The Raja and the Gaddi (Goat & Sheep Herder)

 

 

"Ompati be quite; Naani is about to begin" exclaimed one of the kid sitting in a rough circle around Naani with their woollen blankets and shawls on them to beat off the cold.

 

It was the month of Posh (December); it was cold outside. It was also late in the evening and doors of the house had been shut to keep the cold out and most importantly to prevent the stray dogs and cats wandering inside. A kerosene lantern provided enough light to see each other and the Naani sitting with a big heavy blanket on her back. She was sitting on a Pirrrhi (a small wooden elevated sitting platform about 8 inches high). Four of us kids were perched in front of her waiting for Naani to begin the story. She would not begin until the girls who were helping their mothers with housework had finished and joined the bunch. Ompati, my cousin had just joined the bunch but my sisters Tripta & Krishan Kanta were still in the kitchen finishing the last of the chores. Naani was waiting for them to come and join. 

 Soon Tripta & Krishan Kanta Joined and Naani began to relate the story.

 

"In the kingdom of Trigatha[1] with its capital at Kangra on the banks of River Ban Ganga (HP) many hundred years back there was a king named Raja Hari Chand. He was a just and a friendly king who would do anything to see his subjects happy.

 At an age twenty-nine and in the fourth year of his reign his subjects had a good harvest. Hence on his birthday they rejoiced and thanked the Almighty God for a bountiful harvest.

 

Rejoicing lasted a few days and on the last day he invited his subjects to his Fort up on the hill where the Raja held his court. Everybody including the farmers, traders, Brahmins, landowner Rajputs and lowly craftsmen came to the court to hear their Raja make the yearly pronouncements.     

   

                                       

Today, there were a few important pronouncements he was going to make. One of them related to the building of additional Kuhls[2] in his kingdom to irrigate the land. Raja's greedy advisors had routed one of the irrigation Kuhl through their own lands and ignored the needs of the lesser fortunate subjects. The pronouncement was welcomed but there was a bit of consternation in the audience. Then an old Brahmin stood up and spoke,

 "Oh Raja, you give more to the one who already had enough, but you give nothing to the poor of your kingdom".

 

The Raja was taken aback at this sudden change in the mood of the audience and he ordered his attendants to bring the old Brahmin to him, that very moment. On face-to-face conversation with the Raja, the Brahmin requested the Raja that the Kuhl be rerouted to benefit them also.  Their crops wither away if the rainy season did not arrive on time every year. The forgoing happened once every few years and in that year he and his family had to starve. If one of the new Kuhl were built through their lands then they would benefit too and would have surplus grain to trade in the market. The Raja refused the request but told the Brahmin that he should be content with whatever the God Almighty gave everybody. If the God wished prosperity to the Brahmin, then that would happen too.

 The dejected Brahmin left the audience saying,

 

"If the God wished you not to be the king of these lands then that shall happen too".

 With that conversation, a hush descended on the audience in the Fort and they began to leave one by one".

 With the story getting more interesting all the children huddled together to hear Naani tell them what happened next. The Aunty next door brought glasses of cow's milk for all the children who were now very attentive. A glass of hot milk was the last meal before the children fell asleep. Naani also had her glass of milk and began:

 

"A few months later the Raja, his two brothers and all the courtiers decided to go on a hunt. Hunting was not a common sport in the Dhaulidhar Mountains but was undertaken every now and then to hunt for rare meat and train his security troops in the art of weaponry. The best bow and arrow shots in his security forces were rewarded. 

 

Before he left for the hunt, his two queens came out of the palace and requested the Raja that during his hunt, he not target a male dear because the male dear is the only son of the mother dear. He could hunt as many female dears as he liked.  Also each of them handed him down a bag of nourishment for his two weeks of hunt.

With that advice, the Raja mounted his horse and started for the hunt.  His army of courtiers and security services men followed. Since the hunt was going to last two weeks hence the Raja's staff had packed enough food and water to last the duration of the hunt.

 The hunting party headed straight to the Dhaulidhar mountains about a days march from the Palace. There in an open clearing they began to erect a camp for their overnight stay. In next two days they would go deeper and deeper in the jungles.

On the third day of the hunt, a dear caught Raja's eye and he mounted his horse and began the chase. His brothers and other courtiers followed. What the Raja did not know, that the forest he was traversing was in fact a panther territory. The latter also hunted in the same area whenever it got hungry. Otherwise the lonesome panther spent its time mostly in its cave or on a tree.

The chase by multiple horses woke the panther up from its summertime lazy slumber and it began to spy the dear, which so many men on horseback were chasing. The great big panther thought to itself that if these men on horseback took away its food then it would starve.  Hence to scare them away and stop the hunt in its track it let out a few great big roars. It warned them of its presence.  

 

Hearing the roars, the horses began to run helter and skelter. The lead horse of the Raja momentarily looked around and saw the panther and turned to one side. It began to race faster and faster, apparently it was scared and so was its mount, the Raja. Others in the party also began to run in all directions and lost track of the lead Raja's horse. Raja upfront saw the dear and continued the chase. The dear wondered into the thick of the jungle where it became difficult to spot it. In the back of his mind, the Raja also had the fear of the panther he had just run into hence he unsheathed his sword. He climbed down from his horse and shouted for his security troops who were following him. None of them could hear the Raja. They also were shouting to track the Raja's horse but of no avail. The panther had successfully separated the Raja from his party with its mighty roars".

 As the Naani was still relating the story the youngest of the kids was already asleep. That little girl Guddi, my cousin's daughter was carefully picked up by her mother and taken to the bed. It was already pitch dark outside, hence going from one house to the other only twenty paces away, was accomplished with a torch. But we senior kids wished Naani to continue and tell us the rest of the story. She continued:

 

"Now it was late in the afternoon and the Raja wished to reach the safety of his camp but he had no idea where he was. He had lost sense of direction. He knew that if he followed the shadows, he would go east. He mounted his horse again and started in that direction, which he thought would get him to his camp. In the meantime all the courtiers searching for him split into parties and began their search anew. They fanned in different directions, shouting all the time to find their Raja.

 In this time the Raja and the horse got thirsty and the Raja decided to water his horse at a nearby stream. For himself, he decided to look for a well or a spring to get clean water. Hardly had Raja gone a few hundred yards, he heard the same roar of the panther which had separated him from the party. This scared the Raja off again and he mounted his horse and aimlessly raced his horse as fast as possible. He knew that if this wild animal attacked, the horse would be his first target, hence the Raja decided to safeguard the horse first. He dismounted and tethered his horse in front of a big tree and stood with his sword in his hand.

 

It was late in the evening with darkness descending which is the perfect time for the wild animals to hunt, hence he did not wish to leave his horse unattended even though he was thirsty and wished for a drink of water. He held the reins of his horse tightly in his hand and approached a depression in the ground, which looked like a well. As it was already evening and the thick foliage blocked the light, it was not possible for the Raja to distinguish the outer periphery of the well. As he inched forward, he slipped. His hand let go the reins of the horse he was holding and he tumbled down into the well. As he hit the well floor, the Raja was knocked unconscious. He stayed in that state for hours.

The horse finding its master in the well unconscious began to wonder around. In its own mind, it wished to help, but could do nothing. It started to race around in different directions. The horse would not go too far in the woods without its master and hence during the night came many times to look at the unconscious master in the well. As the morning light came, the horse decided to wonder further in the jungle to get help but it could not find its way to the camp. 

 As the morning arrived, the Raja regained his consciousness and began to look around. It was a dry well, very ancient in its construction. It had been abandoned centuries ago. There was no water except a small hole at the bottom, which appeared to have a bit of water. The Raja in his injured state slowly dragged himself to the water hole. Lord beholds!!! There was a little bit of water enough to quench Raja's immediate thirst. As soon as he had a few gulps of water he began to shout for his courtiers and family who had accompanied him on the hunt. None were in the vicinity hence they could not hear him.

 The horse although worried about his master had wondered farther and farther away.

 Meanwhile The Raja in the well in his injured state was unable to climb out, hence he laid there occasionally shouting for help but nobody was listening. In this state he laid there for three days surviving on a meagre amount of water, which kept coming in that tiny water hole. Then in his pocket he found the small bags of almonds and raisons, which his queens had given him when he was departing. He began to chew on those hoping that these would last long enough for him to survive until he was found. His leg was broken; hence he could not make an effort to climb out of the well. Now he was at the mercy of the God".

 All the kids listening to the story began to crowd around Naani, to hear what happened next. Naani continued:

 

"It was twelve days that the Raja lay in that pit unable to climb out. The horse had wandered off in many directions when a sheppard boy found it. He took great fancy to the horse and began to prance around on it when his family advised him that it looked like a royal horse. It had been separated from its rider. This horse had to be returned to the Raja as soon as possible. As they were on way to return the horse, they found Raja's men searching for the him. Finding the horse they began to wail. Now they were certain that a bad fate had befallen on their sovereign. They quickly returned to their camp and reported to the rest of the courtiers and his brothers, who were eagerly waiting for the news.

It had been 12 days since the Raja had separated from the party. They had found the horse but not the Raja.  All sorts of thoughts began to cross their mind. May be, that the Raja had a fall and had been badly injured or a wild animal got to the Raja, first. In any case finding Raja alive was impossible after a lapse of 12 days.

 After deliberations the Raja's party decided to return to their capital city and report to the people of the misfortune, which had befallen on the hunting party. On their way back home they sent runners on horse back to the neighbouring kingdoms, lest Raja had reached any of their neighbours and had been rescued. All parties came back with a negative answer.

 In the meantime Raja lay injured in that dry well munching on a bit of nourishment his queens had given him and water in the water hole.

 At the capital city, a great amount of sadness descended upon his subjects. His immediate family could not bear the loss and cried continuously. The high priest recommended that the Raja be declared dead and his last rites performed, which the family faithfully did.

 Upon completion of the last rites, his subjects and courtiers were asked to select a new Raja to run the affairs of the state. They all unanimously said that his younger sibling Karan Chand be made the new king. He was unenthusiastic about it initially but would accept the responsibility if it was thrust upon him. But he wished to wait for a few more days, in case his elder brother the Raja returned.

The high priest without waiting much announced the coronation date of the new king a week from the day of the last rites of the last king. His word was final and all preparations started for that".

Naani paused a bit to see how many kids were still awake. The story was getting interesting hence none of them wished to go to bed without hearing the conclusion, hence the Naani continued,

 "In the dense forest where the injured Raja was holed up in the dry well, it was getting dangerous to continue to survive, as he had run out of the last morsel of eatables he had in his pocket. For the last three days he had survived eating the roots and leaves growing up on the side of the well. Many times in a day he would shout for help, but of no avail. Twelve days after he fell in the well, a caravan of Gaddis (goat & sheep herders) was passing by the area. They were on their usual passage thru the area in search of green pastures for their goat & sheep. This was their normal routine of life. They migrate in the Dhaulidhar range from place to place with winter times searching green pastures in the lower reaches of the mountains and in summer migrating to the upper reaches. They camp in the middle of the jungles with their Gaddi dogs protecting their goats & sheep.

 

Their dogs heard the cries of the Raja deep in the well. Alerted by the dog's bark, the ever-alert Gaddi(s) went in the direction of the dog's bark. As they got closer and closer, until they began to hear Raja's moans. As they got still closer they became aware that these moans were coming from the dry well. They looked inside the well and saw the Raja in his injured state. Till then they did not know who that person in the well was. They asked him, all about him and how did he get into the well. To which the Raja replied in affirmative about him and related his tale of slipping and falling down into the well. The Gaddis threw a jute rope for the Raja to climb out, but the Raja was in no position to climb out. His leg was broken and he was completely dehydrated. Hence one of the Gaddi climbed down the rope to help the Raja climb out. Other members of the clan helped to pull him out. As he was pulled out, the Raja was in no condition to talk any more hence he fell into an unconscious state. The Gaddis carried him to their camp; there they set his leg and waited for him to regain consciousness. As he regained a bit of consciousness, they fed him goat's milk, cheese and carried him close to the fire where he would stay warm.  These migrant Gaddis did not know that they were in the territory of the person who was lying in a vegetative state in front of them. His clothes and the sword in his sheath told them all they wished to know. The cheerful Gaddis doubled their effort to restore the Raja to some semblance of health. Nineteen days had passed since the Raja fell in the well. Still in a state of recovery, the Raja wished to go back to his capital. He asked the Gaddis to help him get there. In return he would give them a suitable reward. They agreed to begin their journey next day. It would take three days to get to the capital city.

In his palace in the capital city of Kangra, all that mourning about the presumably dead king had stopped. The priests had set date for the coronation of new King, who was the last King's younger brother. 

 

As the coronation day approached, the city and the palace were decked with flowers and colours. On the auspicious day of the coronation, all subjects and courtiers of the new king had assembled inside the Fort. The coronation ceremony proceeded at the most auspicious moment at noon as set by the priest. At that moment, the priest chanted all the Vedic Mantras and grabbed the royal headgear and placed it on the new King's head and handed him over the ceremonial sword of his authority. All present in the hall shouted,

"Maharaj ki jai" - Victory to the king.

 

"As this was happening the injured former Raja also entered the city and headed straight to the Fort and the Palaces. He was having difficulty trying to understand why the streets and bazaar were deserted. Why nobody was taking notice of him? His leg was still not operational hence he was being dragged in a make shift straw carrier by these two men who had saved him in the jungle. As he approached the Fort/Palace gates, the security guards stopped them from entering.  As guards came to check on the injured man, only then the guards realized that it was their ex Raja, whom they presumed dead.

In a moment the word spread across the Palace Complex, that the ex Raja Hari Chand was alive and at the gate. His queens came rushing from the palace, so did other courtiers at the court. They all asked him about his welfare and saw his injured condition. The ex Raja was in a precarious state. He needed immediate medical attention and the Raj Vaidya was summoned. Shortly thereafter the ex Raja was taken to his former minister's residence for rest and recovery.

 The new king was distraught at the turn of events when he was informed.

 After a few days the ex Raja's condition improved. He began to converse freely. He was apprised of the situation. Until then he did not know the full picture. At times he wondered that why he was not in his palace. It was then that his chief minister informed him about the situation. He also told him that his brother was the new Raja. The high priest informed him that the situation couldn't be reversed. He, from the state point of view is dead and his last rites had been performed.

 A few days later his brother Raja Karan Chand came to see him. In his capacity as the new Rajah of the vast areas in the hills, he bestowed upon the ex-Rajah, areas north of Kangra on the banks of a river, (which is a tributary of River Beas) and asked him to found his own new dynasty there and rule in peace.  He also gave him a portion of his treasury to begin building a new capital, a palace and a fort for himself. The ex Raja accepted the offer and permanently left Kangra. He re-settled in his new territories and built himself a new capital and named it Haripur-Guler".

Since then there emerged two states out of one. It happened in about 1415 AD. Both state rulers were direct relative of one another and lived in peace for centuries. Later when Muslim invasions devastated the Kangra state again and again, these two states stood by each other, helping out wherever possible.

 With these words Naani concluded the story on that day. We all went to the bed happy that a tricky situation had been resolved.

 

 

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*Most of the above are published Kangra Valley & Pahari Paintings done towards the later part of the eighteenth century by Pundit Seu, his son NainSukh and others.

 

 

 

 

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[1] This was an ancient state, which stretched from Kabul, Afghanistan to the Tibet border. By about 1,000 AD the state had been reduced in size with Arab/Muslim capture of Kabul

[2] This is a gravity water irrigation system where shallow small canals are dug to harvest the melting snows in DhauliDhar Mountains.