REFORM INDIA: My trip to Balaghat-Lanji-Hatta

My trip to Balaghat:

I love forest and interior villages. Perhaps this liking is taking me roaming around which is helping me enriching my knowledge.

There are lovely forests on the way to Seoni from Jabalpur the NH-7 National Highway. In Banjari village there is a Medicinal plants forms. The delicious guava is the specialty of Lakhnadaun Tahseel as I have tasted such a lovely guava after the guavas of Bedaghat in Jabalpur district. The Bus takes about four hours from Madan Mahal to Seoni and there after about two and a half hours from Seoni to Balaghat.

In view of historical Importance there is not much in Balaghat. However, this place is famous for the tasty variety of rice (viz Kinnor) and manganese (Mn) mines at Vorbeli. The temple of Kalipat at Police line and Dargah of Kwaja Ajmeri at Mahavir gate market are important religious places at Balaghat. There is a Avantika Bai circle at Bus stand where a beautiful statue has been placed in the memory of the freedom fighter Avantika Bai. In the surroundings of Balaghat there are many places having historical importance. Lanji is one of them. Here is a palace of historical importance built by a Gond king (name not known to me) in the locality of Dumri Mohalla.

The ASI has not mentioned the history of this palace which is ought to be mentioned for the tourists as well as for the scholars of History. The King had constructed the palace surrounded by digging the pond from three sides for the safety measures. The palace is in dilapidated stage and poor condition.

The employees of ASI are keeping this place neat and clean. However this place needs lots of attention by ASI to maintain this pictorial site by maintaining Raja-Rani Pond inside of the palace as well as the pond surrounding the palace and maintain the gardens and planting trees surrounding the palace to bring its original glory up to maximum possible extent. I must repeat that there is a need of coordinating body of ASI, Forest Dept. and Tourism to protect as well as get returns in the form of revenue out of the investment is made out of public money. ASI cannot earn money without the assistance of Department of Tourism through the publicity of the monument and beautification of the place.

I went to Koteswar Mahadev temple on Riksha moving two kilometer from the Gond palace at Lanji.

The architecture appears of 11^th century AD and the Pujari of the temple told that this temple was built by Kalturi king.

However the ASI has not mentioned the history of this temple which is necessary. The ASI has hang the notice board that to build any construction in its surrounding is a criminal act and very interestingly a godown of Indane Gas is just at distance of 25meters which was built in 2002 and could not be removed till date. Why the Govt. is waiting and for what? Who is responsible for such act? Is our democracy? No, this is the leniency and misuse of our Noble Democracy.

On observing the repair work of the temple, it appears that the archeologist must be absent at the time of repair work and the contractor Karigar have

not taken care of the architecture of its originality and putting the statues at the right places.

There is lack of flower plants and trees in the campus and in its surroundings. The pond adjacent to the temple should also be decorated by horticulture and boating can be arranged by the Depat. of Tourism .

In the Koteswar temple I met with an employee of ASI named Mr.Vijay Lahari. On observing my interest and willingness to visit Ganji Raja the religious place of Schedule Tribes of MP & Chattisgarh and surrounding Maharastra State, he took me on his motorbike as two wheeler is more comfortable than any other vehicle on its route due

to kachcha muddy lane and we have to cross Sone river on its mid way. Thereafter we have to ride a muddy steep hill about 15 meter and on moving 3 kilometer on wards we reached Ganji Raja. On reaching this place few local people came to me and welcomed. I told them that I did not come to perform any religious ritual, just to pay homage to the deity.

The stone used in making the statue of the deity is in shining Z black color. The statue is beautifully built. The art appears similar as it has been built in the black colour statues in Bhoramdev temple’s walls.

The people are coming here for Mundan Sanskar and Bali of buffalos and goats after fulfilling their desires.

As per my observation it appears this site has not come in the notice of ASI. But this area is in the notice of Forest Department. It is beyond my understanding why the proper arrangement is not made to stop deforestation. The tribal are cutting forest for cultivating agricultural produce but it needs study to explore the prime reason of deforestations. Due to this the water level has gone down and another reason is boring done by the agriculturists. In my perception there is combined interest of politician and businessmen on the shoulders of STs and a little interest of the STs to get agricultural land which could be achieved in due course by businessmen cum politicians to build resort or farmhouses. It is my personal perception that this is happening as nowadays businessmen have entered in the politics.

I was shocked on observing a colony of tribal which was built by cutting hundreds of trees. It must be permitted by the Govt. On what genuine ground, only God knows. It is also a relevant example of misuse of Democracy.

On returning from Lanji to Balaghat, I got down at Saltake 15 kms. before the Balaghat. From here on its right a road goes towards Hatta village. From Saltake the Hatta village is about 10Kms. There is a lovely and well maintained huge campus of Kothi of its Jamindar.

In this campus there is a newly built temple. In this temple an old statue of god collected from an old temple along with other statues of Radha-Krishna is placed. Just in front of this place there is a beautiful Bawadi built in 16the century AD and rebuilt up to 18^th Century AD.