Vill. Kaithi on Tourist map on reinforced NH29.

8.01.2010

To,
Sri Awanish Kumar Awasthi
Director General UPSTDC
C-13,VIPIN KHAND
Paryatan Bhawan
Gomti Nagar
Lucknow

Respected Sir,

Re.: Tourism development possibilities at Kaithi-Markandey(Varanasi).
Vis-a Vis proposed four-lanes expansion plans of NH.29

1.Village Kaithi was settled by the mighty Raghuvanshy warriors of Katehar in 1465 AD ,namely by Rai Khemraj Singh by putting up his five years old son Rai Chan Singh judeo ,at the site of the Sees Chand Mansion,later built by his grandson,in around the year 1500AD. And still lived in by his descendants,including 1857 martyr Jaipal Singh.
2.All Hindus are aware of the first “Adi-Linga” of Markandey Mahadeo.And those having perused the Skand and Bhavishya Puran are also aware of Raja Divodas settling on the banks of Ganga and Gomti,after Lord Shiva’s disciples forced him to vacate Kashi,as desired by Lord Shiva to be devoid of human beings for use of it as his own abode.The new settlement of Divodas –Prajapati was known as “Lahuri Kashi”.
3.Bhagwan Ram came here as ordered by Sri Bashishtha for the penance-yagya for killing a brahmin.King Yudhishthir came here to cross the Ganges to proceed to Viratnagar for his thirteenth year of banishment and the last year in hiding.All the seven sages of the “Saptarshi Taramandal” meditated in Kaithi.The ashram of all have fallen in the Ganga or Gomti save that of Gargacharya situate north-east of the Mahadeo temple and made alive by learned Bangali-Baba
4.But the most famous son of Kaithi was the immortal sage Markandey rishi,born to the holy consort of the sage Mritand,who,in turn,was a great grand son of Lord Brahma,the Creator of the Hindu mythology.The penance of Mritand and Markandey brought about the immortality of Rishi Markandey,turning away The Death God,Yamraj,for ever.
5.I have related the story of “Sher Shah in the court of Doman Deo” in the IHCR session at Bombay,in 1979 ,but not about his return to Kaithi in 1545AD,on his way to Bengal expedition.His Generals came first and demanded military supply for the expedition,to which Doman Deo replied in negative,only to face the wrath of a General who destroyed his mud-fortress on the banks of the Ganges at Chandravati and Doman Deo escaped because his horse could walk and gallop on the surface of the Ganges,as the Raghuvanshies of Dobhi recite even today.In his fury the Generals forces tried to break the idol of Mahadeo,only to be repulsed by a storm of the big black bees,stinging the desecraters to death.A mass- grave was raised in the name of their leader ,Sayeed Baba,where all worshipin the name of national; integration.It is bang opposite of the northern gate of the a hundred and fifty years old PWD Dak Bunglow,where you must have visited as Collector of Varanasi.

6.Class fellows of my brother and also of V.P.Singh,the late prime minister used to tell me that in the UP College they called Kaithi as Paris of Benares and always longed for a picnic,there.Recently a Rain Basera has been built on the site of a dirty refuse pond, just outside the temple.A few more are required to entice the tourist traveling on the NH29,a lot of them may be Budhist from far east and it may cater to their requirements.I can give one or two plots,myself for such novel purpose ,to catch tourists from the proposed 217 Kms four-lane NH29,if there are provisions for a detour of the tourists traveling on the said Express Way ,proposed by the Ministry of tourism,Govt. of India and your own goodselves in the State Govt.
7.There is a great rush from all and sundry to visit Mahadeoji in Kaithi both on inaugural of a venture and as much on the successful completion of a deal and every day many times fleets of powered limousines make a ferry to the temple,making a mockery of the peace and quite of a village life and putting the life and limbs of the pilgrims and the residents of the village,going about their visits to the temple,the Bazar,the primary and High Schools,at stake and at peril all the time.Our rickshaw was hit by one such speeding vehicle,in front of my house as we were alighting from the rickshaw to go in the house.The damage was to the decorative plastic rib on the vehicles rear wheel ,but the occupants just fled away,as it was right in the midst of the thakurs house-holds.But there is always a greater chance of the rickshaw occupants being on the receiving end of the damage and a case of hit and run on the motorist record.I would inform you,kindly that about forty arms licensees are in the village and it can turn into an ugly incident,for no fault of anyone in particular.Therefore,I was thinking all the time,when I was in the village for a solution of the problem.
8.Three things came to my mind.
First:that a pre-1966 situation has arisen again,when the traffic passed through the village and once in a while a child got himself crushed under a Bus or a car.But things generally subsided as those were tolerant days.Now everyone is hot-headed and an ugly situation will arise at the snap of the fingers.Knowing the fire-power of the occupants of the powerful limousines and the prestige of the Raghuvanshies of Katehar,it could easily erupt into a riot with bloodshed and murder.It is an explosive situation and it is time now that the district administration should be sincerely getting alert about it.
So,it would be best to divert the traffic of the speeding fleets of heavy duty limousines to the back of the temple from Km.28(from Vns.) and build a special tourist/visitors/pilgrims passage to Markandey Mahadeo,which could be,so kindly,taken-up by your goodselves.
Secondly,should there be a cash-crunch,two things can be done on the existing road through the village,to accommodate all,safely and happily.
One:By erecting a Fly-Over like in the big cities and on the High ways and Expressways.Let us say the proposed Fly-over starts rising around the proposed Electricity Board’s Sub-station,shifting from Ugapur to Kaithi ,carrying - on northwards, all along the population’s living quarters and starts descending before the Dak Bunglow,providing for minimum hindrance at both ends.Speeding fleets can accelerat even more and get quickly to the Mahadeo and make the get away even faster, while the villagers and on foot pilgrims walk peacefully to their whereabouts,or even ride a rickshaw,if they so need,underneath the great big Fly-over. A blessing for all concerned.
Two:Again the budget may not allow such a venture as above plus lack of political will.
So let us resort to “the SKY-WALK”,Bombay style and add romance to the tourist’s itinerary right royally and fun for the village folks with safety angle foremost in the mind.
I will send you some news-paper photographs and reporting on the now-thing in Mumbai,which is coming-up all over the place and with good results,and a debate on whether to permit the hawkers on the two sides of the sky-walk path is taking place in the news-paper columns every day. We can allow the evening vegetable market (of the Bazar ) on the left and right sides for the sake of both the buyer and the seller.Only the old and the feeble will,yet,grumble in climbing the stairs ,while cursing you and me,even as quietly blessing us for the safety of the young ones.
There is a sort of Sky-walk at New Delhi Railway Station,joining Paharganj side to Kashmiri-gate side and some insight can be gained looking at it about the proposed Sky-walk in Kaith-Markandey.
I feel your personal interest in the above scheme towards the tourism development,with a hidden agenda of the safety of the village folk from the greedy blessing-seekers from the village deity situate at the northern-end ,with the Kuty Ghat on the Ganges,from where Doman Deo escaped the clutches of the Afgan Generals and the scenic confluence of the Ganga and Gomti,near-by calling the Budhist and tourist in general for a visit to feel it’s glory , grandeur and serenity in one go.
I have to be in Lucknow on the 17th and will make an effort to call on you to draw your kind and urgent attention,while drawing the attention of DM and Commissioner Varanasi through this letter and for keeping the Govt.aware of the law and order angle by copying it to the Chief Secretary,for which,prey no offence may be taken.
Thanking You for your kind attention and looking forward to arousing your interest.
Yours Obediently


Suresh Pratap Singh
Tenant and cultivator of Vill. Kaithi
Chartered Engineer(London)
Marine Chief Engineer
Sees Chand Mansion
Vill. & Post:Kaithi(Markandey)
Thana:Chaubeypur
Block:Cholapur
Distt.Varanasi
Pin;221116
Email:spsinghnavy@hotmail.com
Phone:0542-2361159
Mob.:09935398306
A nephew of Thakur Ram Rup Singhji,
Late of the IAS & UP ASssembly.

Defence properties under threat of squaters.

13.01.2010
Varanasi

To,
Sri Anand Misra
Joint Secretary(e),Ministry of Defence,GoI.
South Block,New Belhi.

Respected Sri Misraji,
Re. :Regularisations of encroachments on Defence properties ,as a last resort ?

I am enclosing a copy of my e-mail dtd.6.11.09 and as it does not interest you to discuss matters of coastal security with me, in view of my wasted visit to the South Block on the
13th of the last month .I may as well utilize my acquaintance with you through the good offices of the PRSEC,for another good deal to the property of Govt.of India falling under
your charge(I should think).
I am enclosing a scan of the 7th Jan news item in the local paper,of your interest,i.e. about the encroachment by public on 500acres of Jhingura air-strip in distt. Mirzapur of UP.I think the Administration can never have it evicted and the best policy may be to give it back to the original tenants from whom it was acquired for making it into an air strip during the second world war.
The same can be done to the squatters on Rajwari Kaithi’s Kaiser-e-Hind two air-strips on acquired land from thirteen villages in the late thirties of the last century.At least the Govts of India and Uttar Pradesh can save face from being defaulters on their portfolios for saving the public property At the same time I would ,kindly ,request your goodselves to transfer it to the concerned officer, in case it does not fall in your own jurisdiction, and oblige further of intimating me of the same action taken.
Thanking You
Yours Obediently


Suresh Pratap Singh
Tenant and cultivator of vill.Kaithi
Marine Chief Engineer
C/o.Thakur Ram Rup Singhji
Of the IAS & UP Assembly.
At:R.M.House
N16/132 B Vinayaka,Kamachha,
VARANASI-221010
Ph.:0542-2361159
Mob.:o9935398306
E-mail:spsinghesq @rediffmail.com

Need of a Check Dam on Gomti before Confluence with Ganga at Vill. Kaithi.

11.01.2010

To
Bahen Mayawati,
Hon’ble Chief Minster of Uttar Pradesh
5,Kalidas Marg,Lucknow-226001


Respected Bahenji,

Reg.: “ Baba Saheb,Bhole-Baba Check-Dam at Gomti in Kaithi “

Vis-à-vis the proposed expansion of 217Kms NH29 in four lanes
Expressway ,as reported by the media, with Japnese Help.

And my request to DG UPSTDC to include Kaithi(Markandey),on
tourist destination for those traveling on this fast road,by upgrading
the existing Link-road from Km.27(from Varanasi) through Kaithi
village and Bazar on to the temple of Markandey Mahadeo and the
rivers Gomti and Ganga confluence,through the motorable-top of
Check-Dam on to the existing old Settlement(1882-84) road to vill
Patna of Ghazipur to the end of the old and now defunct SH29,
Opposite vill.Gopalpur of Ghazipur,which will also serve as the
Starting point of the detour traffic from the northern-end.

I have not spoken to the DG UPSTDC about the possibility of the Check-Dam,but it was liked by Sri D.S.Bagga,the then Chief Secretary.And since then I am regularly pleading with Sri Dina nath Pandey,who would be taking up with concerned Secrtary,some day.
The utility of the check-dam will be in storing Gomti water for summers and help produce a Zayad crop in the riverine belt of 1000acres in the area,producing pulses and oil seeds in abundance,along with,barley,gram and wheat at an average of 17mds to a bigha,which is not being done since 7th Sept. 1980,after the change of course of river Gomti,then ,disintegrating our prime agricultural holding towards Ghazipur in one go.
Riverine belts generally depend upon getting flooded during monsoon and utilizing the fresh soil and moisture post innundation for producing a good Rabi crop bringing about prosperity to the farmers of one crop a year,since time immemorial.The Baba Saheb – Bhole Baba Check dam on the Gomti just before it’s confluence could change the scenario for ever and year round cultivation would result giving abundance of pulses and then thanks to your foresight,we will be without a care of black marketing and hoarding of the Arhar dal,besides selling the surplus for other fellow citizens use.Just give us the Check –Dam and the entire area will prosper and all will be grateful to you,forever.And surely MLA Deenanath Pandey,alias Hosa Maharaj will be elected again and again ,whether or not he forwards my applications in the matter to you.
2.This is the right moment to crystallize and capitalize on my suggestions to your Government,decades ago, and a huge populace of the entire neighborhood of few hundred villages are bound to memorize the Jayaka Budhhist Highway Foundation’s name,along with that of Baba Saheb and Bahen Mayawati’s name,all their lives.Politically,you will become a force to reckon with for many more elections of the future,in Ghazipur and Varanasi.The name is very apt immortalizing Baba Saheb in the category of Bhole Baba – the Markandey Mahadeo of vill. Kaithi.
For this to happen the Govt. and your own Secretariat has to co-ordinate with Director General UP State Tourism Corporation,Sri Awanish Kumar Awasthi,who knows the place and location well,having been in charge of the district a decade ago.
You have another ex-DM of Varanasi as Principal Secretary,who was responsible for issue of a GO on my request to declare the Blue bull as a species of the deer family,having nothing to do with the holy cows of the Hindus and that they could be shot and killed without being apprehended by the local police.But neither my pleadings to Sri Rajnath Singh nor his letter to you from Krishi Bhavan,or the efforts of Kunwar Fateh Bahdur could stop the menace of the Blue bull.And we are suffering equally from the slings and arrows of the Record Operation unit in Ballia and the galloping destruction of the blue bull for last thirty years,so much so that people like me had to come out of retirement after twenty years to go to work in the town to make both ends meet.So I shall be always driven to strive for resurrection from the two above mentioned disasters.I hope I do not have to go to sea,yet,again and your Secretaries will give me an opportunity to elaborate on my suggestions to you and to DG UPSTDC,for the above to really happen,for which we all shall be,forever, grateful to you and your Government.

Yours Obediently


Suresh Pratap Singh
Tennant and Cultivator of vill. Kaithi
Chartered Engineer(London)
Marine Chief Engineer
At: N16/132 B Vinayaka,Kamachha,
Varanasi-221010..
Ph.:0542-2361159
Mob.:9935398306
E-mail:spsinghnavy@hotmail.com

A brother-in-law of Sri Vijay Bahadur Singh,Advocate H.C.
And a B.S.P. Member Parliament from Mahoba.