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Village Kherka Gujjar खेड़का गूजर is situated in district Jhajjar in Haryana. Earlier, it was part of Rohtak district. This village falls under Tehsil Bahadurgarh – the village is located slightly away from main Bahadurgarh-Jhajjar road, near village - 'Dulehra' दुल्हेड़ा which is located on the main road. From village Dulehra, Kherka Gujjar can be accessed via an approach road which further connects village Goela Kalan (गोयला कलां) and Kherri-Jatt (खेड़ी जट). Some people confuse when they hear 'Kherka Gujjar' - it is clarified that there are no Gujjars in this village, it is just the name of village. It is a medium-size village and the only Jat gotra is Deswal . Two more neighbouring villages - 'Dulehra' दुल्हेड़ा and Bhadaani भदाणी - also have the same Jat gotra – Deswal .
Though Kherka Gujjar is stated to be more than a thousand-year old, the present-day Jats inhabitants settled here in 12th Century when four Deswal brothers from Jind district of Haryana came here and purchased the land from some Gujjar families who resided here earlier. That is why, the name “Kherka Gujjar” is still being used. The names of those four brothers were : Keerta (कीर्ता), Maida (मैदा), Kamraj (कामराज) and Jasrana (जसराणा). The four Mohalla/ Panna पान्ना of the village are now named after those four ancestors : Keertann (कीर्ताण) Maidaan (मैदाण), Kamrajiya (कामराजिया) and Jasraniya (जसराणिया).
One monument of historical importance is situated just outside this village - a huge one-acre complex called ‘Asthal’ which also has its land property in neighbouring 12 villages. This ‘Asthal’ is now managed by one Swamiji. The complex has an old monastry which looks like a fort, built in small bricks and limestone apart from one Shiva temple and a pond nearly. It also has an underground storage hall ( तहखाना) which is believed to have some old weapons contained therein but people hesitate to visit that dark place. From the neighbouring Shiva temple, ancient stairs go down the holy pond. The complex was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji for the purpose of keeping some of his soldiers/spies who could keep an eye on the activities of Aurangzeb’s then capital, Delhi (which is just 40 kilometres from this place).
People of this village believe in a local imaginary deity ‘Dada Jasram Devta’. Many of them believe that this god has given a special protection to the villagers – though the village has traditionally sent many youngmen into armed forces, till today none of them has so far lost life in wars or while serving in army - perhaps, as the belief persists, due to blessings of ‘Dada Jasram Devta’ !
Being not very far from Delhi border, the environmental conditions in the area around this village are undergoing a rapid change. None can predict whether this change is for the betterment of the local people or for the worst, just like the villages of Delhi. The Kundali-Manesar-Palwal Expressway will soon pass through this area (about 2 kilometres away from Kherka Gujjar/ Dulehra). The proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Badli village in Jhajjar district is also not very far from this village.
For reading pleasure, please read Jatland Forums thread "Dharti ke Lal" [[1]]
(Contributed by Dayanand Deswal [[2]] – the proud resident of Kherka Gujjar)
Dndeswal 13:24, 14 January 2007 (EST)
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