Bawdis in village Bakal, Tahaseel Bahuriban,District Katni

Purani Basti in village Bakal, Tahaseel Bahuriban,District Katni, appears very prosperous. Most of the houses are of bricks and concrete.Market is also very good, it does not look like a market of a colony of any village. Another market is at Bus Adda( Bus stop) where the people of even  the Tahseel are coming for shopping. Few Sahukars /big Malgujars are doing business , are also  Money lenders. People are coming from distant to borrow money here.

An Aggarwal family has managed to be an occupant/ owner of the Bowdi  (of 1976 Vikrami i.e.1920 AD as mentioned on the wall of the Bawdi which might have  been written latter) near temple in the name of which (I came to know from the locals)there was a sufficient land also.

 Who had actually built this Bowdi no body tell exactly. I have given suggestion to one of the family member of the Aggarwal family a dentist Mr. Piyush Aggarwal to contact the Ditector of Rani Durgawati Sangrhalaya, Jabalpur to discuss for its renovation/maintinence, so that villagers could use its water for dinking also as it is used for cleaning cloths and utensils only. As usual, he has expressed the fear of the ownership of the agricultural land surrounding the Bawdi. The first question is how and when this Bawdi came under the possession of that family? (The locals say that it has come under the possession of that family not more than two decades before.).However this Bawdi is in good condition but as usual, no body is caring for its maintenance and habitual of misusing it. I given suggestion to Mr. Piyush Aggarwal to form a Vikas Samiti  and charge Rs.5/-  annually from each residents for its maintenance. He said no body will come forward. 

Another Bawdi  which is also a private property and is in the possession of a Brahimin Family, near the Govt. School .

This Bawdi has no water, The reasons are 1. The agricultural waste dropped in the well ,2. Numbers of tube well installed and so the water level has gone down which a very common problem of the modernization as solution of this problem has not taken care rather acted negatively by covering water bodies and deforestation. The archeologist could save it. The Department of Archeologist should do survey and may revive it. And give new life to the beautiful site.The school was built by  the Raja of 80 villages of the surroundings  of the Bakal village whose palace and old dilapidated palace  are situated at the place known as Raja Salaiya on the Bahuriban –Mirjapur Highway. There are numbers of broken Murtis  are kept aside in the  temple of Khermai . The Murti of Khermai was also broken which has been replace by a new Murti few years back.

From the Bakal village the place Raja Salaiya is about 10 kms on the bahurivan-Mirzapur Highway (which is under  construction). One Km before the palace there is a beautiful Bowdi on the right hand side of the road and it is sorounding of the agricultural land. It appears some temple might have also here as few Murtis are kept at a platform. This Bawdi has plenty of water but no one is taking care and maintaining its beauty . Water Cannot be used for drinking.

On moving 1 Km from here we reached the place Raja Salaiya. Here is a Kothi  in huge area which might have built in early 20^th Century where the decedents of Raja Ujiyar Singh Lodhi are living. They have not maintained their old beautiful palace on the hill at the bank of the river Patne flowing under the hills surrounded by lovely forest. At a distance of about 200 mts. From the Kothi there is a Bowdi in bad condition. However there is lots of water still in the Bowdi.>

Moving about 100 mts. From this Bawdi,there is a mazar of Pir Md.Jallaluddin

 

and about 200 mt. from here we reached the main campus of the palace. In its surroundings, there are

 

 number of temples. In this place two temples buildings are still not in bad condition only it needs repairing and maintenance. It appears these temple might have been built in late 18the century. These temples are remains closed. Only one temple of Radha Krishna is opened by a priest in the evening for worship and after that it is closed. Other temples have no Murtis and bats have made their home.

About 100 mts distance from the palace there is a beautiful well built and decorated with sculptress of Gods/Gandharva on the walls of the staircase of the Bawdi. This place needs attention of Archeologist as well as Department of Tourism.

There are many other Bawdis in the surroundings of the village Bakal and due to lack of time I could not go there. The other reasons are the availability of company of the local people and I did not want to be a guest for a longer time in the house of a relative of my friend as I gone there to attand the mariage of the farmer's daughter and i availed my vacant time in moving the sites.

Vijay Nath Sondhi
manuansondhi@gmail.com
12.05.2014