Jhusi
Encyclopedia
Jhusi is a town and a nagar panchayat
in Allahabad district
in the India
n state
of Uttar Pradesh
. It was formerly called Andhernagri and Pratishthan Pur
or Puri.
near the bank of Ganges. This area also hosts the international headquarter of a famous spiritual organization, Vihangam Yoga on Chatnag road. This center is of great importance for meditation training apart many other things like ayurveda, acupressure etc. People come here from more than 40 countries to know more about spirituality and the path of God realization. GB Pant Social Science research center, Vishnu Temple, Ulta Kila (an old fort) are also here. The town has a huge religious importance, being at the bank of river Ganges and lying in the Kumbh Mela area
, Jhusi had a population of 13,633. Males constitute 57% of the population and females 43%. Jhusi has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 60%, and female literacy is 43%. In Jhusi, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
rivers called Jhusi yielded a C14 dating of 7100 BC for its Neolithic
levels. Historically, Jhusi was known as Prathisthanpuram
. It was burnt down by foreign invaders around 13-14th century and it came to be known as Jhulsi (Hindi word meaning burnt) the 'l' went missing as years passed on, became Jhusi.
There was conflagration which completed the destruction of the city and the ruins went by the name of Jhunsi, a burnt town from the Hindi root 'jhulasna'. It is also said that the town was destroyed in an earthquake in 1359 CE as a result of the invocations of saint Maqdoom Shah Taqiuddin whose tomb lies on one side of the fortress. The traditions relating to the scattering of Brahmana and Kshatriya clans abandoning their homes in Jhunsi and emigrating to distant places during the medieval period lend colour to this theory. There is also the historical and sacred Samudrakoop here which has its own story. "It is known as Samudrakoop since it belongs to the period of Samudragupta. In fact five such wells are found in Ujjain, Mathura, Prayag(Allahabad), Varanasi and Patalpur. It was dumped with garbage once but the efforts of a sage Dayaram brought its historical importance to limelight." Research on lost heritage of Allahabad under Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) suggests that the site is slowly losing its identity on account of continuous erosion of Ganga river. "The high mound, which belong to Kushana period, has few bricks exposed right now".
Another important thing to look here is the fort of king Puru. Archeological department found old coins and utensils in this area. There is a hanuman cave in this fort which is itself awesome to see. Near this fort is located a mysterious tree that Muslims believe that their priest shah Mohammed Magdoom Taqiuddin Ali Murtaza "Taki Baba" planted when he arrived in Jhunsi hundreds of years ago to preach Islam. The tree belongs to baobab
family and is very rare (Adansonia Digitata).
Nagar Panchayat
A nagar palika or nagar panchayat is a form of an urban political unit in India comparable to a municipality.An urban centre with more than 30,000 and less than 100,000 inhabitants is classified as a nagar panchayat....
in Allahabad district
Allahabad District
Allahabad district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Allahabad town is the district headquarters. Allahabad district is a part of Allahabad Division.As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Uttar Pradesh ....
in the 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...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of 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...
. It was formerly called Andhernagri and Pratishthan Pur
Pratisthan Pur (Jhunsi)
Pratisthan Pur or Pratisthan Puram was capital of the Lunar Dynasty , at present Jhusi, Allahabad. This archeological site has yielded a carbon 14 dating of 7100 BC for its Neolithic levels...
or Puri.
Geography
Jhusi has an average elevation of 76 metres (249.3 ft). Jhusi is the biggest town area in Allahabad district. There is a Birla guest house and Harish-Chandra Research InstituteHarish-Chandra Research Institute
The Harish-Chandra Research Institute is a research institution, named after the mathematician Harish-Chandra, located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is an autonomous institute, funded by the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India...
near the bank of Ganges. This area also hosts the international headquarter of a famous spiritual organization, Vihangam Yoga on Chatnag road. This center is of great importance for meditation training apart many other things like ayurveda, acupressure etc. People come here from more than 40 countries to know more about spirituality and the path of God realization. GB Pant Social Science research center, Vishnu Temple, Ulta Kila (an old fort) are also here. The town has a huge religious importance, being at the bank of river Ganges and lying in the Kumbh Mela area
Demographics
India censusCensus
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...
, Jhusi had a population of 13,633. Males constitute 57% of the population and females 43%. Jhusi has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 60%, and female literacy is 43%. In Jhusi, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
History
Recently an archeological site near the confluence of the Ganges and YamunaYamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
rivers called Jhusi yielded a C14 dating of 7100 BC for its Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
levels. Historically, Jhusi was known as Prathisthanpuram
Pratisthan Pur (Jhunsi)
Pratisthan Pur or Pratisthan Puram was capital of the Lunar Dynasty , at present Jhusi, Allahabad. This archeological site has yielded a carbon 14 dating of 7100 BC for its Neolithic levels...
. It was burnt down by foreign invaders around 13-14th century and it came to be known as Jhulsi (Hindi word meaning burnt) the 'l' went missing as years passed on, became Jhusi.
Prayag's past buried at Jhunsi
Once belonging to the rulers of Mauryan, Shunga, Kushana and Gupta period, the ancient Pratisthana has lost its identity to the modernity of Jhunsi. The only evidence related to this historical fact is still visible in the shape of high mounds in Jhunsi. Surprisingly, these high mounds have further added to the significance of the city as the articles excavated from here belong to the sixth century BC and antiquities belonging to five cultural phases ranging from chalcolithic to early medieval period have been found here. As per the historians and the pre NBP ware deposit the site of Kumbh Mela is marked at this place as the earliest culture represented at the site. Early layer of this deposit has yielded iron objects. Some pottery items and antiquities are similar to those found at different chalcolithic sites in UP, Bihar and Northern Vindhyas. From the pre-NBP Ware period to the Gupta period there had been continuous settlement at the site. However, there appears to be a cultural gap between the end of Gupta period and the beginning of early medieval period. "There is every likelihood that the site may show up no gap at all when excavated extensively. This possibility is based on the strategic location of the site itself which, by virtue of the same reason, would have never been abandoned after having been once occupied. The excavations in the area only hint at the above fact. The ruins of ancient Pratishthana which are represented by the high mounds of Jhunsi on the eastern bank of Ganga are spread over an area of about four square miles. Pratishthana was the most important locality of Prayag and it was founded by king Ila and was the capital of Pururavas and other kings of Lunar dynasty Kalidasa too mentions about Pratishthana in his drama Vikramor-vasiyam. He has given an imaginary account of this palace of Pururavas which was magnificent. Various myths are also associated with this site. An inscription of Trilochanapala, the Pratihara king, was discovered from the site in 1830. In his book, VN Pandey mentions that the naming of Jhunsi too has a legend associated with it. It was once ruled by Har-bonga, an imbecile and foolish king in whose reign chaos prevailed everywhere. When the cup of his inequity was full there was an upheaval on the earth and the capital Pratishthana was turned upside down hence now known as 'Ulta Quila'.There was conflagration which completed the destruction of the city and the ruins went by the name of Jhunsi, a burnt town from the Hindi root 'jhulasna'. It is also said that the town was destroyed in an earthquake in 1359 CE as a result of the invocations of saint Maqdoom Shah Taqiuddin whose tomb lies on one side of the fortress. The traditions relating to the scattering of Brahmana and Kshatriya clans abandoning their homes in Jhunsi and emigrating to distant places during the medieval period lend colour to this theory. There is also the historical and sacred Samudrakoop here which has its own story. "It is known as Samudrakoop since it belongs to the period of Samudragupta. In fact five such wells are found in Ujjain, Mathura, Prayag(Allahabad), Varanasi and Patalpur. It was dumped with garbage once but the efforts of a sage Dayaram brought its historical importance to limelight." Research on lost heritage of Allahabad under Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) suggests that the site is slowly losing its identity on account of continuous erosion of Ganga river. "The high mound, which belong to Kushana period, has few bricks exposed right now".
Tourism
Jhunsi is important for its nearness to the Ganges. Tourists found it interesting seeing the old historical buildings here. The mighty Samudrakoop which was probably built by King Samudragupta, is significant for the water in this well that never dries. It is believed that this well is connected directly to the oceans. One interesting thing is that on dropping a coin in this well anyway, the coin follows a spiral path and sinks at the centre of the well. Even if you drop a stone in this well you hear sounds of coins instead of the water into which it has fallen. It is believed that bathing by the mighty water of this well on a full moon day leads to prosperity and happiness.Another important thing to look here is the fort of king Puru. Archeological department found old coins and utensils in this area. There is a hanuman cave in this fort which is itself awesome to see. Near this fort is located a mysterious tree that Muslims believe that their priest shah Mohammed Magdoom Taqiuddin Ali Murtaza "Taki Baba" planted when he arrived in Jhunsi hundreds of years ago to preach Islam. The tree belongs to baobab
Baobab
Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....
family and is very rare (Adansonia Digitata).