Tag: haveli

Jaipur is a city settled in nine squares. One square among nine became important because the king placed the Ganesha, scholars of Jaipur, the teachers, subject experts, astrologers, ritualists, philosophers and Pundarik Ji here. There is a Ganesh temple on the mountain to the north of this square established by Sawai Jai Singh with the establishment of Jaipur. The Guru of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, Shri Ratnakar Pundrik Ji had a heartfelt wish that Maharaj should perform the Ashwamedh Yagna, the process which he had started, due to his death in 1977, it could not complete during Pundrik Ji’s lifetime. Ganesh Ji was placed at the top of the mountain by the tantric methods when Shri Ratnakar Pundarik performing Ashwamedha Yagna at the foothill of this mountain. It was called Bramhapuri due to it being a city of scholars completely like Kailash. Brahmapuri means the place where those who know Brahma reside. Similarly, there is Brahmapuri in many big cities of Rajputana.

When Maharaj Jai Singh built Bramhapuri, first of all, his Guru Shri Ratnakar Ji Pundarik settled here. When Sawai Ishwari Singh had completed the Ashwamedh Yagya after Raja Sawai Jai Singh, then scholars called from the country and abroad were given settlement and livelihood here. At that time, about 4500 square yards one raw bigha land was provided to all for use and living. All the main scholars of Jaipur city used to live here. Out of which prominent scholars of early times were Shri Ratnakar Pundarik Ji and Shri Jagannath Samrat Ji. Ratnakar Ji Pundarik was a Maharashtrian scholar Brahmin who was a master in Mantra and Tantra.

Similarly another Maharashtrian Brahmin, Shri Samrat Jagannath Ji was also among the first inhabitants of Bramhapuri. He was a great man of Mantra and a unique scholar of astronomy. During the time of Maharaj Jai Singh, he had created the texts of geometry. He was also a great scholar of the Arabic language according to history, he translated those texts into Arabic and some texts from Arabic as well. He also wrote a famous book named ‘Siddhanta Kaustubh-Samratsiddhanta’. In Jaipur’s state astronomical observatory ‘Jantar-Mantar’, the ‘Samrat Yantra’ has been invented by him, which even today tells the local time calculation very accurately. He also wrote the book ‘Siddhant Samrat’ which describes the astronomical instruments, design and construction, and observations. It also describes the use of these observations in correcting the parameters and preparing the calendar. This book also mentions how Jai Singh who previously used astronomical instruments made of metal (such as the Astrolab), later switched to larger external observatories built of stone instead of brick to reduce wear and tear and the effects of climate (such as the Jantar Mantar), as they were more accurate. He wrote a book named ‘Yantra Prakar’ which describes the astronomical instruments, measurements, calculations etc. in more detail and describes the observations made by them. There was also a security gate of the city near the haveli of Samrat Ji, which is known by all today as Samrat Gate.

According to historians, he also provided evidence for the measurements of trigonometry given by Bhaskara II was essentially geometric interestingly it involved an analytical process in terms of trigonometric and algebraic steps. The city of Jaipur has a unique tradition on the day of Rakhi the first Rakhi was tied to the king by saints, mahants and religious gurus the Samrat Jagannath was the one who started this tradition. Details of this are in the records of the City Palace, on the Shravani Purnima of 1881, Mahants and Gurus tied Rakhi to Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II with Vedic chants. Vaidyanath, a descendant of the Samrat, tied the first rakhi. Later Govind Dhar, the descendant of Ratnakar Paundrik, Narayan Guru, Gangeshwar Bhatt, Umanath Ojha tied the rakhi.

Maharaja Jai ​​Singh invited such extraordinary personalities to Jaipur and first settled them in Bramhapuri and many private Siddha scholars were also given land here with respect. The description of Brahmapuri and all these are in the epic ‘Ishwar-Vilas’ written by poet Kalanidhi Shri Krishnabhattji in the court of Shri Sawai Ishwari Singh, son of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh.

Two Akhadas are also famous in this place of the city, Bada Akhara and Chhota Akhara. The name Akhada suggests that in the Akharas wrestlers would have practised exercise and wrestling in front of their God, but the Rangasthals were called Akhadas in the local language. Rangasthal means the place where dance, music, singing, acting and other arts are practised. The venues here were socially indecent without any hesitation, in which there was a lot of use of satire. Musical performances have been performed here on Holi, in which there are many songs of romanticism, satire and bravery touching obscenity. Until recently, these acts, which used to be obscene, called ‘tamasha’ in Jaipur, used to be only for men adult women used to see and hear them from a specific place on the screen. This Tamasha performed by circulating around the same place, it is not performed by roaming around in the locality as other Holi plays. This particular style of drama is known as Jaipur’s Tamasha is world-famous today.

The title of the Holi Tamasha is ‘Heer-Ranjha‘. In which with playing traditional songs, sarcasm and satire are also made on contemporary politics and problems. The main reason for calling them a Tamasha is that it has been taking deep sarcasm on contemporary problems, superstitions and evils. The work of public awareness was made by making a spectacle of all the problems, superstitions and evils. This tamasha is performed by the Tailang Bhatt family in which the main role plays Dilip Bhatt and Tapan Bhatt.

Of all these invited scholars, the Dravidian scholars invited from the south were the most, they are known by the surnames Dravida, Kathabhatta or Tailang Bhatt. All these were scholars who believed in the Vedas and performed Agnihotra daily.

Ishwar Vilas says

येन ब्रम्हपुरी कृताऽतिधवलैः कैलासशैलोपमैर्विप्राणां भवनैः सदा समुदयत्संपद्विलसंचितैः।
प्रत्यागारमुरुप्रकारहवनैर्यत्राग्निहोत्राणयभूर्लीलादत्तचतुः पुमर्थपटलीजातादराणी स्फुटं।
श्रियं धत्ते यस्यामधिगिरिशिरः श्रीगणपतेर्गृहं दुराददृश्यम सुखचितमणिभाभिररुणम।
ध्रुवं तस्या एव क्षितिपतिरमन्याः सुरुचिरे ललाटे सिन्दूरैः कलितमिव सौभाग्यातिलकम।

Vedic, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta and Smarta scholars lived in Brahmapuri with wealth and prosperity. That is why the temples of all these meet at a short distance here. In its northwest direction was the abode of Vaishnava Brahmins and Goswamis.

Shri Gokulnath Ji was a Vaishnava scholar of the revered Shuddhvaita Sampradaya (South). Gokuldwara and Gokulnath Ji’s stepwell are still today on his name.

To the northeast, Smarta Gujarati Prashnavar Brahmins were given Kothis (chambers) who were great scholars of astrology, tantra and rituals. Among these Prasyanvar Brahmins, there was a Kanhaiyalal Prasyanvar, whose ancestors were responsible for worshipping the famous Jageshwar Mahadev after getting the new form of Shiva in the dream of Pundarik and building a temple on that Shivling. Because of the beautiful handwriting of Shri Kanhaiyalal Ji, he was appointed by Maharaja Madho Singh as the scribe of handwritten texts in Pothikhana.

Among these Prashnora scholars, at the time of Sawai Ram Singh Ji, Shri Krishnalal Shastri Prashnwar ‘Kanhaji’ was a great scholar of Sanskrit language and philosophy. It is famous about him that he had a debate with Dayanand Saraswati who was the founder of Arya Samaj and used to say that except the Vedas, no other text is philosophically authentic, he also strongly opposed idol worship. When he had been victorious in all states and in all religions with his knowledge of scriptures, Kanhaji stopped his victory. Shri Dayanand asked him that ‘Kasvatvam’, he replied ‘Krishno (a)ham’. Thereafter Saraswati said in sarcasm, ‘Krishnatvam tu na kutopidrishte’. At the same time, he replied, “Na Dayasti Na Chanando Na Cha Tvayi Saraswati. Bhuyopi vad kasmatvam ‘dayanandsaraswati’.”
To understand this a little background is needed When Dayanand came to the Jaipur royal court, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh Ji of Jaipur was a great Shaivite devotee and since the establishment of Arya Samaj, Dayanand had been debating in all the big cities and defeating everyone in it and his coming to Jaipur was inevitable because at that time Jaipur was a famous name in the whole country. When he came to the Jaipur royal court and challenged the debate, then Kanhji was called and on his arrival, when Dayanand asked him that Ksvatvam (who are you) then he introduced himself that Krishno Aham (I am Krishna) then Dayanand ridiculed his skin being fair and named Krishna and said in a sarcastic form that Krishnatvam tu na kutopidrishte (Krishna, you do not seem in any way) then he replied that na dayasti nor chanando na cha tvayi Saraswati bhuyopi vad Kasmatvam DayanandSaraswati (You have no mercy because you have been denying people’s beliefs and traditions everywhere, that’s why no one enjoys your presence and you have commented on my colour while not looking at my knowledge that’s why You do not even seem to have Saraswati in you, then how did you become Dayanand Saraswati) hearing this, Dayanand became unresponsive and ended his debate. After this Dayanand went to Ajmer and there he spent the last moments of his life because he died there due to a conspiracy. Kanhji was also very fond of the Tamashas of Jaipur, many songs composed by him are still known in the Tamashas. He used to compose songs in Dhundadi (local language) as well as in Punjabi. He especially used to write stanzas.

The list of Prashnvar scholars and their contribution to the history of Jaipur is incomparable, even today they are in charge of Jaipur’s administration, music, literature and grammar of Sanskrit and Hindi language, Mrs Dr Chetna Pathak, granddaughter of Shri Kanhaiyalal Prashnwar, Sanskrit of Jaipur today. Professor in the college.

In the lineage of Krishnalal Shastri Prashnwar, Sanskrit scholars have been predominant. His descendant Mr Girraj Prasad Sharma had been a teacher of Sanskrit and grammar in the schools of Jaipur. Despite being visually impaired he has memorized many Sanskrit texts and the Shrimad Bhagwat Gita because of his interest in language and literature and keeps on reciting it daily.

In administration, Late Shri Narsingh Prasad Bhatt had been an officer of the Indian Administrative Service in independent India.

In these, Shri Vinod Pandya, grandson of Vyakaranacharya Shri Madanlal Prashnwar, had been an officer of the Indian Administrative Service in independent India.

In these, Shri Sumant Pandya, the grandson of Vyakranacharya Shri Madanlal Prashnwar, has been a professor of Hindi in the oldest and only women’s university of Rajasthan.

Late Shri Vishnu Chandra Pathak became very famous among scholars of the Hindi language. He was also a professor of Hindi language in colleges and universities of Jaipur and he was also made the President of Brijbhasha Academy.

In music, Mrs Anusuya Pathak had been a professor and HOD of the Department of Music in Rajasthan University her daughter Mrs Aishwarya Bhatt is today a professor in the Department of Music at the oldest and only women’s university in Rajasthan.

Since Gujarati scholars have been very knowledgeable smarta ritualists most of the temples of Brahmapuri are worshipped and maintained by their descendants. Prominent temples whose worshipers are Prashnavars Jageshwar Mahadev, Veer Hanuman, Hanuman of the big akhada and small akhada, Prasyanvars. Hatkeshwar Mahadev of Ki Baori.

Goswamis are the main worshiper of the world-famous Vaishnava temple of Jaipur, Govind Dev Ji. This Govind Dev temple is in Jai Niwas Garden and today due to the expansion of the area, it is also believed to be in Brahmapuri to some extent. Similarly, Tal Katora and Chaugaan have also been considered in Brahmapuri itself. The temples of Shaktas is Mangala Mata Temple.

Once outside the temple of Govind Dev, near the City Palace, the place where farmers from the princely state of Jaipur used to sell grains, vegetables and fruits and flowers to the court, that place used to be the oldest market of Jaipur and keeping the legacy even today. Even today there is a market for vegetables, fruits and flowers at the same place. This is the only wholesale market for flowers in the city. This place is between the pond (which was called Rajmal ka Talab) and the palace near the residence of Rajmal, the courtier of Jai Singh. After the drying of Rajmal’s pond, it has been dumped and made Kanwar Nagar and Sindhi Colony there.

Brahmapuri has been the abode of scholars and Brahmins. It has always had temples in everyone’s homes among them the names of the most ancient and awakened temples are the names of the places and markets there such as Jageshwar Mahadev Bus Stand also known as Bramhapuri Bus. Sitaram Bazaar, Veer Hanuman Chowk or Revati Chowk, Chhota Akhara, Bada Akhara, Shankar Nagar. All these scholars used to go to the temple every morning, first, they used to take bath in the stepwell or kund of that temple, so there used to be a kund with every temple in the Brahmapuri. One of them is Kadamba Kund, built in the hollow of Garh Ganesh and Nahargarh is recognized by the Kadamba trees growing on its banks. At the foothills of Nahargarh in the northwest bank of Bramhapuri is the place of the funeral of the royal family, which is called in the local language the Gayo ki Thor (place of the deads) or Gaitor. Here Mahadev resides in the name of Gaiteswar and a program on the night of Shivratri of playing hymns, Dhruvapad and Bhajans organize by Tailang Bhattas.

Today, most of these old Havelis, which earlier used to shower splendour and beauty, are lying in dilapidated condition due to lack of maintenance many of them have now ended and colonies have been formed in the area of ​​the haveli. Due to the paucity of space, most of the ponds have been filled with soil. There is only Kadamba Kund with Kadamba tree, for which cleaning campaigns are carried out every year, but every year it gets filled with dirt again and in the evening, the gathering of anti-social elements is also increasing with time. The pool of Gokulnath is full of mud and moss, the pools of the temples are exhausted, only the wells are left.

Bramhapuri, which was earlier built on a small square, has today its boundary from the end of Gangauri Bazaar (where there used to be small and big ponds, these ponds have been filled with soil and colonies have been made on these too) till Ramgarh Mod. Kanwar Nagar, Shankar Nagar, Kagdiwada, Mohan Nagar and many more new colonies have been formed. The canal at the foothills of the Garh Ganesh is destroyed, now the rainwater flows on the road and enters the houses. The importance of the canal can be understood from this that for those who could not go to Garh Ganesh, a temple named Nahar’s Ganesha (Ganesha belongs to Canal) was built by the canal, which has been given the name of the canal itself.

Samrat Ji’s haveli is no longer left, in few remains of it, a Sanskrit college was made in 1967. Now Sanskrit is taught in the remnants of the Samrat Haveli.

Today the descendants of Samrat Ji had left the main mansion and living in one of the 12 Kothis and the condition is not very good and doesn’t even have a title.

Bramhapuri has always been a colony of scholars, experts of every field used to live here and still is, whenever you come to Jaipur, a roundabout of Bramhapuri is expected to see how the oldest area of ​​Jaipur looks like today and to pass the time, meet the people here and listen to the amusing stories of witches, ghosts, tantriks and miracles. There is not much space left to visit here, yet you will not be able to complete it even in three days by listening to all the parts and its stories. There is not a single place in the Bamhapuri that does not have any legacy, come someday and sit at any one of these old places in the evening and think how Bramhapuri has seen the passage of time and even today somewhere it’s own. existence is preserved.

Note: Do not take the narrow meaning of the word Brahmin here, here this word is not indicative of any particular caste, but it represents everyone who knows Brahm, knows or wants to know the meaning of life.

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