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Before the Great Invasion: Sansar Chand, the Gorkhas and an Earlier Conflict in the Western Hills

Sansar Chand Katoch portrait The Gorkha invasion of Kangra in 1805–06 is a fairly well-known episode in the history of the western Himalayan states. The campaign, that eventually brought Raja Sansar Chand's ambitions to a halt and led to his decline, has been discussed in multiple historical accounts. Yet, while going through some older writings on the history of Nepal, I came across an account that seems to suggest that the confrontation between the Katochs and the Gorkhas was not a one-off; it was one of the multiple confrontations that had occurred, arising from a variety of reasons. The account appears in Ludwig F. Stiller's The Rise of the House of Gorkha: A Study in the Unification of Nepal, 1768–1816 (1973) , which draws upon Francis Buchanan-Hamilton's earlier An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal (1819) . The story begins not with the Gorkhas, but with Sansar Chand's growing influence in the region. Hamilton wrote that after the demise of Dharma Prakash, who had d...
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Kullu's Palas, Prayag and Hidimba

Hadimba Devi Temple in Manali (picture credit: The OK Travel)

As I had mentioned in a post earlier, Kullu's ancient name was Kuluta. The founders of the state are believed by Hutchison and Vogel to be descendants of the Pals who ruled over Prayag, from where they migrated westwards, conquering Haridwar, then known as Mayapuri. The founding of the present state through its current ruling dynasty interestingly is attributed to a Behangamani-Pal around 765 AD, a period where the Palas of Bengal had just come to prominence under their first ruler Gopala I. The Palas were supreme in North India, though they were always competing with the Gurjara Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas for supremacy in the Kannauj triangle. The Palas seem to have founded other states in the Himalayan region, including Mandi, Balor, Bhadu and Bhadrawah, as well as a small feudatory called Batol.The relations are curiously highlighted only in the Vansavali of Balor and Bhadu.

Behangamani was one of the eight brothers who was walking around with his family in the wilderness, trying to become a ruler without much success. Having tasted defeat, he was in hiding when a Pandit told him that his star was on the rise, and he would rule these lands where he was hiding very soon. Hutchison and Vogel tell the legend that follows soon as follows:

"The zamindars, subjects of Ranas and Thakurs....decided to choose someone else as their ruler. A short time afterwards, a jatra or religious fair, called Janjoli Jatra, was held at Basnara near Jagat-Sukh. 

Hidimba Devi in her palki (picture credit: The OK Travel)
Behangamani came alone to the fair, and on the road he was accosted by an old woman, who asked him to take her on his back as she was unable to walk. This he did, and also promised to carry her on the return journey in the same way. When they reached the rocks at Jura village opposite Basnara, she jumped down and told Behangamani to mount her back, and by this he perceived that he was in the company of a goddess. Hirimba, for it was she, then said: "I have given you my blessing, and you shall become king of the country." 

The legend further goes that Behangamani  was directed to go to the Shabari temple in Shuru village near Jagat-Sukh, where the goddess would appear to him. As he entered the fair with the goddess, the people hailed him with the title of "Jaidea", and a rebellion started against the Ranas and Thakurs, ending in a free Kullu state with Behangamani as its ruler. Since then, the dynasty has not only given her the status of the clan deity - she is much more than that to them. She is reverently called Dadi or grandmother by the ruling family. For those who may not be aware, this Hidimba is the same Hidimba of the Mahabharata. It is believed that having lost her son and her grandson to the war and its machinations, the rakshasi was very upset, and went into a profound period of meditation for twelve years. Krishna, impressed by her manner of handling her grief, blessed her to become a Devi.

Maheshwar Singh, King of Kullu, and Royal Family, awaiting the Devatas of Kullu Valley
Even today, the importance of the Devi has not reduced any less. During the Kullu Dussehra, she holds the right to enter the darbar venerating Sri Raghunath ji at the very end, with the King of Kullu welcoming her with a special warmth and love. The present scion, Maheshwar Singh, who is also the MLA from Kullu, continues to relive the tradition with the same pomp and fervour as earlier. In fact, the Dussehra today is a major festival. And all of it is due to the blessings of Hadimba Devi.


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  1. JaiminFebruary 2, 2019 at 11:17 PM

    Manali is a renowned hill-station in northern India. It is a wonderful place to visit during summers. Tourists like https://www.imanali.in/manali-tour-package-surat from all over the world prefer this place as a holiday destination. It is a mesmerizing site blessed with fascinating beauty. If you visit once then you will always want to come in every vacation.

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