Rarh

Rarh
Geographical region
Dharmarajtala, the sacred shrine of Dharmathakur, at Surmanagar village, Bankura district
Country	India
State	West Bengal
Districts covered	Murshidabad, Birbhum, Bankura, Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur, Nadia district
Regional Language(s) and/or dialect(s)	Rarhi dialect of the Bengali language

Rarh (রাঢ়) is a natural geographical region primarily in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Etymology

The word Rarh originated in the ancient Austric language and means 'a land of red soil'.

History

Rarh is the oldest part of Gondwana which was formed 300 million years ago.

Archaeological findings at Pandu Rajar Dhibi in Purba Bardhaman district, Dihar in Bankura district and other places have thrown fresh light on the pre-history of this region. Stone implements and other findings indicate early human settlements in this region, but it is difficult to identify their time-period. Ancient Greek and Latin sources (3rd century BC to 1st century AD) refer to a place named Gangaridai which is identified to be located in this area. The earliest records point to the human settlements in this region of Vanga, Pundra, Radha and Gauda janapdas, possibly having non-Aryan inhabitants.

The Rarh region was divided into several smaller regions – Kankagrambhukti, Bardhamanbhukti and Dandabhukti, as part of the Gupta Empire (4th -6th century BC).

According to the early Jain scripture Acharanga Sutra, Mahāvīra (599-527 BCE), the 24th Tīrthāṅkara of Jainism travelled in the pathless country of 'Ladha' in Vajjabhumi and Subbhabhumi at a time (5th Century BC) when the country was lawless, and the people were harsh at Mahavira. Many great people were born in the Rarh region form ancient times: Patanjali, who systematized Yoga, Kashiram Das and Krittibas Ojha retold the Indian classics Mahabharata and Ramayana in simple Bengali and is still popular as Kashidasi Mahabharat and Kirittibasi Ramayan.

Geography

The Rarh region is a high, undulating continuation of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. It lies between the Chota Nagpur Plateau and the Ganges Delta.

The eastern Rarh region is composed of the western part of Murshidabad, the northern part of Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman district, Hooghly, howrah, Purba Medinipur and Indas in Bankura.

The Western Rarh region is composed of Santhal Parganas, most of Birbhum, Paschim Bardhaman, parts of Bankura, Kasmar, Petarwar, Jaridih of Bokaro district, Gola block of Ramgarh district, Silli, Sonahatu, Bundu, Tamar of Ranchi district, Singhbhum, Jhargram and parts of Paschhim Medinipur.

According to the Bhuvaneshvara inscription of Bhatta Bhavadeva, Rarh was a dry, waterless and woody region. In old texts there is mention of Bhurisrsta or Bhurishresthika {now Bhurshut in Howrah}, Navagram (now in Hooghly}) and Damunya or Daminya (in Burdwan).

Rivers flowing through the Rarh region include: Damodar, Ajay, Mayurakshi, Dwarakeshwar, Shilabati/Shilai and Kangsabati/Kasai. All the rivers originate on the Chota Nagpur Plateau and flow down to meet the Hooghly.

Language

Bengali is the sixth most spoken first language in the world. Bengali is one of the 22 languages recognized by the Constitution of India.Rarhi dialect has emerged as the base of the standard Bengali language.

Religion

Dharmathakur is a Hindu-deity worshipped by many followers in the Rarh region. A special village god (gram devata) he is represented by a shapeless stone daubed with vermillion and is normally placed under a tree or placed in the open, but sometimes enshrined in a temple. In the Middle Ages, Dharmamangal eulogised Dharmathakur.