User:Pandara Samaj

About Pandara Samaj
"Pandara Samaj" is a community concentrated in the’ Koshal’ region of Odisha. The origin of ‘Pandara Samaj’ is stressed with the great ‘Paramara Khastriya’ rulers of medieval India. The community is rapidly expanding agricultural background to various upcoming opportunities in India and abroad. The Pandara Samaj is concentrated in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bolangir, Sonepur, Boudh and Kalahandi districts of Odisha. The objective of this ‘Pandara Samaj’ is to facilitate, propagate and empower ‘Pandara’ community members to proliferate community network to help out each other in every aspects life.

History Of Pandaras
The ‘Pandaras’ are descendants of the Paramar Rajput of the ‘Paramara’ clans of Agnikula Kshatriyas once formed a prominent ruling dynasty in medieval India. Paramara rulers ruled central India from the 9th century to the 14th century with their capital at Dhar (Now in western Madhya Pradesh). According to a popular myth, the mythical man ’Paramar’ was created out of fire by Indra Devta, the god of fire, at Mount Abu by the prayers of saints to rule over the people. It is said that as the newly created mythical man had come out from fire saying “mar, mar” loudly, he came to be known as ‘Paramar’, consequently the territory of Abu, Dhar, and Ujjain were assigned to him as seat of his empire.

Another myth depicted in The Navasahasanka Charitra of Padmaguta (11th AD) mentions that the first of the Parmara clan was created by saint Vashishta as a hero from his Agnikunda to get back the cow that Vishvamitra had taken from him. Vashishta then said: "you will become a lord of the kings called Paramara". Here Paramara indicated killer of others. How ever both the myth implied that ‘Paramara’ was a ruling clan mythically created for the purpose of ruling over the people.

Whatever the origin, the Paramaras established themselves as the rulers of Malwa in central India in the 9th Century, ruling from their capital at Dhar. During their reign, the Paramars enjoyed great political power and clout in ancient India. The Paramaras ruled until 1305, when Malwa was conquered by Ala- ud- din Khilji, the Khilji Sultan of Delhi.

The main seat of the Paramara dynasty was Ujjain (Ujjayini). The Paramar clan has genealogical chart of 238 generations descended from Raja Agnipalak who ruled more than 4,000 years ago. Vikramaditya was a greatest ruler of this clan and the founder of Vikram era started during his reign at Ujjain.Durng the Paramara rule their territory extended beyond the Narmada River and encompassed all of Central and Western India starting the Indus being their boundary in the West. They carried their rule into the Deccan, perhaps the first to extend the Hindu religion, south of the Narmada. In the following centuries the ruling clan endured great vicissitudes of fortune. The descendants of Vikramaditya established themselves as Rajas of Bijolya, in Mewar and Dhar in Malwa. Another King Raja Bhoj, who ruled from about 1010 to 1060 in Malwa, was a great polymath and philosopher king of medieval India. His extensive writings cover philosophy, poetry, medicine, phonetics, yoga and archery. Under his rule, Malwa became an intellectual centre of India. King Bhoj also founded the city of Bhopal to secure the eastern part of his kingdom.

During the last part of 12th century Paramar dynasty was targeted by the invading Muslims. Muslim attacks were at peak during reign of King Mahan Dev (around 1300) who refused to give in to Alauddin Khilji so easily. He gathered 20,000 horsemen and 90,000 infantry to fight with Alauddin's army. Harnanda Koka was the general of his army. On the other hand Ain-ul-Mulk Multani was on the head of a 160,000 Muslim army. After a bloody war Harnana Koka was killed by treachery and the Rajput forces retreated. The Muslims were decimated but due to larger numbers were able to prevail. Paramar territory Malwa along with Mandu, Dhara and Chanderi came in the hand of Alauddin Khilji and due to fear of Muslims many Paramars dispersed across all over India (Punjab, Uttarakhand, Wain-Ganga Valley of Maharashtra, Western part of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh and western Odisha). The ‘Pandara Rajputs’ of western Odisha are descendants of a section of the Paramara army who fled to the western Odisha during this period.

It is heard from the ancestors of ‘Pandaras’ that a Rajput called Jagdish Singh Puar migrated to ‘Koshal’ area as the first Pandara around 1330. Pandaras were first given patronage by the then Khastriya rulers of the’ Patnagahrh’. Pandaras were offered village pattas (Gountia tenure) by Patnagarh king Ramai Deo as chiefs and soldiers of his army. During 1605, when Balram Deo became King of Sambalpur, he brought some trustworthy soldiers with him from Patnagarh and it is believed that some of the soldiers were from Pandara origin. The fourth king of Sambalpur (1650-1666) King Baliar Singh imported around 10,000 soldiers from central India to capture 18 Garhs of Odisha and during this stint; many Pandara chiefs/soldiers backed him in this expedition. A scientific analysis of ‘Pandara’ blood samples by famous Anthropologist Irawati Karve also proved that Pandaras were the descendants of erstwhile Paramar Rajputs rulers of western India.

At present ‘Pandara’ as a community concentrated in Koshal area of Odisha. In the changing condition, Pandaras are primarily became agriculturist in the districts of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Bolangir, Boudh and Kalahandi. As they own Gounti patta for most of the villages, they remain head in the villages in the revenue matter. After independence Pandaras are active in local politics and proved their stint in various secondary and tertiary activities in Odisha.