Banasura
Encyclopedia
Bana in Hindu mythology
, was a thousand-armed asura
and son of Bali
. Banasura was a powerful and terrible asura. All people, even the king of earth and Deva
s of heaven, were afraid of him. Bana was a follower of Siva
. Banasura ruled in present-day central Assam
with his capital at Sonitpur
(present-day Tezpur
, Assam
), Banpur, (Uttar Pradesh
). Banasura, having served Shiva, requested a boon. Desiring to fight, he asks Shiva who is a worthy opponent. Scorning his belligerence, Lord Shiva tells him that he will be defeated by Krishna. The demon is pleased, and awaits this fate with impatience. His flag falls during a battle occasioned by Aniruddha.
Banasura's wife's name was Kandala (कन्दला).
Banasura, a mighty asura
once ruled over a large kingdom. So strong and fierce was his influence that all the kings and even some of the gods shuddered in front of his might. An ardent devotee of Lord Siva
, Banasura worshiped Siva with great devotion. The Lord was so pleased with him that he asked Banasura a boon. The asura, in turn asked Siva
to come and guard the gates of his city.
The Lord was furious but he had to give in to Banasura's wish, as he had already given his word to him. Bana was not only pleased with his achievement, but with Lord Siva
himself at his service, he became all the more arrogant. One day Banasura told Lord Siva that he wanted to fight with somebody who was as strong and as mighty as him. "Yes, yes," replied Siva. "You will certainly get the chance to fight. Whenever you see your flag-staff broken and the flag fallen down then you will know that the chance for a fight is coming." But Siva also warned him, that he would be a great warrior
who will curb Banasura's pride.
Banasura's another mythological connection is related to Banpur, Madhya Desh - ancient Bundelkhand. According to ethics, Banpur was the capital of Banasura the king of demons and her daughter Usha Devi who was also a great devotee of Lord Siva Mahadev likewise her father. She was mid night devotee of the Siva Linga of Mahadev in Jamdhar river at present Kundeshwar. Being prayed by Usha Devi to the Mahadev to be visible to the rest of the world, Mahadev through the Askashwani assured Usha Devi that her wishes will be fulfilled. The Sivalinga worshiped by Usha Devi was emerged from the Kunda of Bagwar, Raghuwanshi Kshatriya clan landlady called Kundeshwar Mahadev - the Mahakaal of Bundelkhand and Bagwar - the Pandya of Kundeshwar presently Tikamgarh(M.P.)
Bagwar is a Suryawansh Raghuwanshi Kshatriya clan of early medieval period. The Baghwa - Lion rider's ancestral from Banpur-capital of Banasura to the dense forest of Jamdhar river in Madhya Desh called Baghroha long back before Vikram Samvat 1201 (1144 A.D.) as engraved footnote found below the idol of Nandi of Mahadev. Being pronounced after the name of Banasura, Banpur and fame of Bagroha, their descendants are known as Bagwar, Baghwar, Badwar.
' with her friends. Usha one day saw a young man in her dream and fell in love with him. Chitraleka was a friend of Usha and daughter of Kumbhanda
, Minister of Banasura. Chitralekha was a talented artist who helped Usha to identify the young man seen in her dream, by sketching various portraits. She had dreamt of Aniruddha
, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Chitralekha, through supernatural powers, abducted Aniruddha from the palace of Krishna and brought him to Usha. Usha and Aniruddha secretly married and lived together as husband and wife in the Agnigarh.
is a gotra
(clan
) of Jats found in Rajasthan
, Uttar Pradesh
and Bundelkhand in India
. Banas are descendants of King Banasura. Their capital was at Bayana
in Bharatpur
, Bagwar of Banpur, Kundeshwar in M.P.
. Usha temple
, at Bayana
, was built during the reign of Raja Laxman Sen, by his wife in memory of Usha. There is mention of Bana
Chieftains along with Pallavas and as feudatories of Cholas in Tamil Nadu. Bana Kingdom
. Alternatively, these may be assumed names.
Hindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
, was a thousand-armed asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
and son of Bali
Mahabali
Mahabali , also known as Bali or Māveli was a benevolent Asura King, and the grandson of Prahlada. The festival of Onam commemorates his yearly homecoming after being sent down to the underworld by Vamana, the fifth avatar of Vishnu.-Conquest of the Universe and banishment:Bali, an asura, was the...
. Banasura was a powerful and terrible asura. All people, even the king of earth and Deva
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
s of heaven, were afraid of him. Bana was a follower of Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. Banasura ruled in present-day central Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
with his capital at Sonitpur
Sonitpur
Sonitpur is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Tezpur. As of 2011 it is the third most populous district of Assam , after Nagaon and Dhubri.-Etymology:...
(present-day Tezpur
Tezpur
Tezpur is a city and the administrative headquarters and municipal board of Sonitpur district in the state of Assam in northeastern India. Tezpur is an ancient city on the banks of the river Brahmaputra and is the largest of the north bank towns with a population exceeding 100,000...
, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
), Banpur, (Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
). Banasura, having served Shiva, requested a boon. Desiring to fight, he asks Shiva who is a worthy opponent. Scorning his belligerence, Lord Shiva tells him that he will be defeated by Krishna. The demon is pleased, and awaits this fate with impatience. His flag falls during a battle occasioned by Aniruddha.
Genealogy of Banasura
The genealogy of Banasura is as under:- BrahmaBrahmaBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
's (ब्रह्मा) son was MarichiMarichiRishi Marichi or Mareechi or Marishi is the son of Brahma, the cosmic creator, and also one of the Saptarshi , in the First Manvantara, with others being Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha .Before the creation started, Lord Brahma needed a few people who can be held responsible...
' - MarichiMarichiRishi Marichi or Mareechi or Marishi is the son of Brahma, the cosmic creator, and also one of the Saptarshi , in the First Manvantara, with others being Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha .Before the creation started, Lord Brahma needed a few people who can be held responsible...
's (મरीच) son was Kashyapa, - Kashyapa's (कश्यप) son was HiranyakashipuHiranyakashipuHiranyakashipu [golden-haired] is an Asura from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. The Puranas describe Hiranyakashipu as an Asura. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha, one of the Avatars of Vishnu and angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing...
and HiranyakshaHiranyakshaIn Hinduism, Hiranyaksha [golden-eyed] was an Asura of pre-ancient India and the son of Diti and Kashyapa. He was slain by the god Vishnu after he took the Earth to the bottom of what has been described as the "Cosmic Ocean". His name in Sanskrit literally means "Goldeneye"...
, - HiranyakashipuHiranyakashipuHiranyakashipu [golden-haired] is an Asura from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. The Puranas describe Hiranyakashipu as an Asura. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha, one of the Avatars of Vishnu and angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing...
's (हिरण्यकश्यप) youngest son was PrahladaPrahladaPrahlada is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, wherein he is famed for his exclusive devotion to Vishnu, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu, to turn him to the contrary...
, - PrahladaPrahladaPrahlada is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, wherein he is famed for his exclusive devotion to Vishnu, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu, to turn him to the contrary...
's (प्रहलाद) son was VirochanaVirochanaVirochana , in Hindu mythology, was an asura, son of Prahlada and father of Bali. In the Atharvaveda he was mentioned as the son of Prahlada. According to the Chandogya Upanishad , he and Indra went to Prajapati to learn about the atman and lived there, practising brahmacharya for thirty-two...
, - VirochanaVirochanaVirochana , in Hindu mythology, was an asura, son of Prahlada and father of Bali. In the Atharvaveda he was mentioned as the son of Prahlada. According to the Chandogya Upanishad , he and Indra went to Prajapati to learn about the atman and lived there, practising brahmacharya for thirty-two...
's (विरोचन) son was Bali, - Bali's (बलि) son was Banasura
Banasura's wife's name was Kandala (कन्दला).
Banasura, a mighty asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
once ruled over a large kingdom. So strong and fierce was his influence that all the kings and even some of the gods shuddered in front of his might. An ardent devotee of Lord Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Banasura worshiped Siva with great devotion. The Lord was so pleased with him that he asked Banasura a boon. The asura, in turn asked Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
to come and guard the gates of his city.
The Lord was furious but he had to give in to Banasura's wish, as he had already given his word to him. Bana was not only pleased with his achievement, but with Lord Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
himself at his service, he became all the more arrogant. One day Banasura told Lord Siva that he wanted to fight with somebody who was as strong and as mighty as him. "Yes, yes," replied Siva. "You will certainly get the chance to fight. Whenever you see your flag-staff broken and the flag fallen down then you will know that the chance for a fight is coming." But Siva also warned him, that he would be a great warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
who will curb Banasura's pride.
The Legend
The mythological connection of Banasur is related to Bamsu (Modern Name Lamgoundi) Village in Rudraprayag District of Uttrakhand. The name on the area in mentioned in Vedas too. This is to believe that Bamsu was the capital of Banasur. Still a famous temple for Banasur is there and Villagers of nearby villages such as Pasalat, Phoili. Dewli Bhanigram Including Lamgoundi use to worship Banasur especially as a rain GOD. For major evidence that Lamgoundi was the capital of Banasur there is not only a temple of Banasur, village have a small temple of Anirudhha, who was kidnapped by the daughter of Banasur named Usha as she was having some power or magic that who so ever she can see in her dreams, can be taken to her place. She had a dream about Anirudha and wish to marry with him. Anirudha was the grand son of Lord Kirshna. When he was kidnapped, Krishna plan to attack Banasur but by the time Anirudha and Usha was married in Usha Anirudha temple at Okhimath, the major temple of the area and where Lord Kedarnath use to stay when Kedarnath temple use to close for winter. Lamgoundi also known as Shonitpur and they have a Shonitpur Sanskrit College in the village. Looking to this aspect it seem that Banasur was actually belong to Bamsu (Lamgoundi).Banasura's another mythological connection is related to Banpur, Madhya Desh - ancient Bundelkhand. According to ethics, Banpur was the capital of Banasura the king of demons and her daughter Usha Devi who was also a great devotee of Lord Siva Mahadev likewise her father. She was mid night devotee of the Siva Linga of Mahadev in Jamdhar river at present Kundeshwar. Being prayed by Usha Devi to the Mahadev to be visible to the rest of the world, Mahadev through the Askashwani assured Usha Devi that her wishes will be fulfilled. The Sivalinga worshiped by Usha Devi was emerged from the Kunda of Bagwar, Raghuwanshi Kshatriya clan landlady called Kundeshwar Mahadev - the Mahakaal of Bundelkhand and Bagwar - the Pandya of Kundeshwar presently Tikamgarh(M.P.)
Bagwar is a Suryawansh Raghuwanshi Kshatriya clan of early medieval period. The Baghwa - Lion rider's ancestral from Banpur-capital of Banasura to the dense forest of Jamdhar river in Madhya Desh called Baghroha long back before Vikram Samvat 1201 (1144 A.D.) as engraved footnote found below the idol of Nandi of Mahadev. Being pronounced after the name of Banasura, Banpur and fame of Bagroha, their descendants are known as Bagwar, Baghwar, Badwar.
Usha in love with Aniruddha
Banasura had a beautiful daughter named Usha. While still young, a number of proposals came for her marriage, but Banasura accepted none. Wary that Usha might fall in love with men other than his choice, he kept Usha in a formidable fortress called 'AgnigarhAgnigarh
Agnigarh is the site of the fortress which was built by Banasura to keep his daughter Usha in isolation. The name itself is derived from the words 'Agni' and 'garh' in Sanskrit.-Mythology:...
' with her friends. Usha one day saw a young man in her dream and fell in love with him. Chitraleka was a friend of Usha and daughter of Kumbhanda
Kumbhanda
A ' or ' is one of a group of dwarfish, misshapen spirits among the lesser deities of Buddhist mythology. was a dialectal form for "gourd", so they may get their name from being thought to resemble gourds in some way, e.g. in having big stomachs...
, Minister of Banasura. Chitralekha was a talented artist who helped Usha to identify the young man seen in her dream, by sketching various portraits. She had dreamt of Aniruddha
Aniruddha
Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and...
, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Chitralekha, through supernatural powers, abducted Aniruddha from the palace of Krishna and brought him to Usha. Usha and Aniruddha secretly married and lived together as husband and wife in the Agnigarh.
Descendants of Banasura
BanaBana (clan)
Bana is a gotra of Jats found in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in India. Banas are descendants of King Banasur. Their capital was at Bayana in Bharatpur. Vana Ganga river gets name from Banas. The princess of Bayana was Usha married to Anirudh. There is a temple at Bayana constructed in memory of Usha...
is a gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
(clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
) of Jats found in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Bundelkhand in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Banas are descendants of King Banasura. Their capital was at Bayana
Bayana
Bayana is a historical town in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in India. It is a historical city founded by Banasur, who was an Asura. He lived during the time of Krishna...
in Bharatpur
Bharatpur district
Bharatpur District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Bharatpur is the district headquarters.-History:When Bharatpur was a princely state, it was the only political entity ever to have a Chartreuse colored flag.-Demographics:...
, Bagwar of Banpur, Kundeshwar in M.P.
Tikamgarh District
Tikamgarh district is one of the 50 districts of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. Tikamgarh town is the district headquarters. The district is part of Sagar Division....
. Usha temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
, at Bayana
Bayana
Bayana is a historical town in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in India. It is a historical city founded by Banasur, who was an Asura. He lived during the time of Krishna...
, was built during the reign of Raja Laxman Sen, by his wife in memory of Usha. There is mention of Bana
Bana
Bana may refer to:*Term for the Fali people, especially in Nigeria* Bana, Gabon* Bana, Guinea* Bana , a village in Rajasthan state of India* Bana , popular balladeer from Cape Verde* Bana, Hungary, village in Hungary...
Chieftains along with Pallavas and as feudatories of Cholas in Tamil Nadu. Bana Kingdom
Bana Kingdom
The Banas were a dynasty of South India, who claimed descent from the asura Mahabali. The dynasty takes its name from Bana, the son of Mahabali. The Banas faced opposition from several neighbouring dynasties and served some major dynasties such as the Cholas and Pandyas as feudatories, sometimes...
. Alternatively, these may be assumed names.