Rasyatra: Panchetgarh Rasyatra is 500 years old festival (According to Pranab Roy & Binod Sankar Das as mentioned in the book ‘Medinipurer Itihas o Sanskritik Bibortan'). The illustration of ‘Ponchet Rasyatra' is unique of its kind. In the evening of full-moon day of the month of Kartik family deity Sri Krishna & Radha sets out on a journey to the Rasmancha (platform of Rasa). A huge procession escorts the deity with decorated umbrella, musicians, dancers, armed guards (traditional). Fire-works dazzle the sky. The concert of drums, khol (Musical Instrument), pipe, gong of belle-metal, singha (Musical Instrument) go on. Both magnificence and secrecy blend mutually.
Procession of Ponchet Rasyatra, Photo: Arindam Bhowmik
The closing festival in the midnight after five few days is another mesmerizing event. The Mela (village festival) continues for 10 days, people comes for far distance to enjoy the Mela, many people comes from neighboring state Orissa also. They spent the night at temple premises. You will find Circus, Magic, Theatre, Comedy show to watch. People spent their money on handicraft items comes from different parts of the district. The main attraction of the Mela is overnight Music concert. Das Mohapatra family always supported classical music. In the past Acharya Jadu Bhatta, Usttad Tashodyak Hussain Khan, Acharya Ramnarayan Bhattacharya, Fakir Baksh, Jaduray used to stay here, during Rasyatra Vishwanath Rao Dhamari, Abdullah Khan Sarodi, Kanailal Dheri, Hydari Bai, Chandrika Prasad Dube, Kashi Nath Mishra, Manna Khan (shehnai-Sanai), Pandit Gyanendra Prasad Goswami used to come here.
A brief description of few family members of the past:
Kausalya Nandan Das Mahapatra
Gopendra Nandan
He was adopted by Nandan Kishore. He was originally Pattanayak. His first wife's name was Gundicha Dei. After her death he married again in Roy family of Janakpur in the Midnapore district. It seems that as he had got no son from his first wife, he married again and from his second wife he had seven sons and three daughters. He died in 1908.
Anadi Nandan Das Mahapatra |
Brajendra
He was the head of the family. He was popularly known as Raja Babu (King). He had no successor. After he was made chief of the family, there was a family clash. He left the house and started living at Midnapore town. One day he fell down and broke his spine at Midnapore. He never improved from this injury and died in 1920. He was very kind to the people of his ruling area. He used to learn the drum (Pankhuaj) from Jadunath Bhattacharjee, popularly known as Jadu Bhatta. Jadu Bhatta later taught music to Rabindranath. |
Upendra He was a very religious person. He used to study horoscope. He used to look after the temples and was himself a keen learner of religious music. He also had a profound knowledge of Ayurvedic edicine. People from different places used to come to him for treatment, and they were given Ayurvedic medicine free of cost.
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Jadabendra
After the death of Brajendra Nandan, his wife Usamoni Dei became the head of the estate of Panchetgarh as per the custom prevaling at the time. She appointed Jadabendra Nandan as the manager (Naib). He was a graduate from the Calcutta University and the second graduate of the Contai sub divison. He learnt sitar from Ustad Ujir Khan. Later it was know from Ustad Allaudin Khan that his Guruji Ustad Ujir Khantalked to him about Jadabendra Nandan. He was also a very good astrologer like his elder brother. He established a permanent theatre stage at Panchetgarh house.
Laxminarayan
From among the sons of Gopendra Nandan, he wanted to maintain a seperate entity of his own as Narayan and not as Nandan. He used to lead a luxurious life and was very fond of horses. He was a very good horse rider and always had 15 to 16 servants at his service. |
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He was the only one among the brothers who used to take meat. He had no offspring.
Debendra
It is said he was a classmate of Swami Vivekananda. He looked after the welfare of the people. He established a High school and a Co-operative bank for the people of Panchet Garh. He built the Sitala temple. He had no children.
Jogendra
He was a widower from a very early age. He was a good Kirtanya (one who performs devotional songs of Sri Krishna). He used to play the Pankhuaj (Musical instrument of Kirtanya) very well. He was very religious minded. He mostly spent his time in Calcutta. He had a group of Kirtaniyas who were his disciples.
Jitendra
He was religious minded and used to sing religious songs along with classical music. He was a lovable person. On the day when he had to go to lay the foundation stone of Chandaneswar temple; he died at the Panchet Garh house.
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