Channa village
Encyclopedia
Channa is a small village located in Bardhaman district
Bardhaman District
'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...

.It is famous for Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....

 of Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...

, a famous saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

 of 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...

.

Geography

Channa is located in Khano Panchayat area of Galsi
Galsi
Galsi may refer to:* Galsi, Bardhaman, a town in West Bengal, India* GALSI, a planned Algeria-Sardinia-Italy natural gas pipe line...

 - II Block. It falls within the jurisdiction of Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision
Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision
Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision is a subdivision of the Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Bardhaman municipality, Guskara municipality and six community development blocks: Ausgram — I, Ausgram–II, Bhatar, Burdwan–I, Burdwan–II and...

 of Bardhaman district
Bardhaman District
'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...

.

It is a small village with an area of 556.12 Ha or 5.56 km2 approximately.

Demographics

India census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Channa had a population of 2,152.Out of this, male population was 1,090 and female population was 1,062.Out of the total population, the Scheduled Caste population was 641 and Scheduled Tribe population was 1041.

Education

According to 7th All India School Education Survey - 2003 and National Informatics Centre (Burdwan District Unit), Department of Information Technology, there are two Primary Schools in the village. These schools are CHANNA CHARAKDANGA ADIBASI F.P SCHOOL and CHANNA F.P. SCHOOL.

Niralamba Swami

Channa village is famous for Jatindra Nath Banerjee (Nov. 19, 1877-Sept. 5, 1930) rechristened Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...

. Jatindra Nath Banerjee was a resident of this village. He was a disciple of Soham Swami
Soham Swami
Soham Swami was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of...

.

Before becoming a famous Yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...

 and a popular Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

, Jatindra Nath Banerjee (later Niralamba Swami) took an active part in the Freedom Struggle movement of India.He passed FA from Burdwan College. In 1897,he joined Baroda army and became an associate of Aurobindo. He was the first to preach the adoption of revolutionary methods for attaining Independence.When Anushilan Samiti
Anushilan Samiti
Anushilan Samiti was an armed anti-British organisation in Bengal and the principal secret revolutionary organisation operating in the region in the opening years of the 20th century. This association, like its offshoot the Jugantar, operated under the guise of suburban fitness club...

 was established in 1902, he became one of its earliest members.

The repression of revolutionary activities in Bengal by the British Government and family pressure diverted his attention from political activities to spiritual matters. He left home and became a monk in search of knowledge of God. In Nainital he met Soham Swami
Soham Swami
Soham Swami was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of...

, a great Yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...

 and Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

.Soham Swami
Soham Swami
Soham Swami was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of...

 was a disciple of Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba,Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba originally named Nabin Chattopadhhyaya or Nabin or Nabin Chandra, Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known...

, a great saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

 of 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...

.

Jyotindranath Banerjee became an ascetic in 1907.He established an 'Ashram' at Channa, and lived there till his death on 5 September 1930. It was under Soham Swami
Soham Swami
Soham Swami was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of India. He lived before the first quarter of the twentieth century Soham Swami (Hindi:सोऽहं स्वामी ) was a great guru and yogi of...

, Jatindra Nath Banerjee reached great heights of spirituality. He was rechristened as Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...

 and went on establish an Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....

 at Channa. He became a very popular Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

 and yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...

 of India. He was visited in his Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....

 at Channa by the great saint Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba,Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba originally named Nabin Chattopadhhyaya or Nabin or Nabin Chandra, Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known...

 and was taught some new spiritual practices by Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba,Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba originally named Nabin Chattopadhhyaya or Nabin or Nabin Chandra, Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known...

.

Dharmadas Rai

Dharmadas Rai, an important disciple of Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba,Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba originally named Nabin Chattopadhhyaya or Nabin or Nabin Chandra, Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known...

 was a resident of this village. He had accompanied Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba,Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba originally named Nabin Chattopadhhyaya or Nabin or Nabin Chandra, Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known...

 in his visit to Southern India.

Prajnanapada

Another famous person related with Channa village was Prajnanapada
Prajnanapada
Prajnanapada, popularly known as Swami Prajnanapada or Swami Prajnanpad of Channa Ashram , was one of the eminent disciples of Niralamba Swami, the great yogi and Guru of India. He was born on February 8, 1891...

. He was popularly known as Swami Prajnanapada (1891–1974)
of Channa Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....

 (located at Channa village), was one of the eminent disciples of Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...

, the great yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...

 and Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

 of India. He was born on February 8, 1891. He entered the life of Sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...

 and became Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...

's disciple in 1924-25 at Channa ashram.
He was devoted follower of Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...

 philosophy and taught attainment of Self-knowledge using Jñāna
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...

 Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

method (the path of self-realisation using knowledge).

A unique method of teaching of Swami Prajnanapada was his establishment of one-to-one contact with his disciples and devotees instead of giving religious discourses.
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