Bettiah Raj
Bettiah, seat of the erstwhile Bettiah Raj, and its vicinity falling in the twin districts of West
Champaran and East Champaran are another Bihar region steeped in history and culture.
The history of the district during the late medieval period and the British period is linked
with the history of Bettiah Raj. It traces its descent from one Ujjain Singh and his son, Gaj Singh,
who received the title of Raja from the Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-58).
The family came into prominence as independent chief in the 18th century during the
downfall of the Mughal Empire. At the time when Sarkar Champaran passed under British rule,
it was in the possession of Raja Jugal Kishore Singh, who succeeded Raja Dhrup Singh in 1763.
The Raj was succeeded by the descendants of Raja Jugal Kishore Singh. Harendra Kishore
Singh, the last Maharaja of Bettiah, died in 1893, issueless and was succeeded by his first wife,
who died in 1896. The estate came under the management of Court of Wards since 1897 and
was held by the Maharaja's junior widow, Maharani Janaki Kuar.
The 'Raj Deorhi' or the palace complex occupies a large area in the centre of the town. In
1910 at the request of Maharani, the palace was built after the plan of Graham's palace in
Calcutta. The Court of Wards is at present holding the property of Bettian Raj.Though not much
of the palace remains, the Raj Kutchery with a clock atop its tower still holds charm for any visitor.
The Raj Museum
Now a government museum, it contains an array of memorabilia worth a dekko.
The Mahafizkhana
It is a treasure house of documents which would marvel any researcher. Like the
Maharajas of Darbhanga, the Maharajas of Bettiah too possessed a record room or mahfizkhana. It is a rare repository.
The Bettiah Raj's mahfizkhana houses the official records pertaining to the administrative
and legal affairs of the Raj for the past 250 years or so. The records are stored in two huge
rooms having an approximate storage space of 40,000 and 72,000 cubic feet respectively.
With a shelf space that is approximately half a kilometre in length, the Bettiah Raj mahfizkhana is indeed a rich repository of source materials for the study of the agrarian and political history not only of Bettiah, but of the wider region as well.
The records are placed in bastas, which are individual bundles of records wrapped in cloth.
These include rent registers and receipts, cash books, village notes and settlement records, village maps, legal proceedings and historical letters covering over 200 years of history.
Some 225 km from Patna, Bettiah offers variety to any visitor. Like Darbhanga, Bettiah too is a town of temples and ponds. The Kalibag temple complex has idols of over 500 deities
housed around a pond. Pilgrims can be spotted feeding fishes at this central pond.
Ourgabag, near the circuit house, has developed into Bettiah's religious hotspot, especially during Oussehra. There's the Sagar Pokhra with a majestic Shiva temple and the Joda
Shivalaya, temples facing each other, with exquisite idols of Ganesh and Hanuman carved from
a single piece 'Moonga' stone.
Bettiah became home to Christians in mid-18th century with a the arrival of Nepali Newar
Christians. The Bettiah Raj invited the Italian Capuchin priests to set up a mission here. Christian
Quarters, a bustling Christian colony, is in the midst of the town, right beside the Raj Oeorhi.
Now upgraded to a diocese; a Bishop is stationed here.
The villages of Chuhari, 10 km from Bettiah, Chakhni (near Bagaha) and Rampur (near the
Nepal border) are important Christian missions in the district. The Christians from Bettiah have
spread all over but they maintain links with their roots. Christmas time is for home coming and
the 'Bada Din' celebrations round up the festive season beginning with Ourga puja in
September-October. In between, Oiwali and Chhath are also celebrated with great fervour.
The scions of Bettiah Raj sowed seeds of secularism. If,on one side of the Raj Oeorhi is
the St Mary's cathedral, the other side houses the Jangi Masjid.
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