The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
After staying in Delhi for a month and a half, the author set out for Prayag. On the way, they passed through the village of Badarpur, where the bullocks of the carts were replaced. On the fifth day, they reached Vrindavan. There, they visited the temples, performed rituals, and bid farewell to friends before continuing their journey. They reached Agra in three days, traveling through Sekandarabag (Sikandraabad), the city named after Sultan Sikandar Shah Lodi.
Agra is an ancient city. When it was under Hindu rule, it was called Agraban. After it came under Muslim rule, Emperor Akbar built a fort here and named it Akbarabad. Later, when the Marathas took over, it became Agra.
The Agra Fort is located on the banks of the Yamuna River. This strong, high fort, built of stone, houses the Moti Masjid. Inside it is a large white marble hall where 1500 people can sit and worship together. The Dewan-i-Aam-Khas, where the emperors' court was held, has a throne made of various colored stones. In front of the throne is a gate made of sandalwood from the Somnath Temple. The Dewan-i-Aam's air-conditioned chamber features a marble throne with Arabic inscriptions and a white marble throne for the vizier. To the south is the Shish Mahal, where the queens lived, decorated with intricate designs in gold and various colors. The palace also features luxurious bathing areas, diverse flower gardens, and a golden umbrella-topped tower, Sambal Burj (Saman Burj?).
A mile and a half south of Agra Fort, on the Yamuna River, is the tomb of Taj Bibi, where Emperor Shah Jahan and Taj Bibi are buried. Here, the writer refers to the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal, constructed entirely of marble, is adorned with expensive stone decorations and meticulously polished. It is a four-story building with two tombs at the bottom and the shape of these tombs on the floors above. The sculptor of this masterpiece was not an ordinary person but had knowledge akin to Vishwakarma. The polish is so fine that snakes cannot climb it and insects fall off it. On the fourth floor is an observatory tower from which distant views are possible. The beautiful garden in front of it has paved stone paths, surrounded by water channels that keep the area cool. The garden has numerous types of flowers and fruit trees, as well as vegetable plants and mountainous flowers.
The next notable place was Bateswar in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Instead of walking, they traveled by boat on the Yamuna. Bateswar came after Nagria and Chinbas. This route is notorious for bandit attacks. After visiting the Shiva, Chaturbhuj Narayan, and Gaurishankar temples in Boteswar, they explored the city. Boteswar was once the kingdom of the Vadoria Rajputs, who ruled the Chambal River valley. The city is on the banks of the Yamuna. Previous kings and wealthy people had built a Shiva temple at the Yamuna ghat, but it seems that the worship is not as active now. The city has 40,000 houses of various communities, many wealthy people, and 200 Shiva temples. There are also ashrams for Gosains, Sannyasis, and Mohants. A fair is held here during the full moon of Kartik month, attracting people from various countries. Thousands of animals like elephants, horses, camels, cows, and donkeys are sold. The fair lasts for two months, and rulers from Jaipur, Karhori, Bikaner, Hathras, Bharatpur, and Gwalior attend it.
The next destination was Panna, in the territory of the Vadoria Raja, reached by water. There, the royal residence and fort were visited. The visit to the Lakshminarayan Temple in the royal palace was noted. That night, while staying near the Yamuna ghat, they witnessed a strange phenomenon: figures resembling humans or trees appeared in the water, rising, moving, and making sounds like water churning. The water would rise and then float away like a boat. Then, like a washerman pressing clothes, the sounds and the water current continued. The phenomenon lasted late into the night, and in the morning, nothing was found in the Yamuna water, suggesting that it might have been a school of dolphins or similar aquatic creatures.
Continuing by boat, they arrived at Ghatko, visited the Vadoria Raja's residence, and then reached Etwah. Etwah is a large city with many Bengali merchants, a magistrate, a collector's office, a post office, and shelters. They then reached the confluence of the Yamuna and Chambal rivers, passing through Adoni and Bhore. Notable places included Arua and Kalpi, where they saw the city, purchased necessary items, and visited the fort, Shiva and Narayan temples, a Kali temple established by Bengali merchants, the British quarters, and the cemetery. Next, they visited Hamirpur, which has a collector's office, magistrate’s office, post office, and Shiva temple. They then proceeded to Prayag.
Banditry was a significant concern on the Yamuna route, with guards on the boat and armed soldiers on watch. There was a fearsome mountain dog and a dozen strong rowers. Even so, there was an attempted robbery of the authors' boat. The author reflected on how daring the bandits still were in the Company’s realm.
Various birds such as cranes, peafowl, snails, swamp deer, and more inhabit the Yamuna. Aquatic creatures like dugongs (now extinct?), gharials, crocodiles, and turtles can be seen. Compared to the Ganges, the Yamuna has fewer aquatic creatures.
Along the journey, they passed through various places like Chillatara, Loveta, the notorious bandit village of Charkha Markha, Krishna Gadh, Rajapur, and Pratappur before arriving at the Allahabad ghat. In the final stretch, many submerged hills or rocks in the Yamuna required careful navigation of the boat.
On their second visit to Allahabad, the author provided a detailed description of the city. Allahabad, extending five crores in width, has five main markets: Daraganj, Kitganj, Muthiganj, Kotra Bazaar, and Barabazar Chak. There are around sixteen settlements of Prayag Pandits, all affluent. Rulers and nobles donate up to one lakh coins here. Prayag, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, is considered sacred. Deities present include Benimadhav, Bharadwaj, and Someshwar.
During Akbar's reign, Prayag was renamed Allahabad (note that since 2018, it has been renamed Prayagraj). Akbar built a fort at the Triveni Sangam on the banks of the Yamuna. The Akshayvat is within this fort. The fort is well-constructed, with amenities like the emperor's Shish Mahal, Aina Mahal, Lal Mahal, Dewan-i-Khas, and all administrative offices. During the author's visit, the Company would capture defeated rulers from other countries and imprison them here. The fort also houses the Company's magazine, artillery, and ammunition. The city has judges, magistrates, collectors, and other administrative offices, as well as a military cantonment and hospital. Many Bengalis live here, and the roads are well-maintained, lined with orderly shops and brick houses. The city has a population of about 100,000 Hindus and Muslims.
A local saying suggests that any wish made at the Kāmya Kupa in Prayag would be fulfilled upon one's death, making the individual immortal. The author recounts a strange story involving a sage named Mukund Brahmachari, who was instructed by Shiva to be reborn with wealth and pleasures, along with his disciple Virbhadra. The disciple served the sage milk without following the method befitted for a hindu monk. So, the sage knew he was deemed deserving of rebirth as a non-hindu. As a result, both he and his disciple were reborn as Akbar and Birbal, respectively, and remembered their past lives. They decided that such a well would not be suitable in the Kali Yuga, where people could assume any form upon death. Thus, they sealed the well with molten lead and built a fort on top. The Akshayvat, however, remained alive inside the fort despite lacking sunlight, wind, and rain. The Brahmachari’s hermitage was on the other side of the fort, near the Someshwar Shiva Temple in the village of Arain. To the south of this village was Jhushi, where the ashram of sage Gautama was located.
In Prayag, during the month of Magh, the Magh Mela takes place. People, kings, saints, and Gosains from various regions come here. Merchants and shopkeepers from different countries set up stalls for trading. The magistrate oversees the fair, ensuring proper management. The East India Company imposes high taxes on the temporary accommodations for travelers and stalls set up by traders.
(To be continued)
In this episode, the period of the journal is from 13th Jyeshth 1263 (27th May 1856) to 10th Poush 1263 (25th December 1856).
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