PLACES OF INTREST

CHUNAR

                   This  historic place lies in  latitude  25.7  North &  Longitude  80.55 East , 32 Km.east of Mirzapur

And is connected  by  rail  and  road. It  is  also connected  by  rail  with Varanasi  via. Mugalsarai in the east.

Tradition asserts that  Bawan Bhagwan  disguishing  himself  as a  Brahamana begged  three steps of land from

king Bali. His first foot-step rested  upon  the  hill  of  Chunar   impressing   it  with  his foot-mark.Consequently,

the hill came to be known as Chunar Adri  or  footstep   hill. With    the  passage  of  time , the  name  became 

Chunar. In   the  course  of   time  the  religious significance of this place increased considerably. It is aid   that 

Bhati  Nath,brother of  the  half    Mythical  Vikramaditya of  Ujjain, having embraced  the habit and profession

of a hermit ,selected the rock of Chunar as his place of retirement.Vikramaditya is said to  have discovered   the 

hidding  place of  his brother  by the aid of  certain holy  hermit named Gorakhnath, and  to have visited Chunar  

and  built  for  his  brother  a residence, he  in his religious  obsarption  having  neglected to provide  any  shelter  

for himself. And a variant of  the legend,already given, states that it is  the asint urf saint, not  God  himself,Who 

is  invisibly seated on the  black  stone in the saint,ashrine on the summit of the hill. The next  name  connected  

with  the   fort  is  that  of  Prithiviraj, who is  reported  to have effected a settlement in this, part of  the country 

and to brought  under   his  rule a  number  of  the surrounding  villages. Afte r his  death the country  is said  to 

have   been   taken   from  his   successors  by  one  Khair-ud- din   Subuktagin. It  appears , however  from  a

mutilated   sanskrit   inscription    the  gateway  of  the  fort   that    the place   was  again   recoverd   by  one

Swami Raja, who put  up the stone to commemorate the event.The fort was  finally acquired  by  sahab-ud-din, 

who appointed  a  ceryain  sanidi,  an  African, and  a  Bahelia, with the  title  of  hazari,  as  the  governers   of  

the   fort , at   the   same   time  conferring   on   them  a   jagir  is said   to  have   remained   with   the  Bahelia 

family  through   all (the  British)   its   succeeding     viciasitudesuntil   its  final  cession  to   the  British  in 1772. 

Chunar did  not become  a  fortress  of   first  rate importance   till   the  sixteenth  century, when   the struggles 

between  the pathans  and   Mugals for  the mastery  of  the  east   took  place  to   which  it  was  regarded  as  

the key,Baber visited the place in 1529 A.D. and  qwing  to  the  number  of   wild  beasts  that  infested   the   

neighbourhood,  lost   many  of  his  soldiers. These men were  subsequently  venerated  as  martyrs and  their 

tombs  are still  to be seen scattered  about  the neighbourhood. Serkhan  sur , afterwards  the  emperror  Sher 

Shah, obtained  possession of  the  fort  by marrying  the wife of deceased Govern and  for some time resided

in it. He  built  the Turkish bath (haman) and  armoury (silah-khana). He  refused  to   give  it  up  to  Humayun  

in  1536,  whereupon  Humayun  besieged it for six  months, ultimately succeeding  in  capturing  it by means 

of a  floating  battery built  high  enough  to command  the fortifications.But  no  sooner  had  be continued  his  

advance  into Bengal, than it  fell  into the  hands of Sher Khan again and it was  not  until  1575  A.D., that it  

was  recovered  by  Akbar. The  latter visited Chunar for shikar(hunting) . He also built  the  watergate in 1586 

A.D.Which  is the date  engraved on  the stone archway. Until 1750A.D. it remained with  the  Mughals. The 

emperor  Jahangir   appointed one Iftikhar Khan  as  its  nazim, and in  the regin of Aurangzeb one  of  its

Governors  was  Mirza   Bairam  Khan, who  built  a  mosque ther in 1663 A.D. near the Bharion Burj.But

after  the disruption of the  Mughal  empire, the  fort  fell  into  the  hands of the nawab vizir of Avadh, and 

through all  the subsequent  aggressions and  intrigues  it  was  the only place which Balwant Singh was not

able, or  did  not dare, to  reduced   into  his  possession. In 1764  an  unsuccessful  attack  was made on it

by the British troops under major Munro. Two assaults  failed  and  the size  was  turned  into  a  blackade

which, however, was abandoned owing to  the  menacing attitude of  Shuja-ud-daula  after an unsuccessful 

night  attack, a breach was effected in the south western rampart  from  batteries erected  on Gaddess fort 

was  exchanged  for  that  of   Allahabad, but in 772 it was   formaly  ceded  to  the  East   India  Company ,

who  established in  it  a depot  for  artillery  and  ammunition. After  Chet  Singh's  outbreak  in 781, Warren

Hastings  retired   for  safety  to Chunar fort  where  a  force  was collected   under  major  Popham, which 

expelled  Chet  Singh  from  his  strongholds   in  the  neighbourhood. In 1791 , Chunar  fort became  the 

headquarters   of   invalid battalion  of  European and Indian troops serving in India, all  officers   and  men  

who  were  unfit  for  field  service, being  sent  here for light duty . From 1815 onwards the fort  was  used  

as a  place  of  confinement  for state  prisoners. During the  freedom struggle of 1857-58 , it was garrisoned 

by  the  artillery  and  infantry  company of  the  European   invalid  Battalion and all the district officers

and  European  residents. The enclosure of Bhartri  Nath's   shrine  was  once  being  used  as civil treasury .

It was garrisoned  until  the  year 1890, when  the   troops were finally withdrawn, the  buildings  in  the

fort being handed over  to  the  charge of  the  civil   authorities who first  used  it as a convalescent jail .

Later on it  was  turned  into a  religious  place. The  fort   contains some  buildings  of  historical  and 

archaeo-logical   significance . The  building known as  Sonwa Mandap  has  28   pillars reflecting purely

the Hindu style of architecture.There is engraving on the  mehrab  which,  it  is  said, was  filled  with  gold.

In  the  back portion there is the samadhi of Bhartri Nath .At present  religious ceremonies are also  held 

there. It has four  gates. There is a tunnel in font of this building. It  is  s aid  that  in 1333 A.D. princess

Sonwa, daughter of Sandeva , a Nepali king  ,used to go to take bath in the river Ganga  through   this 

tunnel , which leades  down  from the  fort . There is about 17M. diameter and about 200M. deep bawali 

in  the fort still having water. It is said that princess sonwa used to take bath here. It is also said that

it is connected with the Ganga which supplies water to it.  Less than one Km. south  west  of  the  fort 

is situated  the tomb or dargah of Shah Qasim Sulmiani. it is a building of considerable  architectural ,

pretensions. The  saint  whose remains  are   interred  here is said to have been an Afghan by birth and

to have lived during the reigns  of    kbar  and   Jahangir , the   date  of  his    being   given  956   Hijri or

1549  A.D. and    the age of  27 he   be took himself  to  a   holy  life, and  setout   to  visit  the sacred 

places  at  Mecca  and  Medina. The Pristige gained by his pilgrimage  procured   him on  his return a 

considerable  following of  disciples, but unfortunately he incurr- ed  the  displeasure of  Akbar by declining 

to subscribe to that monarch's  views on religion.During Akbar  by  declining  to   subscribe to   that monarch's

views on religio.During Akbar reign he was not molested further  than  having  his place of residence  fixed  at 

Lahore, but  on  the accession of  Jahangir his enemies represented  to  the king the danger of all-owing Shah

Qasim to attract so large a number of followers. At first Jahangir  appears to have  contemplated  punishing 

the saint with death .But better counsel prevailed and Shah Sulamiani  was  sent  as  prisioner  to his  Chunar

in 1606 A.D. where  he died the following year.His disciples erected the mausoleum into his memory  and  his 

two sons  were  installed as its chief attendants.The process of  canonization  was  now complete,and Jahangir

himself  recognized  the sanctity of  the shaine by a  grant to the saint's son of 30 bighas of land in the advacent

village of Tikar.One of  the sons, Shah  Kabir Baba,become a  saint ,and his disciplesset up a mausoleum to his

memory at Kanauj.Another son , Muhammad Wasih, and two grandsons, Muhammad Afzal and Muhammad

Hakim, were honoured with tombs near that of Shah Qasim.Further additions to the landed estate of the shrine

Were made in the regins of Shah Jahan and Farrukhsiyar.To the latter it owes  the gift of  the  village of  Begpur.

Poor Muslim travelers were provided with food for three days out of the income derived  from the estates.The

annual offerings  to  the  saint  take place between the 17th and 21^st days of  the  month jamadi-ul-awwal,

and  during  March  and  April  five dargah fair are held  on Thursday which are attended by all classes, prays

and  praise  being  conjoined  with a brisk Market in wordly  goods. The buildings  are seven   in  number.First  

there is  the mausoleum of  Shah Qasim  himself. It is enclosed by  lattice stone walls,outside which standing on

stone basements,are the graves of his disciples in groups,being seprated from each other by beautifully carved

stand it is belived that these when gently rubbed  by  one  of  his disciples, poor out a divine effluence

through entrance gate there is a brief inscription in five lines all of which, except  the last ,are in  Arabic and 

consist of  paraises of the saint, the date given in 1607 A.D. There are two other mausoleums , one  

belonging  to  the   saints  son,   Muhammad  Wash, and   the  other  to  his grandsons  Muhammad  Afzal  and

Muhammad Hakim, and  the other buildings include the Nakkashi Darwaza or principal gateway, the Fawara

Sawan  Bhadon  or  mountain  of   the  rainy  season, the  Range  Mahal  on   the  corner  walls  of  which  are

engraved 16  persian  couplets, and   the mosque. The last six  were all built it is said, by Muhammad Wasih

in 1618 A.D.There are beautiful  carvings on the principal gateway and the stone lattice with which the garden

is enclosed. less  than  one Km. up  a  narrow   revine  to  the  south-southwest to the railway station is

a perennial spring , called Durga Kund. To the north side of the ravine stands the temple of Kamakshi

Devi, and  just  below  it a  small  old temple.The  ravine or Jhima nala,is spanned by a bridge,which leads to a

row of three dalansor cloisters  formmed by  building against  the face of  the rock.Against the back wall there

is a low platform,or seat ,about 38 cm.high and 40 cm. broad, which was probably intended for the reception

of statues.Sculptured on the rock there are  several  figures of  lions, forses, and  elephants in outline .The face

of  the rock is about 3/2 metres high,above which the constructions exist.The whole  back wall is  covered with

short inscriptions of many ages begining from the Gupta period.Similar inscriptions are also cut  in   the rock of

Durga Khoor Durga cave, a little further up the ravine,near which an annual fair is held  on the  ninth day of the

Durgapuja  festival.The cave is simply an old quarry which has been converted into a dwelling by  building

up  two pillars under  the edge of  the overhanging  rock , but  the inscriptions  are of  considerable antiquity,

several  of  them  being of the  Gupta  period, through  they are chiefly the personal records of pilgrims who

have visited  the  cave of  Durga  where  she is  said to have sprung out of the rock .There are several other

interesting buildings about  the outskirts of Chunar.The mausoleum of   Iftikhar Khan, nazim in the reign of

Jahangir , known as the old tahsildari, lies  beyond  the Jirgo. Near  the only  gate by  which  admittance is

Gained there is  a baoli (well) called the "robber's cave" with steps  leading  down  to  the water's  adge.

Formerly a subterranean passage led from the latter to the mausoleum,but this has long  since been  closed .An

inscription over the well shows the date of its construction to have been A.D.1605.The  tomb of saiyid  Bahadur

Ali is on a high stone platform at Tikaur. He was a large land holders in the neighbourhood, who was  assigned 

a  grant  of land  rent-free  by  Shah  Jahan. He adopted the usages and habits of a faqir and is much venerated 

by  the  people  of  the neighbourhood who built a tomb.It is affirmed that the tomb was originally of stone but

it  was mysterously transformed  into white  marble.Close  to  the railway station is situated ,on the boarders of

a swamp , Phulwaria. In  the days of  raja Sahadeo, a mythical raja of the  fort, who had a daughter named

Sunnia who was married to Alha , the Benapher hero of  Mahoba, there was a garden  here, the flowers

from which used to be offered daily to his residence here called idol at Durga Kho. Udal is said to have

taken up his residence here for a brief spell,and the garden is said to have been the model of one made by

Saiyid Jamal-ud-din,anazim of Chunar in the reign of Qutb-ud-din Aibak, at Benares  which  was  famed for

the excellence of its melons.Near it is a monastery called Achraj, composed of blocks of stone  buildings  in 

which  accommodation   was  provided for monks, pilgrims, and others  who came to worship. Along a terrace 

near  the entrance  is an array of Hindu deities with grotesque countenances.It is said to be the birth place of the

great Hindu  hieresiarch Swami Ballabhach-arya or , according to another version ,of his son Bithal  Nath, in

whose honour the  edifices  were built. At  the declivity of a hill , believed to be the Sonwar Pahar,south east

of   Phulwaria,there are the remains of  a  small mowque.

VINDHACHAL

This  is a large agricultural town lying in latitude 25.10 North and longitude 82.31 East,(a part of

Mirzapur- cum – Vindhyachal municipal board ) 11 Km. West of Mirzapur with is connected by a

metalled road.The ancient town of Vindhyachal , famous in  the Puranas , is said to have been included  within

the circuit of the ancient city of pampapura .Pampapura is supposed  to have  been an old  Bhar city covering 

several  Km.of  area.Tradition says that this city once possessed  150  temples, all  of   which  were destroyed

by Aurangzeb.The place is celebrated as  containing the shrine of the  goddess Vindhyeshwari  Devi , which   is

visited  by  thousands  of  pilgrims annually from all parts of India ,especially central  and southern India.The

temple ,which is built of stone is of rectangular form,sorrounded by a  verandah,the whole encompassed  by a 

flight of   five  steps. The  roof is flat and the pillars that support it interior   chamber of it  of plain and coarse 

workmanship.The image of the goddess is in an interior chamber of small size,the walls being constructed of large

coarse  stones. The  head of   the  figure  is of  black stone  with  large  eyes, the whites of which  are formed of

plates of burnished silver, and  the  feet   rest  on  black  rat .The  building  must  be one of   great antiquity .On 

the river front  is the devighat, a  fort  like structure adorned  with  six bastions, which  just out  into the river and

has a flight of  about 80 steps . From  this  a  long  narrow   paved street leads  to the temple which is about 8

Km.distant. The place contains post office , a police station , a pound, a dispansary and a school.    

   TARKESHWAR MAHADEV
  
 There is reference of Tarkeshwar Mahadev in Puran's which is situated
in the east of Vindhayachal. At present this Is in Tarkapur ward of Mirzapur.
Before the temple there was a big Kund which had been dug by a jiant (Asur)
named Tarak . Tarak was killed by Lord Shiva so called Tarkeshwar Mahadev.
Near Kund there were several shivling . According to tradition God Vishanu
dug a pond in the west of Tarkeshwar and established a temple of lord Shiva.
Now it is disappear and stimulated in Ganga river. goddess Laxmi sacrificed
herself here at Tarkeshwar. As per tradition Goddess Laxmi lives here in the
form of another Goddess called Vaishnavi with Goddess Saraswati. 
   
    PUNYAJALA RIVER
 
 The river which flow between Mirzapur and Vindhayachal is 
Called Punyajala (Ojhala) . It is  said about the ojhala that it is greatest 
in all Tirth , as Ashwamegh in all Yagya, Himalya in all mountain and truth 
in all Brata .The Water of this river is as holy as Ganga river. This is 
surrounded by Goddess Kali Temple, Maha Laxmi , Maha Sarsawati and
Tarkeshwar Mahadev.    
 
  NAGKUND
 
  Nagkund is stand in the west of Punyajala river there are fifty two
steps around the kund. It was famous that there was so many container
(Patra) in kund and when devotee prayed for his daily necessities with kund
the container floated on the water level in kund itself . Devotee got and
satisfied with it further they kept the container in Kund and patra dipped
in kund again . It was the most importance of this kund for which it was
famous. Traditionally it is called pilgrims got Akshaya punya after taking
bath in the kund at Panchami of Shukla Paksha of sawan. 
 
     MAHA TRIKON
 
 Devotee and pilgrims gets his desirable Sidhi after Parikrama of Maha
Trikon as it is said. After visiting at temple of Vindhayavashni Devi they
goes to Sankat Mochan (Mahabir) temple as well as Kalikhoh which is in south
of Vindhayachal railway Station. Devotee visit at Goddess kali and worshiped
they make them pious with the water of Kali Kund. They completed their
Parikrama after visiting at saint  Karnagiri Bawali. There are severl temples
Situated of Bhairwas around the Kalikhoh, situation are such as - in the east 
Anand Bhairav, in west Sidhnath Bhairav , in south Kapal Bhairav and Bhairav 
is situated in north.The view of the visitors to get luxary like haven after visiting
at Vindhayvasani temple and completed their Parikrama. Traditionaly it is 
famous as Maha Trikon
.   
  ASTABHUJA DEVI
 
  The Dewaki and Basudev were prisoner's of Kans in Mathura. Dewaki 
Was the sister of Kans. Kans was afraid of with the eighth son of Dewaki.Inspite
of son a baby (girl) was born in place of son. Kans would have to kill him.
Unfortunately baby slipped from the hand of Kans and flew in the sky and ulti
mated to Kans about loss o f his kingdom. In future this baby became famous
as Goddess Asthbhuja Devi. She situated at the top of the Vindhaya Mountain
in Vindhayachal.   
 
 SHIVPUR
 
  According to the tradition of Hindu Methology Bhagwan Sri Ram Chandra
had done the shardh of his father king Dasrath asper direction of Rishi
Basistha in Vindhaya area.First of all Bhagwan Sri Ramchandra worshiped lord
Shiva and paid his dedication to Goddess Vindhayavasini Devi. After that he
established a idol of lord Shiva in the west, which is famous with the name
of Rameshwar so it is called Shivpur. 
  
  SITA KUND
 
  Sita ji dug a kund in the west of Astbhuja b Devi temple called Sita
kund. Near the kund sita ji established lord shiva which became famous with
the name siteshwar, in the west of Sita Kund Bhagwan Sri Ram Chandra dug a
kund which named is Ram Kund.In Shivpur Laxaman Ji Established a Shivling
near Rameshwar which is famous as Laxmaneshwar.  
 
   KANTIT SHARIF
   
  The mausoleum of khavaja Esmile Chisti is Situated in the ward of
Kantit sharif . Annually ursh fair celebrated by Hindu and Muslim both. Near
the mausoleum there is shrine of Mugal Kal , which is very long so called
people were tall in the mugal kal. The shrine is known as Longia Pahalwan
shrine.   
   NATURAL SITES
 
    Around Mirzapur city there is so many natural and religious sites.
The Tanda water fall is about seven miles away from the city . Away from the
Tanda water fall there is Khajuri Dam and Vindham fall. Vindham fall is main
tained by forest department and developed as tourism place. The park and Ban
Vihar constructed at fall, a care have been taken for the protection of
Forest animals . Now a days Vindham fall is a attractive place for tourist.
Inspite  of the place in trikon parikrama thereare so many places which is
important for both pilgrimage and tourism .The natural sites of nature may
seen from the top of Astabhuja Devi. In spring season the sight of nature is
really  very attractive which may be remember up to a long period which may
not be forget . The Sita Kund , Bhairav kund ,Motia Talab ,Geruaa Talab Kali
khoh , amwshwar, Ramshila are religious places and have a great importance
for health.