Rai Khemraj Singh's Victory-tower in Kaithi

Rai Khemraj Singh’s Victory –Tower in Kaithi

Rai Khemraj Singh judeo was the first born of Baba Pukar Rai of Niyar-deeh,come from nearby Deorayee of Deo Kunwar,and after the mud-fortress built by Pukar Rai in 1378AD in Niyar and after siring twelve sons from three queens saw the need to spread out in Katehar.The onus of establishing settlements for the twelve Raghuvanshy sons fell mainly upon the eldest of them,viz Rai Khemraj Singh judeo.
He came to the temple town of Markandey Mahdeo known in the scriptures since the Satyug Treta and Dwapar,specially on the urgings of his eldest son Rai Chan singh,who set his mind upon meditating on the banks of the holy Ganges.A camp was set a mile before the temple and what was already inhabited by the Seories and al the servants and maids from Balrampur set-up the new house-hold for the tiny prince on the spot where,later on, Rai Chan Singh’s grand-son made the first house of the Raghuvanshy settlement outside of Niyar and Deorayee,in around 1435AD.

Rai Khemraj Singh went back to his father’s place to carve-out more settlements for his younger brothers and sons and nephews all around suitable locations in Katehar.In a way he was indeed more to the settlement of Katehar than his father Baba Pukar Rai.

So in fitness of things that Rai Khemraj singh should be honoured duly and first of all, and more so by the primary scion of himself and of the first House of Katehar and further more it’s very first family,that I most humbly propose of raising,first and foremost,with whatever resources at my disposal,a victory tower in his memory for having won the village of Kaithi for the Raghuvanshy settlers of Ayodhya in Varanasi and Jaunpur.However mellowing down with the signs of times we can call it a smriti –Chinha instead of a Kirti-Stambha,which could irritate not only the powers that would be but also what Victria Regina called “to all and sundry”.Whatever name you would like to give it,say so and we shall somehow commomemorate the visit and settlement of the first hamlet oe the twelve sons of Baba Pukar Rai,outside of Deorayee and Niyar-deeh,nearly six hundred years ago,to be built,giving me great pleasure,on a piece of my land of plot,without let or hindrance (even if just for the heck of it)from anyone,including my own blood-brothers.

Please to understand AND APPLAUD my genuine efforts and come forward to exhort me in any which way suits you,in it’s design,the basic structure,the gathering spaces and the safety enclosures to shoo-away marauders at night,the dirty designs of the surrounding gentry and their deep jealousies and their compelling desire to damage any thing mentioning the past of any prominent lineage,the plaque itself and the memorialabia inscription,detailing the six hundred years of survival in pecuniary hardships and onslaughts of Ghiasuddin Tughlaque,Sikander Lodi and Generals of Sher Shah Suri till 1793,when we stopped being independent land-owners of the entire Katehar pargana and submitted before the wily English revenue official sent in by Lord Cornwallis to undertake permanent settlement of Banaras.

Suresh Pratap Singh with best wishes.