Lalgarh, WB: The crackle of gunfire and mine blasts by Maoists and crackdown by security forces in Lalgarh notwithstanding, a 'rath yatra' by a royal family from Uttar Pradesh which had established a kingdom here in West Midnapore district 400 years ago, rolled down the roads on Wednesday evening.
Darpanarayan Sahas Roy, who is known as the raja here, said Lalgarh was named after his ancestor Lakshman Singh who came here from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh 12 generations ago to set up his kingdom while his brother Ram Singh established his kingdom at Ramgarh.
With the royal family falling into bad times after Independence, its wealth slowly dwindled. But it still holds the rath yatra with great fanfare.
Roy said the annual pension of Rs 19,800 that he receives from the government was not enough for the festival, "but I manage somehow."
The decorated chariot of the Lalgarh Rajbari with idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra was pulled about a quarter kilometre from the Radhanath Jew temple to the aunt's house according to tradition.