An Oil Trader and a King

The princely town of Kolhapur has much to offer to a casual a tourist with its Palaces and Temples as also a few prominent forts. Panhala, 20kms away from Kolhapur and a 10 hour drive from Bombay, is one such fort having a colorful history. The precincts of the fort are huge and during its prominence it used to house an entire village at the time of the great Maratha Emperor Shivaji. Raja Bhoj of Madhya Pradesh started its construction sometime in 1112 but faced a peculiar problem as the construction progressed. A large supporting structure of the fort used to collapse midway during completion. When this occurred multiple times, he consulted his astrologer who after due thought and investigation advised that a Human Sacrifice was needed to appease the local Gods. Also this sacrifice was to be of a lady who had recently given birth to a child.

A public proclamation was made and the search commenced. A local oil Trader Gangu’s wife Jakkubai was expecting and she agreed to abide by the Kings request. But there was a demand from her side that the fort be named after her new born and the family be well cared for post her demise. The King agreed and the sacrifice took place. The fort construction commenced and in due course it got built in its full splendor. As we entered the precincts of the fort, our guide took us to the very place where this event might have occurred. The place which is known as “Amberkhana” serves as a granary for storing food grains. Located at one corner of this store was the place where this event occurred as pointed by our guide. Typically no one goes close to the place, though I was fool hardy enough to take a close up view and a photograph

 

There is no tomb or any religious construction here. It is marked by a very old stone idol which shows the macabre event unfolding – the lady being held by a person from behind as another is using a sharp instrument to carry out the sacrifice. Someone had placed a small wooden cradle next to the stone ………….perhaps it may have been an offering or a token penance from a lady in need of a child?  

This anecdote is captured in history and is popularized in many Bollywood films through the Hindi saying – “Kahan Raja Bhoj, Kahan Gangu teli”, implying that the Rich will always continue to gain at the expense of the Poor.