ગુરુવાર, 17 માર્ચ, 2011

Dhinodhar , Kutch

Where historical entropy is concerned, each and every town of Kutch is overflowing with material. On the highest peak of Dhinodhar hill in the north-west of Kutch is a small domed shrine of limestone and mud, plastered with cement, built by a Sunderji Shivji Sodagar in 1831. It is dedicated to holy Dhoramnath who came to Kutch in search of a secluded place where he could practice penance. He decided to make his home under a tree near Rajpur, which is on the borders of Mandvi creek. This site now occupied only by a hamlet was at one time a flourishing city as its ruins testify. Finds of Indo Persian coins are evidence of an extensive seaborne trade though it is very far from any navigable water. At the time when Dhoramnath arrived, Raipur is said to have been ruled by the Chavdas.

Dhoramnath began the twelve-year penance, which he had set himself and it was the business of his wants. But the people or Raipur were so lacking in respect for the saint that Garibnath`s hopes of alms were belied. To support his master he was obliged to cut and sell fire wood to buy grain needed to keep his master and himself alive. One poor woman in the city took pity on them and without payment baked the grain into bread adding chapattis from her own stove when the fire-wood money ran short. When Dhoramnath had completed his penance he learned what had happened and in great wrath, rather then sending the charitable woman to another town cursed her by saying "Pattan sub Dattan" meaning "May all the wealthy be overthrown."

Thereupon Raipur became desolate; its buildings fell, and its inhabitants fied to the site which is now Mandvi. The confirmation of this story is the distance the sea has retreated from what must once have been a flourishing sea port. There seems no doubt that Dhoramath caused an earthquake to destroy the city and dry up the creek near Raipur. Dhoramath repented the loss of lives in Raipur and determined to mortify himself by standing on his head on some lonely hill. A gazette writer reported. "Travelling to the north he began to climb the highest hill he could sec, but it became nano (smaller) weighted down by his sins. He chose another hill but for it too, the burden of guilt was too great and it became jhurio. "Broken down". He chose a third hill ad climbing it backwards it bore him. He called it Dhinodhar "the patience bearer" At its highest peak resting on a conical stone he stood on his head for twelve years, with a charan woman feeding him with milk, such merit and power did this penance bring, that Gods took alarm and sending a deputation to wait on him asked that his penance should cease. Dhoramnath said wherever he first looked the country would become barren. The gods arranged that he should first look at the sea. This dried up under his gaze and left the Rann. Fearing that the death of so many fish would lose him his merit, Dhoramnath moved his eyes and looking at the hill it split into two.

Dhoramnath came down, kindled a fire built a monastery and established the order of the Kanphata`s (Slitcared), so called as the disciple of this order has to slit their cars. The kanphatas have to remain celebrate and newcomers are recruited either from orphans or from boys who enter the monastery from an early age. The head is called the Pir. He usually adopts two disciples, one of whom is chosen as his successor. In former times the Pir was always presented with a robe of honour by the ruler of Kutch. Rato Raydhan, son of Lakho, sought enlists the powers of Garibnath in support of his efforts to subdue some Jat tribesmen who were giving him trouble. With help of Garibnath Rato Raydhan defeated the Jats. In gratitude he made gifts of land to the Dhinodhar monastery. These are the earliest gifts of which the Kanphata community has any record and were made in the 12th century.

In the shrine dedicated to Dhoramnath is a red smeared triangular conical stone on which Dhoramnath is conical stone on which Dhoramnath is said to have rested his head while performing penance. At the foot of the hill within the monastery building is another temple of Dhoramnath on a raised platform, facing the east, about seven feet square and with wall about seven feet high. Inside is a three feet high marble image of Dhoramnath with some small lings and other brass and stone images. A ghee lamp is always kept burning. A fair is held here on shravan Vad-8 and Mahashivratri. (Feb-March).

Dhoramnath is 60 m from Bhuj and 20 Km from Nakhatrana. A Bus leaves Bhuj at 5 P.M. 1Km near to the village of Godhiar is a Rajput sattlement. The Rajputs migrated from Pakistan during the 1971, Indo-Pak war. They do beautiful embroidery called "Soof". 10Km away is a village called Fulay where there is a bird`s sanctuary.

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