DAREKASA: THE FIRST TRANCE PLACE OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
Darekasa village is in Salekasa Tahasil and in Gondia District of Maharashtra State of India. It is around 52 km from Gondia and 189 km from Nagpur. Near by to this village is dense forest consisting of water springs, a waterfall called ‘Hajra Fall’ (Previously it was called the Kuardds stream), and number of caves. North of the Darekasa Pass over the Ghats, near by which is the station of that name, a bold range of hills rises athwart the sky a range partially wooded and partially of naked rock. In the face of the boulders that gleam red in the setting sun is a tunnel-like aperture.[1] This area was infested by wild animals. So travelers used to take guards with gun for self protection. The ancient road to Raipur from Nagpur was via Kamptee Cantonment, Tarsa, Bhandara, Tumsar, Paraswada, Kati, Kamtha, Amgaon, Salekasa, Darekasa Pass, Ghodtalao, Dongargad, and Rajnandgaon. The same route was existed in British era. It was called Military and Postal Road. [2]This road still exists but it is used by local villagers.
Darekasa is the holy land where Swami Vivekananda had his first trance at the age of fourteen while going to his father at Raipur to from Nagpur by Bullock Cart. His father Sri Vishwanath Datta who was an attorney of Calcutta High Court went to Raipur in 1877 for professional work. So he arranged for his family to be shifted to Raipur from Calcutta. At the age of 14, Vivekananda whose pre-monastic name was Narendranath, while he was crossing the Darekasa area, seeing the dense forest, mountain clips, flora- fauna, water springs, waterfall and honeycombs, his mind was lifted to higher plane of consciousness. He went to trance oblivious of outer surroundings.[3] It was here at Darekasa area Vivekananda had his first trance.
The Ancient Road near Darekasa[edit]
The below description will help to understand the geographical situation of Darekasa, having caves, dense forest and narrow pass called Darekasa Pass which was the part of Military and Postal Road starting from Nagpur towards Raipur via Darekasa.
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The Imperial Gazetteer of India Mr.W.W.Hunter, Director General of Statistics to the Government of India in Volume-2 (1885) wrote that “One of the main district roads to Raipur passes through this Chiefship, leaving it by Darekasa Pass. The hills near the pass contain some curious caves. The Gazetteer of the Central Provinces of India by Sir Charles Grant, Publisher Printed at the Education Society's Press, Bombay wrote, “This is a second class of roads, unmetalled and un-bridged (except by temporary contrivances) , but smoothed, leveled, and sloped at the crossings of watercourses of these the following are the most important. The district road from Raipur to Kamptee was via Darekasa, Amgaon, Bagaband and Tumsar. The route has the heaviest traffic, and where it crosses the Wainganga at Umarwara, there is a raised fascine roadway across the sandy bed of the river during the dry season. The whole of the roads belonging to the second class are excellent fair-weather roads, but are almost impassable for wheeled traffic during the rains.[4]
The importance of above Military and Postal Road line was so convenient for the native and British people that State Railway Board laid down their track from Nagpur to Rajnandgaon beside this road. This is how Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway was started in 1879. For this purpose, railway authorities converted the caves in the tunnel in Darekasa area.
This holy land of Darekasa where Swami Vivekananda had his first trance is neglected and needs attention of the authorities and the people. Land of Maharashtra is fortunate to have footprints of Swami Vivekananda, a great Spiritual Personality who moved the World by his power of Eloquence and Knowledge.[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ Answer to Question of the Famine Commission by Surgeon Major J.F.Barter and G.J.Nicholls, 1878 Published by Nagpur Press
- ↑ The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Mr.W.W.Hunter, Director General of Statistics to the Government of India in Volume-2 (1885)
- ↑ Sri Ramakrishna The great Master (English) by Swami Saradananda Page-1032 Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai
- ↑ The Gazetteer of the Central Provinces of India by Sir Charles Grant, Publisher Printed at the Education Society's Press, Bombay.
- ↑ "Darekasa the First Trance Place of Swami Vivekananda".
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