Bhubaneswari Temple, The ancient Shakti peetha of Kolabira, Jharsuguda
In the Sambalpur empire, there are instances of worshiping the goddesses Samleswari,Khambeswari,Patneswari,Ranjita,Budha Raja,Mauli etc. by Chauhan kings. They have also established several Shakti Peeths in the sambalpur realm. The temple of Goddess Bhubaneswari is renowned as an ancient Shakti Peetha located in the vicinity of Kolabira fort in Kolabira village, 16 km away from Jharsuguda district. The goddess of the temple, Bhubaneswari is worshiped by the villagers as the presiding goddess.
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| (Bhubaneswari Temple) |
History
Kolabira, near Chhapra under Jharkhand kingdom was a Kolh tribal inhabited area in the twelfth century AD. A group of kohal community people of this village infiltrated the Gangpur Gadajat (Sudargarh) of the neighboring kingdom of odisha for purpose of earning livelihood, established Kolabira Village, and settled there. Though, another Kolh group from Kolabira of Jharkhand migrated to the ground of the Veden River and the IB River, which flows near Jharsuguda under the Sambalpur kingdom. Gonds belonged to the Gondwana region of central providence (present Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) migrated to Sambalpur district after the disintegration of the Gondwana kingdom during the fourteenth century.
Many Gondwana kingdoms were established in madhy Pradesh during the thirteen century. These vast empires collapsed In the fourteenth century. Therefore, a large number of Gond peoples relocated to the neighboring kingdom of Sambalpur. They infiltrated the village of Kolabira, located on the banks of the then Veden River, led to intense clashes between both the Kolh and Gand. Eventually, the Gond defeated the Kolh in battle and extended their dominance in the Kolabira region.
Earlier, King Vishwanath Dev of the Kalchuri dynasty ruled the estate of Jaipur on the eastern border of Kolabira village. The kingdom was unfurled in three directions such as Bamanda, Gangpur and Suguja. Most of the people of the remote estate of Jaipur, which is surrounded by the deep forest and the river mountain, belong to the tribal community of Bhuyan, Kumura, Gond. Raja Bishwa Nathdev being childless created political instability in the estate. On this occasion, the Bamanda king Rudranarayan Deb and the king of Gangpur jointly invaded the estate of Jaipur.However, King Bishwanathdev died in the war, and Jaipur estate collapsed. Eventually, some parts of Jaipur estate Included under both Bamanda and Gangapur king. The disintegration of the Jaipur estate had led to severe anarchy throughout the tribal areas. So the notorious gond expanded their lordship in the area. He installed a lemon on the throne and Eight Gond leaders ruled the kingdom according to turn. That is, the Ashtamallik rule prevailed here.
In the sixteenth century AD, King Balarama Deva of the Chauhan dynasty established the kingdom of Sambalpur in the river basin. During his reign (1510-1584 AD), he invaded Surguja kingdom (Suraguja in modern Chhattisgarh)to disseminate territory. As a consequence, he first occupied Gangapur (Sundergarh region of modern Odisha) ,a neighboring kingdom of Surguja.
As Suraguja Lalit Singh cognized that his kingdom would be assailed. So he reached at Bhogragarh fort located on the southern border of the kingdom with his army troops. Owing to there was a fierce battle between the two armies. But in the battle, many of the army, fort guards and personnel in charge of Bhogragarh, including many soldiers of Suraguja kingdom were slain.
Meanwhile, the army of the Sambalpur king blockaded the Bhogragarh fort, taking advantage of the debacle of the Suraguja kingdom Army. After the victory, the Sambalpur kingdom army demolished the Bhogragarh fort. Eventually, Suraguja king Lalit Singh fled to his capital, realizing that he had been defeated in battle. After the Bhoggarh war, Sambalpur extended to Jharsuguda in the northwest direction.
Goddess Bhubaneswari was adored in a miniature temple on the north side of the ancient Bhogragarh fort. But after the war, Bhogragarh was devastated, which was completely ruined by the floods and natural disasters of the Veden River. During the reign of Jayant Singh, the Chauhan dynasty king of Sambalpur (1782-1818), the idol of Goddess Bhubaneswari was relocated from the premises of the demolished temple to the palace of Sansadhar Singh, the then Kolbira fort.
the Kolabira zamindari was established in the late 18th century, during the reign of King Jayant Singh of Sambalpur (1781-1818), i.e. in 1785 AD. Sansadhar Singh rescued Rahas Kumari, the third queen of King Jayant Singh, from the clutches of Devan Vishwambar and ceded to the king, and King Jayant Singh expressed satisfaction and granted him the first zamindar position in the new Kolabira zamindari.
The Kolabira zamindari had a total area of 278 square miles (720 square kilometers). The zamindari is bounded on the north by the Bamra zamindari boundary on the border to Bagdihi, on the south by the Bamanda kingdom boundary on the Sahaspur, PakelPada, Ganji Dhi, Talmunda, on the east by LuDung, Kariapalli, Rabdega, Hadipali and on the west by the Jharsuguda zamindari border.
Nevertheless, the first zamindar of Kolabira, SanSadhar Singh had two queens. The first queen's only son was Nilambar Singh. But the second queen had 11 sons and the eldest son was Karunakar. It is true that the zamindar Sansadhar Singh divided his zamindari among the sons of both queens; But he made Karunakar the kolabira zamindar, the son of the second queen, and the villages of Naxapali, Bidmal, Leikera, Tareikela, Jharmal, Kadobahal, Khuntamal, including Kolabira were given. Nilambar, four villages namely Khunapali, Sialrama, Kelda, Jamal, Parmanpur and Siriapali were granted to Nilambar, son of the first queen.
After the death of Kolabira zamindar Sansadhar Singh, his son Karunakar Naik dominated the Kolabira zamindari . Veer Surendra Sai, the Chouhan Zamindar of Khinda started an armed revolution against the British and Karunakara Nayak the Zamindar of Kolabira joined the revolution as a follower and his property was confiscated because of his support to Surendra Sai. Karunakar fought against the British as the commander of the rebels in the Kundupali war.His son Krishnachandra Singh was martyred in the battlefield.He surrendered to the British in Amnesty declaration.He was hanged in the jail premises of Sambalpur on 11th February 1858. The British army in the meantime had blown the palace of Kolabira Jamindar by cannons.Subsequently, the son of Karunakara Nayak appealed before the 'Court of Wards‘ at Nagpur and got back his confiscated Zamindari and properties in 1860. The English repaired the damaged palace and fort as compensation. At present, the descendants of Kolabira Zamindar reside in the premises of the old fort which is grossly damaged.
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| ( goddess Bhubaneswari) |
Festival
Sardiya puja is being organized at Samlei temple every year. The Sharadiya Durga Puja begins on the seventh day and ends on the tenth day of the month of Ashwin. On this date, Akhanda deepa (lamps) are lit in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Since the Ghanshyam regime, the fifth zamindar of Kolabira, the Baliyatra festival has been celebrated on the pedestal of Maa Samlei temple, located in front of the Kolabira fort, during saradiya puja . On the tenth night of the Ashwin Shukla Paksha, Barua (Kalisi) is circled the village of Kolbira.
During the festival, during this festival, devotees worship Barua in the village of Kolbira as their mother.Hundreds of devotees from distant gather at the shrine to worship Barua form of Maa Samlei. In addition, according to the Sambalpur Chauhan dynasty, the Ranijita festival is still being observed in Kolabira on the tenth night.
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| (Glimpse of Baliyatra) |
Construction
At the behest of King Jayant Singh of Sambalpur, during the reign of Sansadhar, the goddess Bhubaneswar statue was displaced from the premises of Bhogragarh Fort on the banks of the Veden River to the Kolabira Fort. The goddess Sansadhar placed the idol on a stage and worshiped her as goddess . The construction of the temple was executed during the reign of Ghanshyam Singh, the zamindar of Kolabira. The height of the temple is 30 feet. Dakshin Kali, Bhairab, Bhairavi, Banjari, Shikla Pat and Devi Chhatra Bauti are also worshiped in the temple, including the goddess Bhubaneswar.
The Kolabira zamindar was responsible for the worship, maintenance and management of the temple. But since the abolition of the zamindar rule by the state government in 1956, The responsibility of the temple lies above the Masses and Zamindar. Due to lack of funds, this Shakti Peetha is not progressing. Nevertheless, the work of the villagers towards the prosperity of the temple is commendable.
How to reach
Ancient Shakti peeth loacted in the Kolabira block. Kolabira is located 16 km from Jharsuguda district. Many buses available from Jharsuguda bus stand to Kolabira. You can catch a bus from jharsuguda bus stand to Kolabira to visit goddess Samlei temple at a low cost. You can also rent a car from Jharsuguda city or get there by your vehicle.
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Google location of the temple is provided below
Well noted .. Heritage of our Jharsuguda dist.
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