In this context, it would not be out of place to mention here that the aboriginal inhabitants of the Gandhagiri area of Borasambar give special regards to Narsinghnath Tirtha. For instance, if the dead body is burnt by the Binjhals, then the ashes and bones are by and large taken to Panch-Pandava-Ghat in the stream near the Narsinghnath temple, where they immersed the ashes. It is believed that the deceased would attain heaven in so doing (Senapati and Mahanti, 1971:122-123). In addition, many other people of the neighbouring areas also immerse the ashes of their forefathers in this pool called Harana-papa with the same belief (Senapati and Mahanti, 1971:14).
As discussed previously, the-then existing religious site at Narsinghnath received royal sponsorship by the first Chauhan ruler Ramai Dev of Patnagarh sometime in the fourteenth century. It was perhaps in a decaying condition when the fourth Chauhan Raja Vaijala Dev, son of Vatsaraja Dev came into power. He extended stately patronage and rebuilt or renovated this religious shrine, which was then emerging as a Vaisnava Pitha. He arranged and granted revenue of the village Luhasingha or present Loisinga for the worship of Lord Narasingha and maintenance of this temple (Senapati and Mahanti, 1971:534-535). Vaijala Dev was succeeded by Bhojaraja Dev (1430-1455 A.D.) who is said to have built a fort on the Gandhamardan hills near Narsinghnath temple. This fortification was recognized after him as Bhojagarh. Bhupal Dev (1480-1500A.D.) of this dynasty is identified to have improved the construction of Bhojagarh close to which he established a township and encouraged people to inhabit there by providing lands free of rent (Senapati and Sahu, 1968:51).
It is understood from Deo’s (2003) examination that in the new hierarchical political structure at some stage in the Chauhan rule, the tribal chief of Borasambar was recognised as a zamindar under the Patna Raja. Borasambar zamindar enjoyed greater status in his area. This recognition resulted in a hierarchical arrangement. The tribal chief was permitted to run his Borasambar zamindari and was most probably required to pay a periodical tribute, Bheti and also to assist the Patna Raja or overlord in an emergency. He used to keep the income from a part of a territory for his own maintenance. Likewise, there were several villages within the zamindari and most of the village headmen were most likely tribals. Village headman was also recognized as hereditary chief of the village called Gahatia or Gaotia or Gantia or Gartia. The village headman was also required to supply military aid during an emergency to Borasambar zamindar /zamidar as well as Patna Raja. For that, the Gaotia enjoyed the land attached to his village or a cluster of villages under his jurisdiction or authority. The revenue from this provided for his maintenance and that of his soldiers.
In the process of formation of a larger Hindu kingdom and society, the autochthonous groups and their religious Pitha like Narsinghnath (Little Tradition) were wrapped up in the wider Hindu society and culture (Great Tradition). In other words, these autochthonous groups and their religiouscultural tradition (Little Tradition) played significant role in the process of state formation in the regional level i.e. in the erstwhile Patnagarh or Patna Rajya during the medieval period. In turn, these little religious traditions have received royal aid and patronage for its popularity, prosperity and growth. The Papa-Harni-Nala is a tributary of the river Ang. Its water accumulates at five different places into five pools known as Kund. These Kunds popularly recognized as Sita-Kund, Pancha-Pandava-Kund and Gan-Kund in the bed of the Papa-Harni-Nala are considered efficacious in washing away sins. In fact, Papa- Harni-Nala is formed by the natural springs at Narsinghnath. The water-falls are popularly identified as Kapil-dhar, Bhim-dhar, Gada-dhar, Gupta-dhar and Chaldhar, which are regarded as very sacred and sacrosanct.
The Kapil-dhar, Bhim-dhar and Gada-dhar put up with the sacred recollection of Kapila Rishi and Bhima, the second Pandava respectively. There is an oral narrative that while wandering in the jungles during their Banabasa (exile) Pandava brothers with wife Draupadi arrived at Gandhagiri. They built a hut and lived there. On one occasion, Bhima wanted to have his bath. But for a pleasant bath the available water was insufficient. Consequently, he struck his Gada (club) on the mountain Gandhagiri and out of the blue another Ganga emerged. Goddess Ganga Devi named these two falls as Bhim-dhar and Gadadhar after Bhima.
Narsinghnath is also fabled and well-known for different valiant and supernatural deeds of Bhim such as killing a demon, falling in love with local girls, constructing a stone house called Bhim-Madua, playing with Bati (stone balls). A cave in this mountain is popularly branded as Panchu-Pandav-Khol wherein Nakula, the fourth Pandava carved the figures of five brothers on the wall with his Kunta (weapon). A mango tree called Sati-Amba is supposed to bear mangoes all through the year. It is coupled with a beautiful fable that the five Pandava brothers including Draupadi disclosed their undisclosed reality and the ripe mangoes sprouted up through which they all appeased a guest sent by Duryodhana to destroy the virtue of Yudhisthira.
Gandhagiri is also fabled to be the place where Ramachandra, Laksmana and Sita in Satya Yuga have spent some time during their Banabasa. Sita-Kunda of this religious site is fabled to be the spot where Sita took her bath and washed her soiled clothes. Ramachandra blamed her because she polluted the stream. Further, a narrative runs that the mountain Gandhagiri was a part of or adjacent to mountain Vindhyanchala. Hanumana carried Gandhagiri to Lanka in order to save the life of Laksmana and while returning he left the mountain here. There is no denying the fact that the Gandhagiri is a treasure of medicinal plants and the State Government has established an Ayurvedic college and research centre in this place.
All the same, the oral narratives discussed above are the restricted or localized versions of the Hindu religious scriptures like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana connected with this sacred centre Narsinghnath. Moreover, as discussed somewhere else, many people of neighbouring areas of Orissa and Chhattisgarh immerse the ashes of their fore-fathers in this Tirtha believing that they would attain heaven thereby. This equates the Narsinghnath Tirtha with the Triveni at Prayag (Allahabad) and Biraja Pitha at Jajpur in Orissa. This indicates the extent of reverence shown to this Tirtha, which occupies a pivotal position in the religious life of the common people of this area or sacred zone. The pilgrims who use to visit this Tirtha take holy bath in this water. In other words, religious beliefs of Hindu Great Tradition have been localized here. The above discussion informs that the Narsinghnath Tirtha has shown lenience to foremost religious faiths specifically Buddhism, Tantrism, Saivism and Vaisnavism. Though the Tirtha is famous as Narsinghnath, the principal image in the Garbhagriha of the temple is called Marjarakesari who is assumed to be a form of Lord Visnu with the head of a cat and body of a lion. It would not be out of place to mention here that Nrusingha / Narsingha (Nara+Singha) is one of the Avataras (incarnations) of Lord Visnu, which is extensively narrated in various Hindu Puranas. If we delve for information into the Nrusimha Mahatmya, we locate that the source of Marjarakesari as an Avatara of Lord Visnu has been set forth only in the Nrusimha Mahatmya, an Oriya creation of Chauhan reign. Most probably, by this time Vaisnavism became the leading form of religion in this site and Buddhism and Saivism receded to the background.
Chitrasen Pasayat is an OAS comments on culture
