, being very poor, went among the rest, taking Raghu with him. When the Brahmin was in the middle of his repast, the late King's elephant seized Raghu with his trunk and approached the empty throne. Great was the consternation and terror, lest the elephant should dash the boy to pieces, but when the royal animal carefully placed the lad on the throne the whole multitude, thunderstruck at seeing a deed so manifestly done by the will of God, filled the place with their acclamations, and the ministers agreed to crown the boy on the spot." Whatever may be the real fact, Raghunath, who grew up like Robin Hood, now became a full- fledged king and founded the Malla dynasty of Vishnupur. He made Manahar Panchanon his Chief Priest and Vagirath Guha his Chief Minister. The Malla Era or Mallabda established by the Malla Rajas begins from the date of his coronation as the King of Pradyumnapur.
