Bawlisi of Jujhari,Seohra Tahaseel,Jabalpur- some hidden history

Bawli of Jujhari,Seohra Tahaseel,Jabalpur- some hidden history

The Director, Rani Durgawati Sangrhalaya picked up me on 29.04.2014 at 8.30 in the morning from my colony at Jabalpur for survey  as I wanted to show few undeclared/unnoticed  monuments as well as he had some official work simultaneously. During this visit I  gathered some information and generated curiosity to get answer of my questions. The following query is based on that trip.

Convesation with Dr.Anupam Sinha , Byohar Bagh, Jabalpur

Dear Byohar Dr.Sinha,

Actually it was by chance the Department of Archeology has repaired the Jujhari Bawdi ,Sehora Tahaseel,Jabalpur as the owner of the Bawdi  which is situated on road at Gosalpur is very  cunning and due his foresightedness (about the adjacent agricultural land) he was not agreed to hand over the charge of renovation of it to the Department of Archeology.

 He has future plan to demolish that Bawdi and to build shops.So, the budget was exhausted on the Jujhari Bawdi. 

Jujhari Bawdi.

On survey along with the Department of Archeology, I asked them to depute some care taker/security guard cum sweeper to keep clean the premises as well as the water of the Bawdi to maintain its beauty, otherwise it is a wastage of public fund as after some time it will turn in its bad shape as it was.
' I am happy to note that you are the owner of that Bawdi,it would be better if you employ some care taker and turn it into a tourist spot with the help of PARYATAN BHAWAN(Ashok Mehra, Rajeev Srivastava,..) and salary could be managed out of the token ticket for the Bawdi as well as parking tickets.

You  are claiming that the Bawdi is yours then who are they  who have handed over the EKRANAMA yesterday  to the Department of Archeology? You have mentioned about the rest house at Bawdi which is now locked. Do they have your permission? Secondly according to you the prince Narbadabux Singh was crowned at that place , was it not the royal premises latter came into the possession of Byohar Gandharv Simha? Perhaps Narbadabux did not rule the empire ever? What was the reason of irritation of Shankarshahi and Raghunath Shahi when the Narbadabux was crowned by the Byohar and why he was not crowned at one of the palaces of Gondwana instead at the Bawdi? Please solve my curiosity

{Would you like to develop Budhgar Sarovar as a tourist spot with the collaboration of Department of Archeology and Tourism?}

I feel very happy on receiving your mails.thanks.. '

Reply from  Byohar Dr. Anupam Sinha to my quarries on Jujhari's Bawdi ,Sehora Tahaseel,Jabalpur and about the actual right on the crown of Gond Dynasty in mid 1900th century>

"A few points to ponder:

1. We have always been the owners of the Beohar-Baoli (Stepwell) in Jujhari. Our earlier caretaker, by the surname Gupta, has 'somehow' become title-holder of the adjoining land belonging to our family trust (Sri Radhakrisna Charitable Private Trust) of which I am now the Managing-Trustee.

2. Any 'Agreement' (Ikrarnama) signed with regard to the Beohar-Baoli by Gupta has no legal sanctity whatsoever. Even now, Gupta has nothing to do with the Baoli. Moreover, residents of Jujhari village are dead against Gupta. No proposal in Gram-Panchayat or Gram-Sabha can be passed IF put forwarded by this Gupta. He can not even put a brick there. Gupta is a historysheeter and has criminal record. MP State Archaeology Department should be aware of these facts. Moreover, even I verbally informed them years ago. But they never came to me for further details or to know the truth.

3. If you study Gond lineage, after Raja Narharisahi, his 'son' Prince Nerbadabux should have been his successor but he 'disappeared' (either jailed along with mother Rani Laxmankuwari by Maratha subedar Visaji Chandokar, or on pilgrimage). So, in his absence, Raja Narharisahi's younger brother's son Shankarsahi 'declared' himself the successor, hence Raja. However, when Beohar Gandharv (Kandarp/Kandrup) Simha rescued the true successor to the throne, brought him back to Garha-Katanga and crowned him in Gosalpur-Jujhari, Sankarsahi was OBVIOUSLY not happy 'losing' the Gaddi. Since the British approved Narbadabux's claim, Sankarsahi revolted against them in 1842 which, 15 years later, eventually culminated into 1857.

4. Why Gosalpur-Jujhari? Please read my earlier eMail. What is a mere Baoli at present used to be a sturdy Stone-Citadel (Garhi) of the Beohars till mid-1800. After rescuing Laxmankuwari (along with Nerbadabux?), she was accommodated here. The Baoli used to be within the Citadel's premises and was a private source of water for the Beohars (you must have noticed that, unlike all other Baolis, ours is slightly away from the main road, for this reason only). Jujhari was a safe place, at some distance from Sankarsahi (Purwa) and close to Gosaldevi's abode (Gosalpur) where Beohars had considerable force and influence."

06.05.2014.

Today the 27 June,2014, I visited again the Jujhari for taking photographs of the Baodi.After completing photography, I discussed to the people residing in its surroundings about the history of the Baodi but they know this much only that it is very old and the response of Mr.Pradeep Gupta the owner of a private school and the member of the Samiti formed by Byohar (as told Mr.Gupta) to look after the Bawdi was more funny.He said the Baodi is of Ashoka's period, then I told the history of the Baodi.It proves that the people are least concerned with the history and importance of the heritage except interested to do encroachment. However at the end he accepted that the owners of the Bawdi  are Byohars. Then I asked how the people of Jujhari signed the EKRARNAMA and handed over to Rani Durgawati Sangrahalaya totake care of the Baodi. The Bawdi was surrounded by 11Acre land and its distribution and possession of its pieces has another story but the registry of the Bawdi cannot be done as it is a historical monument and now it is under the supervision of Rani Durgawati Sangrahalaya, Jabalpur otherwise this place could be disappeared.

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