The mountainous region of Western Himalayas was ruled by many kingdoms of various sizes during British Times. Tehri Garhwal was one such state. The state was situated in the region now known as the Uttarakhand state. The legends of the times generally revolve around kings and their actions. There is an interesting story (sadly a true one in its essential facts) that shows how a large portion of the territory of the State was annexed by the British in lieu of their helping the Kings of Tehri Garhwal against the invasion by the King of Nepal.
The State of Tehri Garhwal had an area of 500 square miles in times before the independence. However in early British Times, this State was very big extending up to Tibet on one side and Punjab on the other. It had a strong army of its own. The legend has it that the ruler of Tehri Garhwal once sent a messenger with message of friendship with Mangtu, the son of his High Priest, to the Chief of the Gurkhas at Kathmandu. Mangtu went to Nepal with presents and gifts from the king of Tehri Garhwal to the king of Nepal. To keep potential troublemakers at bay and also possible in a desire to indulge in a bit of showmanship it was usual in those days for the presents to be escorted by bodyguards and a small army, accordingly, followed the royal ambassador and the gifts.
When, after many days, ‘Mangtu’ reached the Palace at Kathmandu, he was seen by Vijaya, the daughter of the High Priest of the King of Nepal from her balcony. The young lady was bewitched with the youthful looks of the young priest. With the help of her companion, she bribed the messenger of the Court of Nepal who was taking the message of the King of Tehri Garhwal to the King. She took away the parchment which the priest from Tehri Garhwal had brought and inserted a few words on this. This insertion indicated that Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal desired a matrimonial relationship between the two houses of the priests of Tehri Garhwal and Nepal. This could be effected by the marriage of the son of the High Priest of Tehri Garhwal with the daughter of the High Priest of Nepal.
Maharaja & Maharani of Tehri Garhwal
As soon as the document was received by the King of Nepal, the Ambassador of Tehri Garhwal was summoned. He presented to the King the gifts and presents which the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal had sent as tokens of affection and friendship for the king of Nepal. The King of Nepal was pleased to receive the gifts and was further pleased that a matrimonial relationship between the young man and the daughter of his High Priest would cement the friendship and affection between the two States. Mangtu was treated with great courtesy and one day the King proposed to him the hand of Vijaya the daughter of the High Priest of Nepal. Mangtu felt honored as he never even dreamt that he could marry the daughter of the High Priest of Nepal.
After a long stay in Nepal, Mangtu requested permission to return to his home to pay homage to his own ruler, and the King agreed. Arrangements were ordered to escort Mangtu and his wife back to Tehri Garhwal. The King also sent gifts and presents for the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal as a mark of friendship and affection. In order to give further honour to the bride and the bridegroom, as well as, to enhance his own prestige in the eyes of the rulers of Tehri Garhwal, the King ordered an unusually large force in the form of bodyguards to escort Mangtu and to protect the gifts and presents from bandits. A small force of about one thousand Gurkha soldiers was sent to the Tehri Garhwal as a part of Mangtu’s escort party.
As soon as Mangtu left the borders of Nepal, the court in Garhwal thought that the King of Nepal had sent an army to invade Tehri Garhwal and had appointed Mangtu as the Commander. When Mangtu reached about a hundred miles from the capital of Their Garhwal, the Maharaja got alarmed and ordered a strong army to be sent to fight the apparent traitor. Poor Mangtu kept on sending messages to the Maharaja that he had not come to fight but to pay homage. However the Maharaja did not believe that Mangtu was still loyal. A pitched battle ensured many casualties on both sides. After several days of fighting, Mangtu and his wife were killed by the forces of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal and the small contingent of Nepal surrendered.
As soon as the King of Nepal came to know of the humiliation which the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal had brought on him, he sent out a big army to avenge his pride. Now, in order to save his State and his life, the ruler of Tehri Garhwal sought the help of the British Government in India. The British army, thus requested, forced back the army of the King of Nepal, but in gratification for the services rendered, the Maharaja had to surrender a large portion of his territory to the British including towns such as Dehra Dun, Mussoorie, Saharanpur, Haridwar and Rishikesh.
Ananda Spa Resort, Rishikesh
Replete with such legends, this is touristically one of the most interesting areas in the country. The erstwhile palace of the rulers of Tehri Garhwal has now a beautiful SPA resort named ‘ANANDA’, Haridwarand Rishikesh are very popular with pilgrims as well as adventure tourists fond of white water rafting, wildlife scouting at Rajaji National Park, or trekking in the surrounding hills. Dehradun and Mussorie retain their old world and hill station charm.
‘The Other Home’ offers you a number of holiday options in this area through their properties such as Ek Chidiya Cottage, Emerald Trail, Tripti, Corbett Leela Vilas and Corbett Adventure Resort. We can also custom design an itinerary for your specific needs.
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