Varnu

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Varnu is a village in Rapar Taluka in Kutch district of Gujarat, India. The village is on the west bank of Little Rann of Kutch.

Contents

Demographics

The village has population of about 600 people. Main communities residing here are Gadhvis, Rajgor, Rabari, and Koli. [1]

Places of interest

A shrine near Varnu temple in Rann of Kutch Varnu temple in Rann of Kutch.jpg
A shrine near Varnu temple in Rann of Kutch

Varaneshwardada temple

Venudada or Varaneshwardada temple is small temple with shrine and three porches with some carvings in the large courtyard situated near the village. The temple is associated with legends and is venerated by people of nearby villages. The original temple, said to have been built by Mularaja of Anhilwad Patan (942 -997), was repaired in 1862. Inside of the shrine are three red smeared stones, representing Venu and his brother and sister. [2]

Legend

Venu is a folk hero of Kutch who belonged to Parmar Rajput clan. [2] He was the younger brother of the Thakur of Muli, a former princely state in Saurashtra. He fought with plunderers from nearby Sindh, either the Moghuls or some local Jats, while saving the cows of the Charanas. He died in Varnu while fighting with plunderers. The family priest, Rajgor, came here to perform his last rites and later settled in the village. The village was named Venu after him which later corrupted into Varnu. [3] [1] [4]

The village still mourns the death of Venu for over 250 years and does not celebrate any festivals or marriages in his honour. It is believed that sleeping in the temple of Venu results in death. [1]

James MacMurdo's tomb

Captain James MacMurdo, the first political agent of British East India Company to Cutch State died on 28 April 1820 and was buried near the temple. The people of village believe that he slept in the Venudada temple which resulted in his death though his tomb is marked that he died of Cholera. [2] [1] [4] [5]

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The history of Palanpur starts with its relation to the historic city of Chandravati ruled by Paramara dynasty. The town was re-peopled and ruled by Chauhans around thirteenth century. At the start of the seventeenth century, the Palanpur State was taken over by Jhalori dynasty of Pashtun Lohani (Bihari-Pathan) tribe which was founded in 1373 and ruled from Jhalor. The dynasty came into historical prominence during the period of instability that followed the demise of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the early 18th century. It was overrun soon afterwards by the Marathas; the Lohanis followed the trend of seeking recourse in the British East India Company against them and finally entered the subsidiary alliance system in 1817, along with all other neighbouring states, becoming a British protectorate governed by Palanpur Agency. After independence of India in 1947, Palanpur State was dissolved in 1949 and merged with India as a part of Bombay State. Subsequently, Palanpur became the capital of Banaskantha district of Gujarat.(Hebatpur) Currently Maximum Jagirdar Families Living In Hebatpur Village:12 Km Away From Palanpur. In Addition:5 Villages Lohani Family. 42 Villages Bihari Families. Also Pathan & Ghori Families.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "For over two centuries, village in Gujarat grieves over death of a Rajput chieftain : OFFTRACK". India Today. 30 September 1994. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Printed at the Government Central Press. 1880. p. 253.
  3. ↑ Khare, Randhir (2004). Kutch, Triumph of the Spirit. Rupa & Company. ISBN   978-81-291-0306-2. One story says that he was a Parmar Rajput of royal lineage who got into a spat with either the Moghuls or some local Jats whilst trying to save cows belonging to Charans of that area .
  4. 1 2 "Warnu Dada Temple". The Megalithic Portal. 28 October 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2015.

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