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The Silent and Mysterious Kaimur Hills

The Mysterious Kaimur Hills

Retaining the potential for new discoveries

Ancient Temple Remnants lying unattended near Lohra Village, Kaimur

With deep jungles interspersed with gorges and beautiful waterfalls,

containing randomly dispersed antiquarian remains, the Hills of Kaimur

retain their unique air of mystery. Forming the easternmost part of the

Vindhya Range, beginning near Katangi in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) and

ending near Sasaram in Rohtas (Bihar), the Hills have sheltered human

activities since the most ancient times, and one still finds several imprints of

the activities of our early ancestors, with prehistoric rock shelters dating to

even earlier than 10,000 B.C. More than 500 pre-historic rock shelters have

been found on the hills, and several of these have been found to contain

paintings preserving the artistic impressions of our early ancestors. The

Hills contain several early Hindu and Buddhist relics along with medieval

ones. Several motifs like Baghauts which are memorials to persons killed by

tigers and memorials of earlier Babas (holy men) met with at various

locations on the hills have become a part of the popular culture. The

importance of the Hills during the medieval history is revealed from the

available documents of the period and discovered inscriptions. However, the

importance of most of these historical sites is not fully understood even

today, though it is well known and appreciated that the Hills have housed

some of the earliest settlements of pre-historic men. Having earlier described

the Forts of Rohtasgarh and Shergarh lying at strategic vantage points,

along with the ancient temple of Mundeshwari, it would be in place to briefly

discuss the other mysterious and general antiquities randomly found to be

often dispersed on the Kaimur Hills.

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(Above : Cave Paintings, courtesy Dr. SS Tiwary)

Nature at its best

Dhuan Kund Waterfalls

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The Hills which are one of the oldest rock formations along with the

Aravallis in the Indian sub-continent, mainly consist of old igneous rocks,

which here are noticed in their magnificent forms and beautiful shapes,

forming several deep gorges interspersed with several caves and waterpoints.

Several beautiful waterfalls which attain their full glory during the

monsoons are a visual treat. The water falls at Dhuan Kund and Telhara

kund are often visited during the rainy season by local tourists for

picknicking, but they represent only a fraction of the beauty and

magnificence of several others which lie deep within the jungle and are

seldom visited. Some other important waterfalls noticed so far include the

Karkatgarh Falls on River Karamnasa, Falls near Budhua and Dhansa

villages (Rohtas), Amjhor Falls and Tutrahi or Tutla Bhavani Falls near

Tilothu. A large area on and near the Hills is now notified as the Kaimur

Wildlife Sanctuary, and still houses a wide biodiversity. The jungles of

Kaimur had once served as an important home for the Tigers, now extinct

here, with the last seen till the early 1980’s. Due to extremist activities

which have subsided only recently, the hills have not been attracting regular

tourists since a long time. But with the law and order now improved, nature

lovers would be truly rewarded with a visit to any part of the Kaimur hills.

Karkatgarh Falls

At Dhuan Kund Falls

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Telhar Kund Falls

View Point at Dhuan Kund : Camping Point turned Historical now

Durgawati near Soli Village : On the Hills

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History and Legends

Legendary tales, hiding stories of the still unknown history of Rohtas, inform

that the Kaimur Hills had provided shelter to Prince Rohitaswa, who was the

son of Survyavanshi King (Solar dynasty) Harishchandra, famous for his

truthfulness in the Puranas. The name of the Rohtas district follows from

the legend of Rohitaswa, who is believed to have married a local princess on

the Kaimur Hills, and from whom several Kharwars trace their descent. The

historical proof of these traditions is not found, but they have been

mentioned as popular even during the visit of Buchanan (1813), implying

their existence since long. The earliest historical reference of activities on the

Rohtas Fort dates from the rule of King (Mahasamant) Sasankadeva, the

ruler of Karnasuvarna in the early 7th century, whose seal inscription was

found in the Fort Premises, from an unidentified location on the rock face.

Of the following period, some inscriptions of King Pratapdhaval of the

Khayarwala dynasty are found at various places like Tutrahi (1158 A.D.),

Tarachandi and Phulwaria Ghat (both 1169 A.D.). There are other

inscriptions of the medieval times including one of a descendant of

Pratapdhaval at the Lal Darwaza, Rohtas Fort dated 1223 A.D. and others

dating to the rule of the Lodis and the Mughals, especially during the rule of

Man Singh, as the Governor of Bengal, camping at Rohtas fort in the 16th

century.

Singh Dwar at Rohtasgarh

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Inscriptions at Tutrahi

Inscriptions at Singh Dwar

Inscriptions at Phulwaria Ghat

The Residence of Several Tribes

The hills have been continuously inhabited by tribes like Kharwars, Oraons

and Cheros, whose descendants still populate the various villages. The

condition of most of these tribes which once formed the ruling classes of the

famous Hill Forts is today described by extreme backwardness and poverty.

Reconstructing the History of the tribes including Kharwars and Oraons is

another interesting historical research task, in which much yet remains to

be done. Along with Kharwars, the Oraons also inhabit the Kaimur Hills,

and in their legends regard the Rohtasgarh Fort as their original residence

and seat of rule. Oraon songs have made references to the battles fought by

their tribesmen to secure the Rohtas fort from invaders. It is believed that

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the Oraons migrated from the Rohtas fort in large numbers to other parts of

Jharkhand, after losing to the invaders. The fort was held by the Hindu

rulers, till it was conquered by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri in 1539

A.D. The name of the last Hindu ruler is not clear, but is mentioned as

Chandra Ban by Buchanan.

Rohtasan Temple : Temple of Rohitaswa : Rohtasgarh

Retaining the Prospect of Future Discoveries

A proper and holistic survey of the Hills for the antiquarian remains that

they possess is still wanting, and the Hills still retain an air of mystery with

several unknown antiquities dispersed in the deep jungles. Thus, containing

historical facets still unknown, the Hills provide a good chance of discovery

to the interested traveler and researcher. Even recently, some new rock-

shelters containing early paintings have been discovered by Dr. Shyam

Sundar Tiwary, a regular hill trekker and historian currently working with

the Akashvani in Sasaram, who has also published several details of his

finds in his books on the History of Rohtas.

Buddhist Sites awaiting discovery !

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During one of the visits, I chanced upon a fragmented Buddha statue which

seemed to have emanated from a desecrated or destroyed temple at a site on

the forest road near village Lohra under Adhaura Police Station in Kaimur. It

was being worshipped as a van-devta by the tribals, who had placed figures

of animals in front of it along with incense sticks. Surely, several other

similar sites may also be found, and if studied they may open a new

dimension about the history of the region, which houses one of the oldest

inscriptions of Ashoka- the great dated 3rd century B.C. on Chandan Shahid

Hill near Sasaram. The Chandan Shahid Hill seems to have been the seat of

a Buddhist establishment in the ancient times. It appears to have been

visited by Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor in the 3rd century B.C., and the

inscription was carved as a remembrance. The Hills lie along the path on

which the Buddha had travelled to Sarnath near Varanasi after receiving

enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. It is thus natural to expect traces of early

Buddhist settlements in the vicinity. Several Buddhist remnants have also

been discovered, but the holistic picture of the history is still wanting in

details.

Inscriptions yet to be discovered !

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Searching for the Unknown Inscription

I was a regular visitor to various sites on the Hills during 2008-2010. Once,

during a conversation with a learned Islamic scholar from Sasaram about its

history, I was told about the existence of an inscription on rock face lying

near the way from Tarachandi towards Dhuan Kund. The scholar was not

sure about the contents of the inscription in unknown language, as he could

not decipher it. Familiar about the Asokan Inscription on the Chandan-

Shahid Hill nearby, I immediately gauged the prospect of discovering

another ancient inscription, which may have been in the Brahmi script.

Immediately, I set out for the place and tried to locate it at the site

mentioned, but could not successfully locate it due to huge growth of thorny

and leafy bushes in the vicinity. I proposed to search the same area for the

inscription during the summer months and still hope, as I have been unable

to re-visit the place. I feel that with some systematic efforts, the chances of

discovering more inscriptions in unexplored locations on the Hills cannot be

ruled out.

Unknown Cave of Sultana Daku ?

Similarly, I had also been informed about the existence of a cave ascribed as

having been used by the gang of one Sultana Daku, who existed sometime

in the 16th-17th century and supposedly found mention in a text called

Tarikh-i-Sasaram, written in Persian, a copy of which I could not obtain

during my endeavours. Sultana Daku was supposedly a gang leader, who

robbed travelers on the grand trunk road in the medieval times, and had his

hidden abode in a cave deep within the hilly recesses. How much of the

stories can be believed is doubtful, but the cave was mentioned to exist

amidst deep jungle on the path along the Kudra river leading to Dhuan

Kund Falls from the main Grand Trunk Road. The cave is also reported to

contain sculptures in its dark recesses. Going by the other similar

discoveries in the area, like inscriptions with Mahishasur-mardini Durga

image at Tutrahi Falls (Tutla Bhavani) and inscriptions at Tara-chandi Hills,

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among others, this very much seems to be a possibility. Moreover, there also

exists a temple near Dhuan Kund, which was in existence during the visit of

Buchanan in 1812-13, the history of which however, is unknown.

Unfortunately, however, the way to the site described again passed through

bushy and thorny jungles and is seldom visited. Keeping the difficulties in

view, I planned my visit for the summer months, when the trees would shed

their leaves thereby improving the overall visibility and search-ability. But

the visit plan still eludes, as I have been engaged elsewhere. Hopefully, a

systematic visit to the site would lead to some discovery of an unknown

historical site.

A Village where Gold rains !

I have a feeling that a thorough exploration of the Kaimur plateau would

lead to very interesting discoveries, still unexplored. Another very interesting

find was reported by the newspapers in 2013, from Senduwar village lying

just below the Kaimur Hills in Rohtas district, about 7 kms southwest of

Sasaram. Pieces of gold are reported to have been found flowing along with

the rainwater descending from the hills. The origin of these gold pieces is

unknown. Some excavations have been conducted at the village earlier, but

have been discontinued possibly for some unknown administrative reasons

and want of funds. However, the discoveries have indicated the presence of

an ancient settlement at the village, the clear history of which remains to be

dug out.

Perspective

Plateau of Rohtasgarh

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The hills of Kaimur house several unknown mysteries, several of which have

not been documented so far. The sites were given a miss by Cunningham,

the father of Indian Archaeology. Generally speaking, several sites which

were visited by Cunningham during his extensive survey of India, assumed

importance for visitors and researchers in the times to come, while some

sites with greater scope for discovery which did not attract the attention of

Cunningham still struggle to find their place on the itinerary of tourists and

researchers. The story of the Rohtas and Shergarh forts has been the same.

While the Rohtas fort finds mention in the historical catalogues like the Ain-

i-Akbari and the works of authors like Ferishta, the history of the Shergarh

Fort seems to have not been mentioned anywhere. A chance visitor seldom

visits the several pre-historic rock shelter paintings in the Kaimur Hills, and

the famous forts lie neglected as ever. There is a need to properly survey the

hills for their antiquarian remains and to popularize eco-tourism for the

sustenance of the tourist circuit. That the tourist will always benefit from a

visit, and never regret is for sure. Due to their innate potential both from the

perspectives of historical remains that the hills possess, and the natural

beauty encompassed, the Hills do seem to have a bright future, if properly

preserved and made accessible.

The Mysterious Kaimur Hills : Guarding the Secrets

References:-

1. Shahabad District Gazetteer, L.S.S. O’ Mailley (1906)

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2. Shahabad Gazetteer, P.C. Roy Choudhury (1966)

3. The Antiquarian Remains in Bihar, 1963, D.R. Patil

4. Cultural and Historical Heritage of Rohtas (Hindi), Dr. SS Tiwary

5. Journal of Francis Buchanan kept during the survey of the district of

Shahabad in 1812-1813

6.

www.telegraphindia.com/1130623/jsp/bihar/story_17037009.jsp#.VHVstd

KUclO

7. www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/stoi/deep-focus/Its-raining-gold-

in-Bihar/articleshow/21204642.cms

Rock View at Ghatwar Baba

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Site of Tutla Bhawani

Rohtasgarh Plateau : The Rohtas Fort