Kanwar Jasjit Singh of Kapurthala and Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala were childhood friends.
They had both attended the Aitchenson College in Lahore and even though Bhupinder Singh was a year and a half older than Jasjit singh, they were the best of friends through their time at the Aitchenson College and for the rest of their lives.
Kanwar Jasjit Singh of Kapurthala
When they were both still very young, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh came to stay with Kanwar Jasjit Singh at the kateeli Bangla, a hunting lodge owned by him near Sitaput in what is now called Uttar Pradesh.
The area around the ancient city of Sitapur was covered by a vast dense Jungle at the time, which was considered to be an excellent hunting territory.
The Jungle around Sitapur had a much older history however, going back over 9000 years, when it was known as Naimiṣharanya Van or Naimiṣharanya Forest.
In the ancient Vedas and the Puranas, the “Naimiṣharanya Van” is mentioned in numerous instances.
It is said that in the year 3600 BC, the beginning of Kali Yug (the current age of Global Spiritual Degeneration destined to last several thousand years) Naimiṣharanya Van would be the only place untouched by the effects of the Kali Yug.
One early evening, Kanwar Jasjit Singh and Maharaja Bhupinder Singh went out for a ride on their horses and after a few hours of riding in the jungle found them selves lost in the jungle.
Getting off their horses, they followed the sound of water and soon found a small spring of water, gurgling up from what must have been the main Temple compound.
Happy to have found fresh water, both young men went towards the spring.
Just as Maharaja Bhupinder Singh cupped his hands under the water, the water suddenly stopped flowing.
Surprised at this, he stepped back and just as he did that, the water started flowing again.
The young Maharaja tried once more to capture some water in his cupped hands and once again the water stopped!
Just then there was the sound of the laughter of a child.
Startled they both turned to find a young girl, about 9 years of age, sitting on top of an old broken statue of some ancient deity.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha” she laughed, her infectious happiness spreading like the twinkling of tiny bells, bringing a smile even on the tired and thirsty faces of the young men.
“This is my spring of water” said the little girl with a broad and smile.
“Then can we have a little water from your spring?” said Kanwar Jasjit Singh
“What will you give me for the water” asked the little girl.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala
“Whatever you want” said Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, “Tell me what you want”
“Build a Temple for me” the girl said and then right in front of their eyes, she started to disappear in the fading light.
They could no longer see the girl but her voice became deeper and louder with a strange echo to it, making them both believe that they could hear and feel the voice with every part of their body.
“Build a Temple for me in both your homes” echoed the all pervasive sound seeming to emanate from no where and from every where all around them.
“I am Maha Kali.” said the Voice from every where, “I am Kama Rupinee and as Beej Rupa, I bring fertility to all living beings. Building my Temple will increase and spread your Beej (seed) in all of srishti (all of creation) and your Vansh (Bloodline) will always be blessed by me.”
Then all of a sudden, the incredible echoing voice from every where stopped.
For a while there was just silence and then they heard the voice of the girl again though the girl was no where to be seen.
“You can have the water now” she said with a giggle and then there was nothing more.
The two young men drank the water from the spring in silence and started off in search of their base.
Nothing much was said about the episode by either of them to any one for many years.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh did however build a great Temple for Maha kali in his State of Patiala.
Maha kali Temple Patiala
It could of course be just a coincidence, but he had 88 children and a huge number of grand and great grand children, increasing in number exponentially to this day.
Sadly, Kanwar Jasjit Singh died in early 1943 and so was not able to complete his planned project.
Perhaps another of the Kapurthala blood line will one day fulfill the pledge made to that child in the Naimiṣharanya Van.
ChandraJeet
