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"Vahivancāni ( Chronicler's) Vahi" - A Study of Indian Culture
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“Kacoliyu talāvmā camār pāni bhara cha. Gāmthi dakhanadi cha. Gām vasu te dannu pāni bhara cha. Nā dhovun talāvina cho Kalā Jalānü kuvu kavel cha."
(Harijans are using the water of the Kacoliyā Tank, which is situated on the southern side of the village. They have been using it since the village was founded. They are allowed to bathe and drink the water of the tank. Kalā Jala Solanki got a well constructed in the tank.)
Thus, we find testimony of all the social activities held in the interest of the general mass of people in the Vahi.
Testimonies of Pilgrimages:
Going on pilgrimages was considered to be a very effective tool for the spreading of Indian Culture across the country in the medieval times. One could come into contact with the geography of other areas of the nations and thus interact with a lot of people. Such interaction helped maintain communal harmony and national unity. It also increased the religiousness in people. The chroniclers used to maintain the records of their host's pilgrimages, and noted them down in the Vahi. It is mentioned in the Vahi that a Kanbi Patel belonging to the sub-caste of Sāvalia undertook a pilgrimage of Hinglāj Deity, wearing the dress of a Kāpadi, hence their surname was changed to Kāpadiyā. The note reads as follows:
"Tyānthi piparnu toran bāndhya: tyanthi Rāmne Māndan Bhābho thiyā: Eạe Hinglājnu tīrath karyu: ne ek bhabhae kāpadino bhekh utāryo: ne eke na utāryo : Athi sakh kāpadi thiyā.**44
(From there they established the village of Pipar, Rām Bāpā and Māndan Bāpā happened to live there. They undertook a pilgrimage to Hinglāj Deity's place. One of them took off the dress of Kāpadi, and the other did not take it off. Hence, their heirs were known as Kāpadi)
Cāran Muluji Celaji of village Kaneti of North Gujarat undertook Kasiyatra, which is recorded in the Vahi as :
"Mulu Cclāji tc Gangājī nāiyā: Savant 1947nā vaisakh sod bij re dan te vaic mandālu ne rāvar Devdānne rupiyā 25/-āpā."15
(Muluji Celājī had a bath in the Gangā on the second day of Vaisakh Month in Vi.Sam.1947, and he donated the chronicler Devidān Rs 25/- and got the fact inscribed in the Vahi)
Here, having a bath in the Ganga actually means having a visit of Kāśi (Benaras). Visiting Kāśi has always remained a dream for every Hindu, as one gets the benefit of the worship of Kasi Visvešvarnāth (a form of Lord Siva) and also of the bath in the Gangā So, even today, the words "Gangā Nāhyā" (Had a bath in the Ganga) is used to mention the fulfillment of life. The Bārot chronicler explained the important use of the idiom "Gangā Nāhyā" presently by stating that, if an old man says, “Let me play with my son's son (grandson), and I shall have my bath of the Gangā. which means that the Gangā, referred to in the idiom means the Gangā of Kāśi and not of Hardwar or Calcutta.
Besides the people of the upper classes, even Harijans used to undertake pilgrimages with faith in the medieval times, though the temple gates were closed for them in those days. The priests could not dare prohibit them from having bath in the rivers like the Narmadā or the Gangā. Hence, the harijans used to visit the rivers during their pilgrimage. Dharmsi Harijan of Mehsana of North Gujarat had a bath in the Narmadā, which is read in the Vahi as:
