Orissa Review * December - 2005 Brahmin Sasan Villages Around Puri Sarat Chandra Mohapatra Brahmins are held high in the caste system of like Acharya, Brahma, and Charu etc. A splendid Hindu society. They are inevitable in the Jagna was performed in the Jagannatha temple, priesthood of temples. Purusottamakshetra, Puri which is testified by the existence of being a socio - religious and cultural centre is Muktimandapa or the platform for salvation at dotted with a number of temples of various sects the southern side of the main temple. with the paramount presiding deity Lord It has sixteen black granite pillars meant Jagannath. He combines in Him the presiding for Brahmins of Sasan villages established by deities of all ages Satya, Tretaya, Dwapara and Hindu king with various privileges and facilities Kali as Nrushingha, Ram, Krishna, and Buddha and rent free land grants i.e. Niscara. respectively. Thus a wide network of Brahmins is a fundamental requisite of the worship of the lord When the British took over the province, from all Bedas and Gotras. all persons claiming to hold properties Lakhiraj or free of payment of revenue were invited to The legendary account of Brahmin resister their claims in the office of the collector settlement around Puri says that at the for a settlement under the Resumption Regulation consecration of the Great Temple in 1230 A.D. XII of 1805. Sasan villages formed an interesting by Sri Anangabhim Dev III, elite Brahmins were feature of Puri land revenue system. These villages brought from Kanyakubja or Ujjain, bestowed have been inhabited by group of Brahmins from them with land and other endowments for living a the west who were brought to Orissa and dignified life and dedicated to ritualistic continued to hold the villages at a Tanki or Token responsibility. Six categories of duties were rent on Sanad of Raja of Khurdha or the assigned to them - study, teaching, performing, Marathas. Jagna and help in organizing Jagna, donate and to receive the donation (Adhyayana, Adhyapana, Sasan villages of Brahmin settlement are Jajana, Jaajana, Dana and Pratigraha). also found in Jajpur, around Bhadrak, Cuttack District and in Puri District in Praganas of Lembai, Consecrations of such a Great Temple or Sirai, Chabisikud and Rahang. Such Sasans have Pratistha presuppose deployment of various been officially recognized at the last settlement. categories of Brahmins for performing specific The keeper of title deed and rent receipts of Sasan ritualistic duties in Jagna. Sixteen such Brahmins villages is known as the Panigrahi (p.214-Final as prescribed in scripture are required for a Jagna Report Survey and Settlement). The Sasan 1 Orissa Review * December - 2005 Brahmins look upon themselves as proprietors Pratap Ramachandrapur, Bijaya rather than tenants. They are described as Ramachandrapur, Abhoyamukhi - Lakhiraj Das. They can sale the whole or part of Ramchandrapur and Kanhei Bidyadharapur were their property, can plant trees, build houses and allowed to sit in the Muktimandap Brahmin exercise all ordinary proprietary rights excepting Sabha. division of rent or liability. Sankaracharya of Gobardhan math is the Compensation for aquisition of land for permanent president of Muktimandap. He is public purposes is to be paid only to the entitled to sit on Muktimandap on Asan or floormat Bajyaptidar or Lakhirajdar but not to the which is not allowed to any other person. Zamindars. A sasan village is orginally the Ramachandara Dev, the first king of Bhoi autonomous community with revenue, judiciary Dynasty installed as Raja of Khurda is said to and police power. No government official, unless have renovated the Muktimandap with 16 pillars. specifically ordered by government can exercise He recognized 16 Brahmin villages out of which any power in a sasan village. Each such village 4 were set by his predecessor Gobinda Dev who has a 'kotha' comparable to a Trust Board and set up Biragobindapur in 2 parts or khandis. His "Mahajan Mela" comparable to Gramasabha of son Managobinda Pratapa Dev called Chakra the modern community development theory. Pratap has founded Birapratappur in two segments or khandis. These khandis were treated The temple of Lord Jagannath is a seat of as Sasanas. Rest 12 Sasanas founded by Brahmincal culture. The same has been Ramachandra Dev are Bira Ramchandrapur 4 institutionalized as 'Mukti Mandapa'. In 1952 AD Sasans or khandis, Sri Ramachandrapur 2 Sasans Govt. appointed a special officer to probe into or khandis, Pratap Ramachandrapur 2 Sasans the right of the person and institutions connected or khandis, Bijaya Ramachandrapur 2 Sasans or with the Great Temple. He has enlisted 24 sasan khandis, Pratap Ramchandrapur 2 Sasans or villages as given below viz; khandis, Bijaya Ramachandrapur 2 Sasans or 1. Bira Harekrishnapur, 2. Bira Pratapapur, khandis or Ubhayamukhi Ramachandrapur 2 3. Bira Kishorepur, 4. Bira Ramachandrapur, Sasans or khandis. Any village beginning with Sri 5. Bira Balabhadrapur, 6. Bira Narasinghapur, or Bira is a Sasana village set up by Kings of 7. Bira Govindapur, 8. Bira Purusottampur, Bhoi dynasty. Birapursottampur and Sri 9. Sri Ramchandrapur, 10. Sri Mukundapur, Purusottampur were set up by Purusottam Dev, 11. Sri Purusottamapur, 12. Pratap son of Ramachandra Dev, Biranarasinghapur by Purusottamapur, 13. Bishwanathapur, Narasingha Dev son of Purusottam Dev, Bira 14. Biswanathpur Samil Nuagaon, Balabhadrapur by Balabhadra Dev, the successor 15. Gopinathapur, 16. Damodarpur, of Narasingha Dev. The last Sasana near Puri is 17. Kashijagannathapur, 18. Rai Chakradharapur, Biraharekrishnapur set up by Harekrishna Dev. 19. Jagannatha Bidyadharapur, 20. Gokulpur, Some Sasan villages set up by queens, 21. Basudevpur, 22. Patajoshipur, 23. Raigurupur ministers etc. are differently named. The list of and 24. Srikia Birakesharipur. such villages has been furnished by Pandit Subsequently the Brahmins of Nilakantha Das as follows : 1. Jagannatha Lalitapatapur, Someswarapur, Kapileswarpur, Bidyadharpur, 2. Basudevpur, 3. Sasan 2 Orissa Review * December - 2005 Damodarpur, 4. Routarapur or Gopinathapur, two illustrious personalities of Orissa took birth 5. Raichakradharapur, 6. Someswarapur, under the Kausik Gotra in that village. 7. Biswanathapur, 8. Chandanpur. Besides Sasan villages established by kings From an insription available from village by issue of Sanand, there are some other Brahmin Alagum near Sakhigopal reveal that a Brahmin villages known as 'Karabada'. Those are from the Kadambara village of Chola country periphery villages around Sasans. Literally the belonging to Kashyap Gotra was residing in that word Karabada means site-fencing, 'Kara' is Site village. Though this village is not within the Sasan and 'Bada' is fencing. Thus such villages used to villages entitled to sit on the Muktimandap, but it serve the periphery Sasan villages. Business was a Brahmin settlement established in the first activities use to be taken up in such villages. The part of the 12th century. History reveals that people say that there are sixteen Sasans and 32 Bedadhyai Brahmins were brought from different Karabadas. Raichakradharapur, Bhanpur, regions particularly Madhya Pradesh, Srabasti, Ganeswarpur, Markandpur, Padusipur etc. are Pundrabardhan and Hastipada etc. during the time Karabada villages. Batchhasa, Kashyapa gotri of Soma, Bhouma, Ganga and other Gajapati Nanda, Bhatta Mishra and Goutamatreya are four kings of Orissa. Such regions are towards East categories of Samantas taken as the Rajguru of and North to Orissa. During the 12th century Gajapati kings. In the early days Samanta Trai or Gangas from South India annexed Orissa or the three categories of Samanta were Batchhasa, Kangoda Mandal to their Dominion. The religious Nanda and Bhatta. Subsequently Goutamatreya preacher Ramanuja propagated His Visistadwaita category of Kausika Gotra were added. The philosophy and established Baishnavite Karabada Brahmins also used to attend the Monasteries. Thus Puri and periphery Sasana Pushyabhiseka and Solasasan Bhoga. But they villages became a confluence of Eastern, Western are not allowed to sit on the Muktimandap. and Sourthen culture which culminated in the Almost all Sasan village follow a uniform establishment of the Great Temple of 'Purusottam pattern of religious practices. The orientation of Sri Jagannath'. Sasan Brahmins being patronised villages is in most of cases East-West and in some and honoured by royal power produced cases North-South with houses paralley arranged monumental work on literature like 'Sahitya facing each other. Invariably Lord Siva and Darpana' of Biswanatha Kabiraj and books on Gopinatha are placed in two extremities of the 'Sruti', 'Dharma Sastra' and 'Grammar'. habitation and Grama Devati somewhere in one After the death of last independent Hindu or either side. king Mukundadev as his successors were The main festival of the Sasan villages are thoroughly useless, anarchy prevailed for some Sitala Sasthi i.e. the marriage ceremony of Lord years till Raja Mansingh installed Ramachandra Siva during May-June and the Champaka Dev of Bhoi Dynasty on Khurda throne. He being Dwadasi and the marriage ceremony of Lord a king of valour and foresight patronized culture Gopinatha. Besides Dola Yatra, Durga Puja, and religion. His first Brahmin Sasan village was Gamha Purnima, Bijaya Chaturdasi, Ashokastami, Sriramchandrapur. It was donated to a Brahmin Jaulei Panchami, Rekha Panchami, Chitalagi etc. of Kausika Gotra of Dasa Bansa. Pandit are observed in