Gopalpur Raigarh

Author: Laxman Burdak IFS (R)

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Sarangarh on Map of Raigarh district

Gopalpur is a village in Baramkela tahsil in Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Gopal (Jat clan) = Gopaladeva (गोपालदेव). Gopaladeva (गोपालदेव) is mentioned in Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva. The inscription is one of a king named Gopāladeva (गोपालदेव). The object of it apparently is to record the charitable deeds of Gôpâladêva, especially the construction of the temple where it was put up. This record is not dated ; but Dr Bhandarkar identified the king Gôpâla described in it with the Kānaka Gôpâla, for whom the date 840 of the Kalachuri era (1088-89 A C) is furnished by the Chhapri statue inscription. Gopaladeva founded Gopalpur which is on the right bank of the Mand River (मांड नदी), about 10 miles north-west of Pujaripali. Pujaripali (पुजारीपली) is village in Sarangarh tahsil in Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh.

Location

Gopalpur is a small Village/hamlet in Baramkela Tehsil in Raigarh District of Chattisgarh State, India. It comes under Gopalpur Panchayath. It is located 47 KM towards South from District head quarters Raigarh. 205 KM from State capital Raipur. Gopalpur Pin code is 496551 and postal head office is Baramkela . Gopalpur is surrounded by Ambabhona Tehsil towards East , Sarangarh Tehsil towards west , Bhatli Tehsil towards East , Pussore Tehsil towards North .

Mention in Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva

Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva is one of a king named Gopāladeva (गोपालदेव). The object of it apparently is to record the charitable deeds of Gôpâladêva, especially the construction of the temple where it was put up. Pujaripali (पुजारीपली) is village in Sarangarh tahsil in Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh.

(Verse: 38-40) - On the earth the Kirti of the brave Gôpâla shines like the autumnal moon at the famous Kedara (केदार) (L.20), Prayaga (प्रयाग) (L.20), Pushkara (पुष्कर) (L.20), Purushottama (पुरुषोत्तम) (L.20), Bhimeshvara (भीमेश्वर) (L.20), on the Narmada (नर्मदा), at the famous Gopalapura (गोपालपुर) (L.20), Varanasi (वाराणसी) (L.20), Prabhasa (प्रभास) (L.21), at the junction of the Gangâ and the sea, Varalī (वरली), the famous Vairagyamatha (वैराज्ञमठ) (L.21), the Ashtadvara (अष्टद्वार) (L.21), Shauripura (शौरिपुर) (L.21), [and) the village Peḍara (पेडरा) (L.21).

As for the geographical names mentioned in the present inscription,

• Kedara is a well-known tirtha on the Himalayas,
• Prayaga is, of course, modern Allahabad,
• Pushkara is a holy tïrtha still known by this name in Rajputana. *Putushottama may be the well-known Puri in Orissa,
• Bhimeshvara is a well-known tirtha, also called Drākshārāma (द्राक्षाराम) in the Godavari District of the Madras State.
• Narmada and the holy place Varanasi are too famous to need identification.

• Prabhâsa is identified by R B Hiralal with Pabhosi near Allahabad, but in the period to which the present inscription belongs, the latter does not seem to have been so famous. Prabhasa is more likely to be the tirtha of that name in Saurashtra.

• Shauripura (the city of Krishna) may be Dvaraka in Saurashtra.

• Gôpâlapura, as per R B Hiralal's conjecture, was founded by Gopaladeva himself is plausible, but his identification of it with the village Gopalpur near Tewar cannot be upheld, for Gôpâladëva's sway could not have extended so far in the north. It must have been situated not very far from Pujaripali. I would identify it with the Gôpâlpur which has on the right bank of the Mand River (मांड नदी), about 10 miles north-west of Pujaripali.
• Pedarāgrāma (पेडरा ग्राम) is likely to be Pendri, 8 miles north by east of Sarangarh.
• The other places cannot be identified.

History

'Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva' mentions places Gopalpur and Pendra which appear to have been mentioned, because Gopala had probably some connection with them, Apparently, he was the founder of Gopalapura, which was named after him, and Pendra was perhaps his birth-place. The inscription is undated, but is attributable to the 9th Century A. D. on palaeographic grounds. A Gopaladeva is mentioned in the Boramdeo inscription noticed in Cunningham's Archaeological Reports, Volume X, page 35 ff. Both Pendra and Pujaripali are so close to Kawardha State in which Boramdeo is included that it is very possible that the two Gopalas are identical. Mr. D. R. Bhandarkar holds the same view on other grounds. (Vide Cousens' Progress Report for 1904, page 51.)

Population

Gopalpur is a medium size village located in Baramkela Tehsil of Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh with total 70 families residing. The Gopalpur village has population of 267 of which 146 are males while 121 are females as per Population Census 2011.

References

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