Rameswarpur
Encyclopedia
Rameswarpur is a village near Dhamnagar in Bhadrak district of Orissa
, India. This settlement was initiated about four centuries ago during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar by the "Ghosh Mahashays" who migrated to permanently settle down here, having come as a part of the contingent of Todarmal during his famed survey of India.
This small village also boasts of conducting the oldest Durga Puja
on record at the same venue anywhere in the world, which continues from the first of the Mahashays.
The Mahashays, who were benevolent Zamindars, gradually lost hold of the land they once owned, still continue the Puja as a part of their centuries old tradition. The family direct bloodline relates to the Luminaries like Annada Shankar Ray
whose father incidentally had shifted base to Dhenkanal, also in Orissa following a family feud.
The Village also conducts the "Raksha Kali" Puja which was initially conducted by the Mahashay family but later converted to "Sarbajanin" by handing over to the villagers as a very large number of animal sacrifices http://www.tathya.in/story.asp?sno=1757 were started by the surrounding villagers during the Puja, which did not go well with the family.
The Village has a healthy mix of population of all castes and is generally peaceful.
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, India. This settlement was initiated about four centuries ago during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar by the "Ghosh Mahashays" who migrated to permanently settle down here, having come as a part of the contingent of Todarmal during his famed survey of India.
This small village also boasts of conducting the oldest Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
on record at the same venue anywhere in the world, which continues from the first of the Mahashays.
The Mahashays, who were benevolent Zamindars, gradually lost hold of the land they once owned, still continue the Puja as a part of their centuries old tradition. The family direct bloodline relates to the Luminaries like Annada Shankar Ray
Annada Shankar Ray
Annada Shankar Ray was a Bengali poet and essayist.Annada Shankar Ray was born in 1904 at Dhenkanal, Orissa. He graduated in English from Ravenshaw College. His father had shifted base from their ancestral village of Rameswarpur near Dhamnagar in Bhadrak of Orissa, following a family feud...
whose father incidentally had shifted base to Dhenkanal, also in Orissa following a family feud.
The Village also conducts the "Raksha Kali" Puja which was initially conducted by the Mahashay family but later converted to "Sarbajanin" by handing over to the villagers as a very large number of animal sacrifices http://www.tathya.in/story.asp?sno=1757 were started by the surrounding villagers during the Puja, which did not go well with the family.
The Village has a healthy mix of population of all castes and is generally peaceful.