Rohini, West Bengal

Around 700 years ago, Rohini was ruled by some small Bhunia Rajas whose capital was known as Rohini Garh. Their kingdom covered approximately 6-7 square kilometers. According to some ancient texts, around 500 years ago Kshatriya Pattanayak zamindars(local king) ruled in this region under the Rajas of Mayurbhanj. In Rasik Mangal, written by Gopijan Ballav Das in 1655, Achyutananda Pattanayek is mentioned as the king of Mallabhum(old name of Rohini and it's surrounding area of approx. 7 square kilometers. This Mallabhum was distinct from the Mallabhum of Bishnupur). Raja Achyutananda Pattanayek and his wife Rani Bhabani Devi were the parents of the great Vaishnaba saint Rasikananda Mahaprabhu who was born in 1590. After Rasikananda left his father's kingdom in Rohini and settled in Gopiballapur for spiritual activities, Rohini gradually became abandoned. Subsequently this area came under the zamindari of Rani Shiromani of Karnagrarh as a forest pargana. In late 18th century Nimcharan Sharangi got this zamindari of 8000 bighas from Maharaja of Mayurbhanj and marking the beginning of Sharangi zamindari. Nimcharan's middle son, Chowdhury Sundar Narayan Sharangi left his father's house because of a massive family dispute and established his own zamindari in 1859. But soon Sundar Narayan's zamindari became the principal and prominent zamindari of Rohini Garh while the zamindari of Chowdhury Purnananda Sharangi, Nimcharan's eldest son, gradually declined.^[1]Babu Chowdhary Lakhsmi Narayan Sharangi, son of Chowdhury Akshay Narayan Sharangi & grandson of Chowdhury Sundar Narayan Sharangi of Rohini Garh was the Zamindar of Rohini including other 89 mouzas of 6 Parganas . He was born in 1875 and took his father's zamindari in 1901. He established Rohini Chowdhurani Rukmini Devi(CRD) High school in this village in the memory of his mother Chowdhurani Rukmini Debi on16 January 1948. He also founded a dispensary(Akshay Narayan Sharangi Databya Chikitsalay) in the memory of his father Chowdhury Akshay Narayan Sharangi and established a leper clinic in this village(1931). James Peddie, the then District Magistrate of undivided Midnapore had come to inaugurate this dispensary .Babu Lakhsmi Narayan Sharangi built Rohineswar Shiv Temple(1910) & a Shitala temple(1909) in this village including many others temples throughout his zamindari. His grandfather had earlier constructed the Pancharanta temple of Radhakantya Jiu as their Kuldevata. Before 1947 Rohini Garh Zamindar share its boundaries with Jhargram Raja's zamindari, Narayangarh zamindari, Beliaberah's praharaj zamindari, Nayagram zamindari, Narajole zamindari, Monoharpur zamindari. Lakhsmi Narayan Sharangi donated land for government offices and finance the construction of many roads and Ponds in this area . He passed away in 1949 at the age of 75 .

According to the 2011 Census of India, Rohini had a total population of 1,691 of which 876 (52%) were males and 815 (48%) were females. Population in the age range 0-6 years was 174. The total number of literate persons in Rohini was 1,273 (75.28% of the population over 6 years).^[5]

Rohini has the following Educational Institutions:

• Rohini Junior Basic School
• Rohini C.R.D. High School (HS)
• Rohini Valika Vidyalaya (HS)
• Rohini Morning Star School
• Rohini Merry James Public school
• Shamya Vidyapith

Rohini is the birthplace of great saint Rasikananda Mahaprabhu of Vaishnabh religion^[7].

Rohini is known for its cultural heritage and became a center of education after independence by the help of rohini garh(raj bari). The library, Ramnarayan Pathagar(built in the memory of Ram Narayan Sharangi who was the manager of Nayabasan estate of Mayurbhanj State) has helped many researchers with its rich collection of rare books. Ranjitpur is the birthplace of famous contemporary Bengali poet Late Amar Sarangi.

The following are places of interest in Rohini:

• Rameshwar Temple on the bank of Subarnarekha River
• Rasikananda Mahaprabhu's birthplace & Temple
• Rohini Garh Zamidar bari(The Rohini Garh Palace/ Rajbari), the residence of Zamidar Chowdhary Lakhsmi Narayan Sharangi.
• Ramnarayan Pathagar (Ranjitpur)
• Picnic Spot (kodopal) on the Subarnarekha river bed
• Subarnarekha River Bank

  

• Bhramargarh - connected to an ancient love story
• Neel Kuthi- although in ruins Rohineswar Shiv and sitala temple, near raj bari
• Pancharatna temple of Radhakantya Jiu of Raj bari
• Ruins of Bhairabh Temple of Rajbar
• Ramchandra Jiu Temple of Rajbari