Agrasen

Agrasen, most commonly known as Maharaja (literally, great king) Agrasen, was a legendary Indian king of Agroha, a city of traders in the district of Hisar, Haryana. He is claimed to be a descendant of the Hindu deity, Shri Ramchandra. He is credited with the establishment of a kingdom of traders in Northern India named Agroha, and is known for his compassion in refusing sacrificial slaughter of animals in yajnas. Goddess Mahalakshmi bestowed prosperity for him and his descendants. The Agrawals, a community of traditional traders from northern India, regard Maharaja Agrasen as their forefather and a historical figure who established the foundations of their community in the Kingdom of Agroha. In fact, the term Agrawal means "descendants of Agrasen" or "people of Agroha". The occasion of his birth anniversary called Agrasen Jayanti is celebrated in the Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh where it is recognized as a public or a gazetted holiday. The Government of India in 1976 commemorated the 5100th birth anniversary of Maharaja Agrasen by issuing a postage stamp depicting him, and so did Maldives in 2016 as a tribute to the contributions of the Agrawal community, a prominent business group in India, in the growing trade relationship between the Maldives and India. The eastern wing of the modern day Agroha Dham temple is dedicated to Maharaja Agrasen, serving as a significant cultural and heritage center for the Agrawal community.