Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/647

 — GON

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interwoven with twigs, and was used as a protection against the nocturnal raids of wild animals. The name of this enclosure is Gontha or GotMn, the place of cows, and from it the name of the town has been derived. The tradition regarding the foundation of the town is as follows

Man

Singh of Khurasa came to hunt in this jungle and encamped near the Gontha because there was a well at hand. A fox came out of the jungle, and Man Singh let a hunting dog loose upon him. The fox ran into the Gontha and took up his position to fight the dog. The dog would not face the fox. This annoyed the huntsman, who appealed to his pandits and astrologers to explain this strange incident. These learned impostors held a consultation and announced that this was a charmed spot, that no enemy could overcome its tenant. Thereupon the raja determined to make this his dwelling-place, and performed the usual ceremonies of new, marking the foundations of his intended house. The raja returned to Khurasa that evening, and after his departure the Ahirs came to their fold at sunset, and found the rice, turmeric and flowers lying about which had been used in the ceremony by Man Singh. They were terrified lest there had been a visit of some enemies in their absence, and they threw the remains of the sacrificial preparations into the well close by. Next day the hunter returned with masons, carpenters, and other workmen to set in hand the building of his mansion, but found all traces of his foundation gone. He was perplexed and asked an Ahir what had happened in his absence. The Ahir told the story of his brothers and what they had done. Thereupon struck in the pandits with ready adulation, " Wah behold how deep the foundations have gone in one night, even into a well This Man Singh accepted the omen, filled in the well and built one is well !" !

!

wall of his palace across it. The traces of the well are still extant at the base of one of the walls of the palace. From the time that this palace was buUt the name Khurasa was dropped, and the pargana was styled the Gonda pargana. Gonda became the permanent residence of Man Singh, who was the first raja of Gonda. In the times of Man Singh it was necessary to fortify the palace and the surroundingdwellings of the raja's retainFor this purpose a deep moat was dug round the qasba, and the earth ers. thrown up as a rampart. The traces of this are visible, as already said, in the ponds now filled with filth appearing here and there in The extent of the ancient qasba may still be marked -the modern town. by four cardinal points north, the Nagi garhi south, an old well lately discovered in the chauk near Kaja Krishan Datt's houses east, the long pit in the qdnungos' muhalla and west, the house of Sita Ram.

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Tradition has preserved no

memory

of the events of

Man

Singh's

life,

to give notoriety to the reigns of aay of It is sufficient to note the succession his successors for four generations. by genealogical table up to the appearance of Datt Singh.

and nothing remarkable occurred

(i)' ^

Durian '

(1)

Man

(2)

Lochan Singh

(3)

Nirbahan Singh

Singh

(5)

Ambar

(6)

Earn Singh.