KINNAUR

A beautiful area like Kinnaur with temples and legends has unfortunately no connected history till very late in the 16th century. The Chironings by the Grokch of the deities mentioned earlier have re - ferences to ancient regional history but from them it is difficult to get a connected story. Even the Settlement Report of 1928 mentions the legend of Banasur as below:-

"This part was under the devtas (gods and semi-gods) and last in the line was one Banasur who had become very powerful all over Bushahr. A battle was fought some six thousand years ago between Lord Krishna and Banasur in which Raja Banasur, along with his three sons, was killed. Lord Krishna then made Parduman Singh, his (Lord Krishna's) grandson, and the ruler of the place. Apparently there arc serious discrepancies in this story.

According to the story given in the epics, Banasur was not killed, as he was a descendant of Prahlad to whom Vishnu, of whom Lord Krishna was the incarnate, had held a promise (boon) that he would not exterminate the race of Prahlad. What actually could have happened was that Banasur's pride was humbled and on his recognizing the Almighty Vishnu in Lord Krishna, Banasur surrendered, and, leaving the kingdom to Parduman Singh, took to saintly life."

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