About Us

 An introduction to the “SHARMA SABHAPANDIT FALGUTSAV TRUST” would be incomplete without an insight into the history of the Sharma Sabhapandit clan. To explore the history of the Sharma Sabhapandit clan, as far as our record goes, one has to retrace back to the days of the Ahom Kings of Assam. The Ahom King appointed Pandit Rangnath Sharma as the 'Sabhapandit' (scholar/adviser) in his Court and honoured him with the 'Sabhapandit' title. He was an eminent Sanskrit Scholar, expert on Jyotish Vidya and member of the King"s Court.  The family of Rangnath Sharma Sabhapandit came from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. He was a  Brahmin belonging to the 'Maudgalya (Moudgalya/Madhukalya/Mudgala) Gotra'. Maharshi Maudgalya was the eldest son of Rishi Mudgal also known as Rajarshi Mudgal. Rishi Mudgal is the only Rishi with his name there is a Purana name 'Mudgala Purana'. Rishi Mudgal wrote one 'Upanishad' out of 108 Upanishads , name 'Mudgal Upanishad'. Rishi Mudgal's name was  mentioned in the 'Adi Parva' of MAHABHARATA (verses 197 - 204)) and again in the 'Vana Parva' of MAHABHARATA (ch 261). The great Rishi Mudgal storngly believed in simple living and high thinking and had a high-level patience among other Rishis. That's why still today the persons belonged to Maudgalya Gotra are considered highly ethical and had infinite patience, mentally strong and intelligent in compare to average. People belongs to Maudgalya Gotra's are originally were Kashmiri Pandits.  Maharshi Maudgalya's Ashram was at north Kasmir at present Baluchistan. After several centuries from Baluchistan some clan migrate to other parts of Kashmir. From Kashmir to Kannauj and many to Tamilnadu and Kerala. From Kannauj few migrate to Nepal and very few to Bengal and Assam. Pandit Rangnath Sharma was among one who migrate to Assam.

 There is a very interesting incident about Pandit Rangnath Sabhapandit which not only sealed his importance in the King’s Court but also raised his stature.Pandit Rangnath Sabhapandit was fond of chewing Betel-Nut (Pann) .Once during an assembly in King’s Court; he spat the betel-nut he was chewing, inside the court. Although nobody had noticed, but it was a very serious offence as it was an insult to the King as well as to the Court. In those days, the offender was awarded with severe punishments, could be even sentenced to death for committing a crime. When the incident came to the notice of the King, he was furious. The very next day, in the assembly the whole court was frightened because everyone was aware about the punishment for such an offence. In the Court, the King wanted to know about the culprit who had the audacity to make a mockery (Tamsa) of his court. Even after knowing the consequence of the crime, Rangnath Sabhapandit stood up and confessed to the King that he was the person who had done that nuisance and he was ready to face any punishment. The King as well as the whole court was stunned at his confession. There was pin drop silence in the court. After a few moments, to the surprise of the Assembly, instead of penalizing him, the King announced five rewards to Rangnath Sabhapandit, as the King was extremely impressed with his honesty and truthfulness. The King rewarded him with a spitting bowl of silver, a silk turban, lots of gold coins, few personal attendants and a huge land at Jalukani, near Jorhat, which was the last capital of Ahom Kingdom of Assam. Those lands at Jalukani were abandoned during the Burmese invasion of Assam and his family had shifted to Dahikhor, Bahona, Charigaon in Jorhat, and settled down there. After the Tamsa (mockery) in the court, he was known as Tamsa Kora Sabhapandit.Pandit  Rangnath Sabhapandit was a courageous, honest, sincere, intelligent, smart and humorous person. These qualities of Rangnath Sabhapandit were passed on to his future progenies. Even the present generation has managed to imbibe these qualities instilled in them by their ancestors.

 

 Pandit Rangnath Sabhapandit had two sons, Betharam and Bapiram. His son Betharam Sharma Sabhapandit, also a Sanskrit Scholar, established a primary school, one of the oldest school of Assam, in Bahona, Jorhat, where he also taught. The school is still there at Bahona.Pandit Betharam Sharma Sabhapandit had three sons Gopinath, Someshwar and Durgadhar. Pandit Betharam Sharma Sabhapandit’s second son Someswar Sharma Sabhapandit, also a Sanskrit Scholar was equally an expert in Vedic literature and Jyotish shastra. He ran the school, established by his father and retired as its Head Master. Pandit Someswar Sharma Sabhapandit had five very brilliant sons, Sarbananda Sharma, Jogeshwar Sharma, Rusi Narayan Sharma, Tulsi Narayan Sharma and Laksmi Narayan Sharma. The eldest son Sarbananda Sharma, who retired as the Deputy Director of Agriculture Department in the British era, was an unique example of an Indian holding such a senior post in the British Government. Jogeshwar Sharma continued the tradition of teaching in the school, founded by his grandfather. He was also a scholar and expert on Jyotish Vidya. Ruchi Narayan Sharma was qualified as a Medical Doctor in those days. Tulsi Narayan Sharma , a Sanskrit scholar who did his Masters in Sanskrit, had taken the initiative to establish the second college of Assam at Jorhat namely JagannathBaruahCollege. Later he became the Principal of that college. Lakshmi Narayan Sharma the last of the siblings, was the Mouzadar of Chowkhat Mouza of Jorhat.There are many renowned names in the next generation such as Beda Narayan Sharma, Ajit Narayan Sharma, Jati Narayan Sharma, Ananda Narayan Sharma, Dr Jayanta Madhab, Satyabrata Sharma, Pabitra Madhab, Dr Mukunda Madhav Sharma, Achinta Narayan Sharma, Dr Debabrat Sharma, Binoybrata Sharma, Manoj Madhab Sharma, Dr Pradyumna Madhab, Bibhutibrara Sharma, Abani Narayan Sharma and Pradyut Madhab. Now the scions of the Sabhapandits family are spread in different parts of the globe.

 Rangnath Sabhapandit used to perform Fagua (Holi) Puja every year in his house at Jorhat. The tradition carried forward with the same funfare by the great grand-sons and grand-daughters of Late Rangnath Sharma Sabhapandit regularly every year, in the ancestral house in Charigaon,Jorhat. A Temple was built in the ancestral house in Charigaon by Sarbananda Sharma in the year 1932 and that Temple was re-built by his grandson Uday Narayan Sharma in the year 2010. A Trust namely “SHARMA SABHAPANDIT FALGUTSAV TRUST” was formed by Dr Jayanta Madhab, Mr Satyabrata Sharma, Mr Ramya Dulal Sharma and Mr Uday Narayan Sharma in the year 2009, for the purpose of funding the century old Fagua Puja, Palnam and other activities. Five more members were inducted into the Board of Trustees in the year 2013. A family tree is prepared which will speak about the descendants of the Sharma Sabhapandit group of families.

All the informations in this website were gathered, published and managed by Uttam Narayan Sharma. For any edition or correction, please feel free to contact uttamns@gmail.com or 09650153737 with your valuable suggestions / feedback.