Dinman Hardoul Singh

Hardaul ka Baithak memorial at Orchha

Dinman Hardaul Singh or Lala Hardoul was a prince of Orchha and a Hindu folk deity of Bundelkhand in India. He was the prince of Orchha and son of maharaja Vir Singh Deo. He was born in 1664 and died in 1688 at the age of 24. A temple of Hardoul is very famous in whole Bhuldelkhand many pilgrims are coming every year. According to the local people he is still alive and is their god.

He is sometimes considered to be a nephew of Alha and Udal of Mahoba (see Alhakhand), however Alha and Udal were Banaphars living during the Chandella rule, where as Lala Hardoul was a Bundela.

Folklore

Hardol, the popular prince, was resented by Jhujjar who suspected his wife of having an illicit relationship with him. Jhujjar ordered his wife to poison Hardol to prove her innocence, and Hardol willingly accepted it.

The story doesn’t end here. When Jhujjar’s niece was getting married, his sister asked the king to help; who sarcastically asked her to seek the dead Hardol. The dead prince apparently attended the wedding and served the guests as well. The local woman exclaimed that even today it is believed that Lala Hardol attends weddings he is invited to and most locals leave an invitation card for him and seek his blessings as well. I did see a lot of local patrons around the temple and realised that real India lives somewhere in the legends of Lala Hardol.^[1][2]

References