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In this
connection it has to be mentioned that the cult of Vaishnavism has had a deep and
significant impact on the people of Ranchi district from the days of Shri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu, in the 15th century, when that great Vaishnavite apostle of Bengal had
traveled through parts of Ranchi district on his way to Puri to offer worship there to
Lord Jagarnath.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita and a host of other Vaishnava works describe
the travels of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through Jharkhand after crossing the Damodar River
near Bankura. Wending his way along portions of the Bundu and Tamar thanas and Ranchi, he
passed through Chaibasa and then, following the old Pilgrim road via Keonjhar and Jaipur
he eventually reached Puri.
Even today the people of Bundu and Tamar and other parts of Ranchi district refer to
the khol, a necessary musical accompaniment for the kirtan as such, reverentially as
srikhol. Vaishnavism has such a hold here that there am many families of this area who
declare themselves as Vaishnavas by caste. Even many of the tribals are Kanthidharis owing
to the direct impact of the cult of Vaishnavism.
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