BOUNSI - MANDAR HILL : Banka , Bihar

MANDAR HILL - BOUNSI ( Balisa Nagar) 24:45”::87:05”

Continent –Asia.

Country—India

State—Bihar

District—Banka

Distance from country capital Delhi—1320 km

Distance from the state capital Patna—295 km

Pin code 813104

STD code –6424 (Banka)

HASL—1700”

River—Chandan.

Approach—The site is a terminal station of BHAGALPUR—MANDAR HILL railway line.It can be approached by road by buses running between Bhagalpur and Hasdiha.

Language-Hindi and Angika

Lodging – Stay places like small hotel Dharamsala and Inspection bungalow

etc are available

Food- Continental style rice pulse sabjee with maithil style Chura and Dahi are easily met with with varity of other preparations.

Drink—Sweet water is available for drinking purposes along with other bottled

and branded drinks.

Local Transport- Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are main local conveyance.

About the site---The site is important from religious as well as geographical point of view. As imagined in the hindu religion philosophy originally this place was part of sea and this was the place where Lord Vishnu used to rest under the sea on the floating bed of Sheshnag. As the story goes in Markandey Puran or Durga sapt sati.Two demons Madhu and Katav were born out of ear . Now this place is of pilgrimage and worship..

Another case of mythological or pauranic story is the physical presence of Vishnu. These demons started harassing Brahama and other gods.They all went to Vishnu and prayed for destruction of Madhu and Katav .There was no difficulty in winning over to Katav. But Madhu was magic wizard who even after getting his neck cut used to harass smaller gods.

So lord Vishnu meditated to call a hill body called Mandar hill. After martially defeating Madhu the lord pressed his body with Mandar hill.Thus he became “Madhusudan” and Mandar hill near Baunsi bec of a big conch (Sankh) in a tank on the geographical profile on top of the Mandar hill. Although king Bali belonged to demon dynasty but his nature and behaviour were good to others . His bravery and alms donation were loved by the supreme god too. As religious stories go deities of human be-

ing becomes envious to such persons.So became the case with king Bali He

was instigated with the idea of becoming immortal like deities by drinking nectar which will come out of sea after churning these a Brave but simple demon king was convinced with cheating idea of deities . It was decided Bali will drink nectar to become immortal and other gems and valuables will be taken and distributed among deities . Mandarachal hill was only hill at that time suitable to churn the sea up to the bottom .So both the parties went there and tried to uproot it and bring it into the sea for that purpose.But they utterly failed, what to say of uprooting. They could not even got it displaced for a length of needle point.Then both the parties jointly prayed Lord Vishnu to fulfil their desire.Then almighty”s driver egale (Garur) of the chariot of almighty was sent to Mandar . It got the hill on his seat and brought it to the sea. Similarly snake Basuki was made rope .It was caught in one side by the deities on one side end by demons Thus by to and fro movements of both the parties the churning of the sea was done .As such following fourteen gems were found , namely

• Kamdhenu cow
• Uchaisharwa horse
• Erawat elephant
• Kaustiuve money
• Kalpadrum
• Rambha apsara
• Varuni virgin
• Parijat tree
• Moon
• Lakshmi
• Wine
• Nectar
• Poison
• Conch

Agglomeratic amigdoidal and conglomeratic depositional interface of geological stratification is seen around Mandar hill. It is told that it is marking of the ventral portion of the Basuki nag(snake) Nectar was not given to the demon king .Poison was taken by lord Shiva up to his neck through the conch which is still lying on the top of the Mandar hill. So it became blue and his name” Neel kanth”

Kaustuve money and Lakshmi was taken by Vishnu himself .

Moon was seated on the head hair of Shiva. Rambha and Varuni were taken by Indra Similarly other articles were taken by other gods according to their rank and strength. As per desire of Mandar hill Lord Vishnu got seated the Mandar hill top in form of Madhusudan Mention of this story comes in Vishnu puran and Bhagwat puran and the Mahabharat------

Mandaram shikharam dristwa ; Dristwa wa Madhusudanam .

Kamdhenu Mukhan drstwa ‘ Punar janm na Vidyate .

And

Chir –Chandanya madhe , Mandaro nam parwate, Tasya Rohan matrna,

Naro narayna bhawet (Vishnu puran)

Chiptwa Shirodadhan sarwa birutirn Tausadhi,

Mamtheram Mandaram kritwa netramkritwa Basuteim.Simadad Bhagawat Asthan (Bhagwat 6^th chapter)

RECENT HISTORICAL ASPECT--------An Afgan sardar Daud khan was ruler of Bengal in 1573 AD His chief commandant was Kala pahar a hindu convert.Kalapahar started harming and demolishing hindu religious places. Religious places of Barisnagar now Baunsi were also demolished between 1573 and 1600. There were about 26 temples on the Mandar hill.The remnants of these are still seen.

According to Yudh puran –There was a city near Mandar hill. Older stor

ies and folk songs mention that about 2200 years before there was a big city near Mandar. It had 88 ponds,53 roads and 52 markets. This city not other than Balish nagar with lapses of time now known as Baunsi.

As per mention in historical and pre historical literature and imagination there on out of numerous remnant ponds of Barish nagar now Baunsi most important is thePushkarani or Papharni pond situated in southern basal hill slope of Mandar hill. According to Rakhal Das Banerjee historian and archeologist this tank was built by wife of king Aditya Sen named Kon Devi.in 7^th A.D. The easiest way to rise over the hill is from near this pond. Steps have been made by breaking and carving the stones. It was during the time of some budhist king named Ugra bhairo as per the stone inscriptions there.The height of the hill is 700’ from the ground level.It is spread over in a radius of 2km area. Encircled by Ajgaibinath in north, Jathoranath in west and Baba baid nath in south it is call

ed triling region. The hill seen from a distance from west to east the blakish profile of the hill provides 7 steps of plateau like rock masses rising from basal platform to the topmost peak , where it is seen standing vertically as single mass of granitic rock at an angle of about 45 degree from the ground rising over the hill through the stone carved steps tourists, visitors or worshipers come across

1. Eight handed Headless Kali or Durga statue
2. Ahead of this is a statue of Sun on a sun pillar
3. Rising above it is three mouth Maha kal bhairo ten hand big statue
4. Rising above there is a statue of lord Ganesh.
5. Rising above is found a small statue of Sarswati
6. Inscripted stone slabs---It is near the statue of Kal Bhairo by side of the rising steps .Each line of the script is 3”long
7. A Plaw(Hal ) sign on the top of the Sarswati statue is supposed to be of Balrram instrument of fight besides learning with agriculture.
8. Two amigdoidal structure of rocks of about 1.5”in length. It is few feet ahead of the statue of Sarswati and is supposed to be print venntral part of snake Basuki after churning of the ocean.
9. Trisira temple Rising ahead is remnants of few temples and a broken statue of three headed Mahakal vairo locally called and trisira (three head) temple
10. Sita kund –Taking further rise the ridding slope takes aturn an angle of about 38 degree and the rise is more vertical. Two inscriptions of rocks are met with here .They are in four lines and clear.Their mention in the book “Corpus Inscriptus Indicaram Vol 111 by sri J F Float is met with This region is above the waist (Kati Prades)of the hill or half rise i .e about 300”After scaling the height and reaching over the flatter region big tank is seen which is called SitaKund . It is said that some times in pre-historic time Sita ji took bath in this pond while on to
11. ur to Mandar hill.
12. Engraved statue of lord Vishnu with Lakshmi on foot press and resting on snake bed and snake hood cover is seen on the right bank of of Sita kund. Indicating progressive stone art in prehistoric time
13. Gaya kund---Ahead of Sita kund and by the side of the foot path there is another pond called Gaya kund It is said that Sri Ram Chandra did shradh ceremony of his ancestors here. Besides it there are remnant of few demolished buildings.
14. Narsigh store –Ithas ever burning havankund
15. Statue of head of demon Madhu—Moving ahead towards Narsingh cave a big statue of head is found behind a tree which is called statue of demon Madhu
16. Narsingh cave—By the side of this one has to enter a tunnel in which bright shining on a stone is seen on a stone platform is the sign of god Narsingh.
17. Patal kund---Rising ahead above on the steps through the cave a tunnel like water reservoir is met with which has unending bottom. So this is called Patal kund .
18. Sankh kund—(Conch pond)—Rising above this a pond is met with in shape of a conch sankh or mollusk. There is a big stone cut conch at the bottom The weight of the conch is about 600 maunds ie about 6225 kg . During the dry spell of 1920-25and 1985 when the pond got completely dried the gigantic conch was seen by the people. It said that Lord Shiva took the halahal poison received by churning the sea by this conch keeping the effect upto his neck causing neck becoming blue and his one name becoming Nil kanth. It is also conjectured that it may be the conch of Lord Vishnu which is called Panch janya conch.
19. Kamakhya Yoni kund—This kund happens to be situated on one of the two ways for scaling further more height of the hill. It is a slot of about 5’ diameter. This is always covered by vermilion flower and akhat(rice). Saints say that meditation for sidhi of Kamakhya is done here by the devotees . It is also said that sri Ram Chandra ji also stayed near by this place when he came to visit Mandar
20. Two statues of Bajrang bali—On rising ahead on way is seen one big and one small statues of Hanuman is seen with vermilion cot .
21. Yagya shala—After crossing jungle and rising bit above a Ygya sala is met
22. Cave of Sukdeo muni –It is situated south of Ygya sala on difficult rising route Entry into the cave gives peculiar type of filling.
23. Statue of Kaliyug – There was statue of Kaliyug here (Dr Choudhary Mandar paricharcha1956) which was hit by stone by every visitor
24. Ram jharokha(window)It is situated on rise ahead in agnicone (SE) A full platform like celing is called Ram jharokha or the window of Ram
25. Vishnu’s foot print –It is a stone slab as studied and described by Buchanan it has foot print of lord Vishnu
26. Temple of Lakshmi and Sarswati with their foot prints –These are by the side of Ram jharokha on top of the hill.

Other site ---

• Madhusudan temple of Baunsi - It was built by a land lord Rup Narayan Deo in 18^th century AD . The statue of lord Madhusudan or Vishnu which was formerly on the top of the hill is now established in this temple in Pathak tola of the town. It was perhaps done after the destruction works done by Kalapahar
• Mandar Vidyapith –It is situated in the eastern side of the foot hill of the Mandar hill
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Stay platform –It is also situated near Vidyapith. It is said that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu while on way to Gaya in 1505 was indisposed and stayed here for three days and got cured. There is a marble plate inscribed like --Kalabya SarsunyaSatre Nigme, Mandar Namachale Sri Chaitanye Dayanidhe:Padyugm Bhakt Charchitam Sambhawe
• Remains of Lakh Dipa temple—It is in north of the Vidyapith It still preserves signs of hundreds of wall cavities for burning lamps(diya)
• Kapila Cow –A stone statue of cow and calf is near by it
• Nath temple –A stone temple of Shiv and Vishnu with few big rooms . Now property of Mandar Vidyapith
• Another Madhusudan Mathh –At the time of rath yatra lord Madhusudan is brought on elephant and after taking bath in the puskarni kund He is worshiped at this mathh .

FESTIVE SEASON AND VISITING PERIOD—Makar Sankratri,Rath yatra, Janmastmi and Durga puja are main festive periods to enjoy the visit. But one can easily reach here preferably in winter season and enjoy the occult pilgrimage.

But on the occasion of Makar sankrantri Fair one can enjoy eating Ladua (a local Sweet prepared with combination of powder of wheat and rice) lassi and khichree.

Precaution—General precaution of travelling on hilly terrain has to be taken. Besides it the area is partially affected by naxalites

Guide---District tourism and information office may be contacted.

Shopping---Sweets, stone and wooden articles of decoration and domestic use are available in Makar fair

Currency—Rupee is main currency

Remarks for future prospect—Being situated on state highway connecting Bihar and Jharkhand and on line with path way to Baidyanathdham( Deoghar) the area has enormous prospects of future development.