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clan is not found out of Oudh, nor does it possess a beyond the borders of this pargana. Mr. Carnegy states that they are descended from a Dharkarin, or female bamboo-splitter, who married one Chuka Pande, a servant of the raja of Hasanpur. It is alleged that they still, on certain ceremonial occasions, make religious offerings to a specimen of the ancestral implement, the banka or knife used in splitting the bamboo.
The Bandhalgoti
single village
The origin of the Bandhalgoti is thus related their annals have been ably abstracted by the Mr. Millett, C. S. :—
by themselves, and Settlement
Officer,
Bandhalgotis, Bandhilgotis, or Banjhilgotis, according to their own account, are Slirajbans by origin, and belong to the parThe Bandhakotis ticular branch of the clan now represented by the Raja About 900 years ago, Suda Rie, a scion of that illustrious of Jaipur. house, leaving his home in Narwargarh, set out on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Ajodhya. His route lay across the Amethi pargana, where, near the present village of Raipur, half overgrown with tangled weeds and briars, a deserted and dilapitated shrine of Debi suddenly presented itself The Bhars then held sway, and few vestiges anywhere reto his view. mained of Hindu places of worship, so the pious pilgrim resolved to tarry awhile near the one accident had brought him to. Having performed his devotions he lay down to rest, and in his slumbers saw a vision of the Goddess of the Fane, who disclosed to him a lofty destiny ordained for him and his descendants,—they were to become hereditary lords of the territory in which he was then a temporary sojourner. Prepared to further to his utmost the fulfilment of so' interesting a prophecy, he determined to abide henceforth in his future domains, and relinquishing his uncompleted pilgrimage, entered into the service of the Bhar chieftain. His innate worth soon manifested itsplf iu many ways and secured his elevation to the post of minister. His Bhar master now designed, as a crowning act of favour, to bestow his daughter upon him in marriage but a Surajbans, though he might condescend to serve a barbarian, might not suUy his lineage by a misalliance, and Suda Rae contemptuously refused the profiferred honor. The Bhar chief, in offended pride, at once deprived him of his office, and he returned to Narwargarh. But his mind was ever occupied with thoughts of the promised land he collected a picked band of followers and marched against Amethi. The Bhars were defeated with a great slaughter, and the Slirajbans occupied their territory. Siida Rae established a fort on the spot where he had seen the prophetic vision, and included therein the ruined shrine, in grateful commemoration of the divine interposition of his fortunes which occurred there. After the lapse of a few generations, the line of Siida Rae threatened to become extinct for the sixth in descent from him remained childless in his old age. In the village of Kurmu, however, resided Eanakmun, one of those mighty saints whose irresistible piety carried every thing before it. To him Mandhata Singh poured out his tale of woe, and humbly invoked his aid nor in vain, for by means of the saint'& prayers and austerities the threatened calamity was averted. son was bom to
The
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