Barhata
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.) |
Barhata (बरहटा) is a village in Gadarwara tahsil of Narsinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh. It is find place of Inscription about Jogi Magaradhaja which contains perhaps the oldest remains of architecture in the Narsinghpur District.[1]
Variants
- Barehta
- Barheta
- Virat Nagar of Mahabharata. It is believed that the Pandavas spent the time of exile here. Due to being the city of King Virata, the name of the village became Barheta in due course of time.[2]
Location
Barhata village is located in Gadarwara tehsil of Narsimhapur district in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is situated 10km away from sub-district headquarter Gadarwara (tehsildar office) and 50km away from district headquarter Narsimhapur
Jat Gotras Namesake
- Bareta (बारेटा) (Jat clan) → Barehta = Barhata (बरहटा) is a village in Gadarwara tahsil of Narsinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh. It is find place of Inscription about Jogi Magaradhaja which contains perhaps the oldest remains of architecture in the Narsinghpur District.[3]
History
Village Barhata of this district is a remnant of Virat Nagar of Mahabharata period. Various ancients Structures & Architectural remains found in this village leads to conclusions that this area was part of Mahabharata period. An ancient rock with the shape of human being is related with "Keechak" near village Bachai. The area of Bohani is related with Jasraj father of Alha- Udal & uncle Bachraj, who were Kings during the period of King Prithavi Raj Chouhan. During the various Historical excavations, various ancients monuments & reference also found which relates this area with ancient periods, exact information about the area is found in history books & Historical Manuscripts from second century AD.[4]
The four tanks at Barheta and those at villages Noniya and Kachhwa are said to have been built by Raja Barat. The ruins lying buried under the village site are also supposed to be of his palace. [5]
Barheta
Source - Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers Narsinghpur District by P.N. Shrivastav, 1971,p.456-457
Barheta (23° 40’ N and 80° 40’ E; MSL 387 m)
[p.456]: This large village of Narsimhapur Tahsil lies at a distance of 14 miles (22 km.) to the south-east of Narsimhapur with which it is connected by road. The confluence of the two rivulets, the Sher River and the Machra River,[6] is at a distance of about 24 km. to the south-west of the village. In the beds of these streams thin seams of coal and shale are noticed. Thicker seams may be existing under the surface layer. To the south of the village there is a large deposit of white clay. The onyx-like stones of black colour with holes in them, commonly called Sulaimani or Solomon’s beads are also found in the village.
Barheta and its neighbouring village Nonia are of considerable archaeological interest. Antiquarian remains were once largely scattered over the region. The railway contractors are said to have removed a large number of them. Of the remaining carved and sculptured stones, the best were taken long ago to Berlin and Warsaw by the then enterprising continental tourists. Of the several interesting carvings removed from Barheta and placed in the public garden of Narsimhapur, some have been finally removed to the Central Museum, Nagpur.
There were images of 24 Jain Tirthankaras at Barheta. Hundreds of other Jain sculptures carved on stone door frames, pillars and stones were found there, The beautifully sculptured door frame of stone has also been removed. to the Central Museum, Nagpur.
Six huge images of Jain Tirthankaras in sitting and standing positions. are still lying in village Nonia in a-walled enclosure. On the pedestals of these images symbols of the respective Tirthankaras are carved. Thus the moon symbol on one of the pedestals of the images indicates that the image is of the 8th Jain Tirthankara Chandraprabh. These six images are taken to be of the five Pandava Brothers and Vishnu and are worshipped by the Hindus. They are propitiated for curing small-pox cattle diseases, etc. The place where these images are installed is called Pandava and an annual fair called Pandava Mela is held there lasting for a week from Vaishakha Paurnima. The Gram Panchayat of the place manages the fair.
It appears that at one time the village Barheta had one of the rare temples dedicated to Surya or the Sun god. A finely carved image of the deity is
[p.457]: found at the village, near the large tank situated on the east of Barheta abadi.
The place has remains of an old palace, which is commonly believed to be of King Virata, whose capital was said to-be Barheta.
The village has a primary and a middle school, a civil dispensary, a hospital, an outlying veterinary dispensary, a branch post office, a co-operative credit society, and a Gram Panchayat. Bi-weekly market is held on Saturday and Tuesday. The village covers an area of 3,096 acres. Its population according to the Census of 1961 is 2,132 as against 1,600 in 1901.
Notable persons
External links
References
- ↑ Hira Lal: Descriptive lists of inscriptions in the Central provinces and Berar, Nagpur, 1916, p.61
- ↑ https://narsinghpur.nic.in/en/tourist-place/ton-ghat-aka-chhota-dhunaadhaar/
- ↑ Hira Lal: Descriptive lists of inscriptions in the Central provinces and Berar, Nagpur, 1916, p.61
- ↑ http://narsinghpur.nic.in/history.htm
- ↑ Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers Narsinghpur District by P.N. Shrivastav, 1971, p.12
- ↑ A rock shelter was found at Bijori on the left bank of the Machra river with paintings in red ochre representing a bison, an elephant and a cock. Over them, in white pigments are scenes of hunting, horse-riding, battle, dance, music, and. elopement, besides the figure of a female riding a lion. In the vicinity were found backed blades of chert and jasper. (Indian Archaeology, 1960-61, A Review, p. 60).
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