| Soon after, he
dismissed two of the images, but retained that of Radhaballabh for twelve months, and
exhibited a strong indisposition to part with it. He offered large sums of money to the
priests accor- ding to popular report, to the extent of Rs. 10, 000 or Rs.12, 000-- for
permission to keep it; but they refused to part with the heirloom of their family. They
importuned him for its restoration, time after time, but without success. An appeal to the
courts of law would at once have secured its return, but such a proceeding would have
reflected dishonor on them throughout the country. At
length, they threatened the Raja and his family with a more fearful calamity than a
lawsuit in the Supreme Court, --with the curse of the Brahmans. These menaces are
said to have reached the Raja's wife, who besought him to send away an image, which was
likely to prove so inauspicious to the family, and he was persuaded to relinquish it. At
the same time, he gave the
most substantial proofs of his generosity to its proprietors by endowing them with the
village of Ballabhpur, which is supposed to yield them an annual income of about Rs.800 a
year. The patronage of so distinguished a character as Raja Nubukissen tended greatly to
increase the popularity of the shrine, and it is now one of the most wealthy in this part
of the country." #
Formerly the image of Jagannath enshrined at Mahesh, a mile south, used to be brought to
Ballabhpur to the temple of Radhaballabh during the car festival. Owing to some disputes
between set up at Ballabhpur.
# Calcutta Review, vol. IV, pp. 492-4. |
