Ahibaran facts for kids

Maharaja Ahibaran was a famous Indian king. He ruled a city called Baran, which is now known as Bulandshahr. He was born on December 26th. Many people from the Baranwal community believe they are his descendants. They celebrate his birthday every year on December 26th.

What's in a Name?

The name Ahibaran means 'snake-coloured'. This is because Ahi means snake and baran means colours. He was also known by shorter names like Varan or Varna. These names also mean colours.

Stories About King Ahibaran

Local stories say that the old town of Baran was named after King Ahibaran. Baran is now known as Bulandshahr. Some historians, like F. S. Growse, have wondered if such a king really existed. But the local legends are very strong.

The legends tell us about King Ahibaran's family. His family came from a long line of kings. One of his ancestors was King Varaksh. King Varaksh fought on the side of the Pandavas in the great Mahabharata war. After a big storm, his family moved to North India. They started a new kingdom in a place called 'Ahar'. King Parmal was born from this family line. King Ahibaran was the son of King Parmal.

King Ahibaran married a princess named Varanavati. She was the daughter of the King of Khandava Forest. Her kingdom was in a thick forest. It was located near the Ikshumati River.

The City of Baran

According to old Hindu stories, the Pandavas met Prajapati Daksh near a pond in Bulandshahr. Later, the Pandavas ruled from Ahar. This place is in the northern part of the Baran district.

Over time, King Parmal built a fort in this area. Later, King Ahibaran built a tower there. He made the region his capital. He named it Baran or Baranagar.

You can still find old palaces, buildings, and temples in ruins. These are in places like Bhatora Veerpur and Ghalibpur. They show how old Baran is. Many ancient items have been found there. These include old coins, statues, and writings. Some of these are kept in the State Museum Lucknow today.

The Varanavati River

The Varanavati River flows through almost all of the Bulandshahr district. This river is as old as Bulandshahr itself. People used to say it was a very holy river. When Maharaja Ahibaran ruled, he named the river after his wife, Varanavati.

Before that, when the Pandavas ruled, it was called the Ikshumati River. This is even mentioned in the Atharvaveda. Today, this river is known as the Kali River. It is named after the Hindu goddess Kali.

The Baran Tower

King Ahibaran also built a tower in Bulandshahr. It was called the Baran Tower. The city of Baran is mentioned in the Mahabharata. Old government papers also show the name 'Baran'.

The book Etihasik Sthanavali says Baran was a very important city. Many kings wanted to control it. In 1018-1019 AD, Mahmud of Ghazni took control of Baran. Later, the Dors and Chauhans ruled it. Hardatta, a Dor ruler, took over Baran, Meerut, and Koil.

In 1192 CE, Muhammad of Ghor conquered parts of India. His army leader, Qutbu l-Din Aibak, attacked Fort Baran. With help from some traitors, he defeated King Chandrasen Dor. This is how he took control of the Baran kingdom. Today, Baran is called Bulandshahr, which means 'High City'.

Baran was a rich and successful capital city. Many copper and gold coins have been found there. These coins have Greek and Pali writings on them. The Asian Folklore society says Baran was a very wealthy city back then.

After Baran fell, the Baranwal community spread out. They went to different parts of India. They mostly settled in the Gangetic plains. They started using different surnames like Anand, Prasad, Gupta, and Singh. Some even adopted the surname Modi.

Baranwal Family Groups

The Baranwal community is divided into thirty-six main family groups, called gotras. These groups help them know their family history. Some of these gotras are also found among Rajputs.

• Garg
• Vatsil
• Goyal
• Gohil
• Karav
• Deval
• Kashyap
• Vats
• Atri
• Vamdev
• Kapil
• Gaalab
• Singhal
• Aarnay
• Kashil
• Upmanyu
• Yamini
• Parashar
• Kaushik
• Munas
• Katyapan
• Kondilya
• Pulish
• Bhrigu
• Sarve
• Angira
• Krishrabhi
• Udhwalak
• Ashwalayan
• Bharadwaj
• Kankhal
• Mudgal
• Yamadgiri
• Chyawan
• Vedpramiti
• Sanskritayan