Amar Shaheed Bandhu Singh
Amar Shaheed Bandhu Singh Shrinet was a prominent freedom fighter in eastern Uttar Pradesh who fought against the East India Company using Guerilla Warfare.
Bandhu Singh Ji was born on 1 May 1833 in a Shrinet Rajput Principality to Babu Shiv Prasad Singh of Dumari Riyasat. He was a devotee of Tarkulaha Devi. He was finally arrested by the British along with Shivgobind Chand of Chillupar, Gorakhpur. He was hanged publicly at Ali Nagar Chauraha in Gorakhpur on 12 August 1858. There is a month-long Mela every year starting from Chaitra Ramnavami at the Tarkulaha Devi Temple. People from far-flung locations visit to shop for their annual requirements of garam masala and to enjoy the traditional ‘Nautanki’, Nag Kanya shows and small circuses.
History
He left the princely state and began living in an unknown location which was characterised by dense forests and the flowing Gurra river. Singh held great devotion to Tarkulaha Devi, the goddess whom he worshipped under a palm tree by the riverbank.As British oppression grew, so did the unrest among Indians. Bandhu Singh, skilled in guerrilla warfare, became a symbol of defiance. He would ambush British officials passing through the forest, decapitate them, and offer their heads as a tribute at the feet of Tarkulaha Devi, his favored deity. He shook the very foundations of British rule, and is said to have killed the then British collector, even sitting on his chair afterward. This ritual symbolized his fight against colonial tyranny and was fueled by a profound sense of patriotism.
Initially, the British authorities were unaware of the exact cause behind their soldiers’ disappearances in the forest. However, it soon became clear that Bandhu Singh was behind these acts of rebellion. Despite exhaustive searches, the British struggled to capture him due to his mastery of guerrilla tactics.
His fierce demeanour alarmed the British, prompting them to dispatch forces from Banaras. The British set up their camp near Dumri village, but upon learning this, the local villagers raided and seized their weapons and ammunition. Enraged by this, the British set Dumri Khas village on fire, forcing the villagers to flee. Eventually, Surat Singh’s betrayal led to Singh’s arrest. In exchange Surat was awarded a pension of ₹4,800 per annum, and awarded a jagir in the Dumri Riyasath, Gorakhpur by the british government.