Robin Koul
It is one of the Legends presiding in the middle of deodar trees in Chabba area of Ramban district, venerated as a Judge, who is believed to give a fair trial to everyone who comes to him with a sincere heart. Any deprived person that doesn’t get justice anywhere will get a fair trial in the court of Baba Bansul. He is also called Bhadsha Devta by locals. It is a story of one of the Legends of Ramban- Baba Bansul whose incarnation is associated with the Banasur of our ancient religious scriptures. It is said that he was asked by Lord Shiva himself to go back and settle down in this area once they reached Khundi Murad area of Bhaderwah region.
Location: Nestled between deodar trees there is a small stone temple made by layering up of stone slabs. To reach there we have to follow the route towards Neera- Kenthi and in Panchayat Demout-A, Chabba Marg, we can also reach the holy abode of Baba Bansul by following a short and beautiful trail to the temple. On the way one can also find the mysterious Stone Horse Sculptures and Pakhar (war hero) sculptures which describe the antiquity of the place. A number of Katoch, Bali, Parihar and Minahas families living in the area consider him Kul Devta along with the Raina Brahmans who migrated from Kashmir centuries ago. A sarai (rest house) is also available there for yatries who want to have their darshan next day. Arrangements for cooking and serving the prasad are available in the temple premises.
Mythological Relations
While talking to the pujari Mohan Lal Sharma and Patyal Singh Katoch, they revealed to us that Baba Bansul is the incarnation of Banasur. ‘Bansul’ name originated from Banasur itself.
Banasura, Vanasur or Bana was an asura king in Hindu mythology. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana. As an ardent devotee of Shiva, he used his thousand arms to play the mridangam when Shiva was performing the tandava dance.
Banasur had a genealogy starting from Brahma whose son was Marichi. Marichi’s son was Kashyapa, Kashyapa’s sons were Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu’s son was Prahlada, Prahlada’s son was Virochana,Virochana’s son was Bali and Bali’s eldest son was Banasura.
Banasur once ruled over a large kingdom, Soitapura (modern day Tezpur in central Assam). His influence was so strong and fierce that all the kings and even the devtas were frightened of him. Banasura used to worship a rasalingam given to him by Vishvakarman. Impressed with the devotion of Banasur, Shiva gave him a boon that he himself will be the guardian of his city. As time passed, Banasur became arrogant of his powers and used to execute brutal atrocities on Brahmans and Devtas.
Banasur had a daughter, Usha, who once saw a young man in her dream and fell in love with him. Usha had an intelligent friend Chitralekha, who helped her to identify the young man seen in her dream by sketching various portraits. Usha realised that she had dreamt of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna. Chitralekha who also had some yogic powers, abducted Aniruddha from the palace of Krishna and brought him to Soitapura.
Usha and Aniruddha started living together in the palace. Breaking her vow of chastity with him, she kept him hidden in her maiden quarters, and the lovers lost track of the days. Banasura came to know about this and held Aniruddha captive. Narada informed about the whole episode to the Yadus in Dwaraka, who were searching for Aniruddha.
The Yadavas army attacked Banasura with 12 akshauhinis army, surrounding his city completely. Banasur took up arms against Krishna and staged a fierce counterattack. Banasur rode forth upon his chariot to fight with Krishna, and the latter fought back with his Sudarshana Chakra. When Krishna started chopping Banasura’s arms, Shiva appeared on the battlefield, riding on Nandi, to protect his devotee. Krishna and Shiva had to come face to face in the battle. But he could not match the enraged Krishan and at last requested him not to kill Banasura, whom he had bestowed with the boon of protection. Obliging, Krishna replied that he had never intended to kill Banasura, and severed Banasura’s extra arms to destroy his pride and arrogance, leaving Banasura with only four arms.
Banasura realised his mistake and bowed his head before Krishna, and dispatched Aniruddha and Usha for their wedding in Dwarka.
It is said that after the fight with Krishna he renounced the world, left his family and kingdom and engaged his life in the meditation of Shiva in the Himalayas. And when Shiva moved from Kashmir towards Kailash, he came along with him. They followed the route of the mountains of Ramban through Sharawardar- Galadar- Padri to Kundi Murad in Bhadarwah. When they reached Kundi Murad, Shiva asked him to return and Banasur who became Baba Bansul later settled down to the present location.
Legends: He is also known as Bhadsha Devta or Kaana Devta (one eyed). Legends say that while coming back from the Kundi Murad he was running through the paddy fields and, accidently a dhaan ka silla (paddy stalk) got plunged inside his eye damaging that. Because of this, any kind of rice offering is not presented to him as he had vowed at that time that he will not eat rice for his life. Makki ka aata (corn flour) and roti made by it are offered in his temple.
It is believed that Baba Bansul followed the route through Chakka kundi to the present place. He rested in Chakka Kundi and a bail (vine) has grown at that place of his rest.
Beliefs and Traditions: Saturday and Tuesday are the visiting days to the deity temple. He is idolized as a judge and nowadays people literally write their problems in the form of an application and submit that in front of the deity or inside the hollow trunk of the deodar tree adjacent to the shrine. People believe that if you will not get justice anywhere you will get it here.
The deodar tree near the temple of Baba Bansul is considered as the living form of Nagani Mata. This tree has a peculiar shape which stands out from other trees in the vicinity. It is said that Bansul Devta loves the smell of deodar wood and therefore made his abode under that majestic deodar.
According to locals in olden times people tried to cut that deodar, but in the morning when they came to continue cutting its trunk, it would have healed itself and they had to start cutting from the beginning. Then once they continued to cut that tree for the whole day and night. And when they were done with it, water started oozing out followed by milk and at the last blood came out from the trunk and finally the tree fell down. But at the same time the whole tree exploded into pieces. No one was able to utilize a single splinter of the wood. The family members of those people started dying one by one unnaturally. Then one of the members of their family envisioned Mata in his dream and was told to plant a new deodar tree at the same place, and if it grew then consider their children will not die anymore. And they followed the same and conducted a puja on the spot which saved them from further destruction.
Talking to the Temple Priest Mohan Lal Sharma Ji, we came to know how Baba Bansul protected the people of the area in the times of Covid epidemic. Once a person came from Ramban after undergoing Covid test. He also joined the jagrata (night worship) in the temple of Baba. In the morning their family received a call from administration that he was detected positive. He was taken to Ramban and tested again, surprisingly he was declared negative. No one from this area was affected by the epidemic and even the people from this area who were working outside didn’t get affected by this disease.
During militancy, it is said that due to the presence of Baba the militants could not touch the area, as while crossing through Neera on the way to Chabba they got blinded on the way. All the villagers supported each other in those testing times. People came together and vowed to present a sagala (big cauldron) to the Devta for showering his blessing.
Local Muslims also venerate him and participate in festivals of Bansul Baba. Sacrifice of Bakra (male goat) and Baadu (male Sheep) is also offered to the deity. Pujari offers the Charu (bhogh or offering) to the deity first. Then vegetarian food is served to the people followed by non vegetarian food. In the times of jagrata and worship rituals of Baba, Nain Singh and Pyar Singh perform the duties of Nandyala and Bajantri (folk singers and music instrument players).
Sharma Ji told us that deity is also manifested in one of the rooms of his house. And sometimes they listen to the opening and closing of the door of his room without finding anyone near that. Also if there is a theft in the village, it is traced, if requested to the Baba.
Mohan Lal Sharma the priest said that their ancestors had moved from Udil Padder to this area centuries ago. Baba Bansul was the Kul Devta of Rainas’ clan who migrated from Kashmir of whom around fifteen families are left in Neera Gali now. Ancestors of their family had nuptial relations with theirs and then onwards they also followed him as a Kul Devta. Their family has a baneful curse of ekpurshi (only one son in the family will survive in all generations). Then once his grandfather requested Baba Bansul to get rid their family of this curse. Baba listened to his prayers and their future generations had survived with more than one son.
Conclusion: The underestimated and uncharted history of Ramban, which is obscured behind the curtains of ignorance, has to be widely dispersed so that the light of our old traditions, values and cultures can be known to the generation to come. It is said that the present Yuga will be the Yuga of Baba Bansul. He will help those in need and spread the vibes of bhakti and belief in this chaotic world. Jai Baba Bansul ! Jai Ramban!
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