50 Yrs of Lord Krishna part of Nepalese history in Manipur
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 15 2011: Commemorating 50 years of devoutly worshipping Lord Krishna by the Nepalese community in Manipur, the golden jubilee was celebrated at Prasain Basti under Sapermeina police station today.

The event was organised by Krishna Pranami Dharma Sabha.

Interacting with The Sangai Express in connection with the celebration, secretary of Krishna Pranami Dharma Sabha Ratan Rizal recalled that after the British took over the administration of Manipur, the Gurkha soldiers who were in the service of the Queen of England also came under British rule.

Subsequently, the Gurkha soldiers changed the name of their earlier Battalions and set up two new forces as Assam Rifles and Manipur Rifles.

The Gurkha (Nepalese) soldiers who retired from Assam Rifles and Manipur Rifles were allotted land for settlement by then king of Manipur in the KK Reserve Forest in Koubru belt stretching from Kanglatongbi to Kangpokpi.

The name of KK Reserve Forest came into vogue only after 1920.As the Nepalese were very efficient in animal husbandry, the king allowed them to settle in KK Reserve Forest.

After settlement in KK Reserve Forest, many Nepalese villages have been set up.

Prasain Basti is one such villages.

Devotees of Lord Krishna paying their obeisance and prayer

Around 1000 Nepalese who started settling in Prasain Basti for the first time set up Krishna Pranami Dharma Sabha in 1960 and started worshipping Lord Krishna along with construction of a temple dedicated to Him.

So, it is in Prasain Basti that the first temple for the Nepalese in Manipur who worship Lord Krishna was constructed, Ratan Rizal said.

He further informed that Nepalese who are worshippers of Lord Krishna and settling in different parts of Manipur also come to the same temple to pay their obeisance to the Lord.

It is a very sacred temple for the Nepalese and necessary rites and rituals meant for daily as well as annually are performed judiciously.

So, with completion of 50 years of worshipping Lord Krishna, the golden jubilee is being celebrated.

The main highlights of the celebration today include unveiling of the golden jubilee memorial stone, unfurling of the flag of Krishna Pranami Dharma Sabha, lighting of 50 Deep Prajjwalans and reading out the report of Dharma Sabha.

Mahant of Sri Raja Sewa Sansthan, Rajasthan Prakash Chandra Sastri and Jananath Sastri of Religious Evangelist, Nepal, who came down specially to attend the event, lit the 50 Deep Prajjwalans, that signified each year of the five decades of worshipping Lord Krishna by the Nepalese community in Manipur.

Bhaktas from ISKCON Temple, Manipur performed Sankirtan at the occasion which also witnessed Rasha dance (Dandia) by the children of Prasain Basti.