The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
Now, the journey continues by boat from Prayag to Kashi via the Ganges River. The boat travels all day long. Occasionally, the boat anchors at a shore to cook and eat. After this journey, on the fourth day, they arrived at the temple of Binduvasini or Vindhyavasini Devi. The deity is depicted as riding a lion with four arms. There are also idols of Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, and Mahasaraswati. The temple is situated one krosh away from the Ganges River, on a hill (Vindhya range), and houses an eight-armed statue of Yogamaya Devi. Additionally, there are temples of various other deities, including Batuk Bhairav. Around the Binduvasini temple, there are many residences of priests and numerous shops. Daily offerings are made in front of Mahakali. Inside the Binduvasini temple, there is a room (Kothra) where the priests confine the pilgrims and do not open the door until the money for offerings is collected. Beautiful young women also roam around the temple seeking money. Many ascetics perform penance at this place.
Two krosh away is Mirzapur, a large city where many Bengalis are engaged in trade. The ghats of the Ganges are paved with stones and have beautifully built temples with Shiva installed. The houses and temples in the city are well-structured with brick and stone. The streets and drains are made of stone, and there are various government offices.
Next, the boat arrived at Chandalgarh (Chunar), which has a fort on a hill. This fort was once the property of the Chandrraja but was later acquired by the King of Ramnagar. It is now under the control of the East India Company, and there are several bungalows for the officers here.
Three krosh away from Chandalgarh is a small area called Little Kolkata, named due to the presence of the Company's bungalows and military barracks. Then we arrived at Ramnagar, which has the royal palace and a temple with idols of Shiva and Vyasa established by Vyasa. This place is also known as Vyasa Kashi.
From Ramnagar to the ghats of Assi in Kashi is half a krosha, and to the ghats of Varuna River is three krosha. This is the author's second visit to Kashi. The Panchkroshi Kashi is shaped like a crescent moon. The temple of Vishweshwar has been adorned with gold by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The temple has a treasure trove of invaluable jewels and four doors. In front of the west door is the Natmandir, which houses the Shiva established by King Harishchandra. Other temples dedicated to Parvati, Annapurna, Avimukteshwar, and various deities surround it. To the north, there is a well named Jnana Vapi. When Mukunda Brahmachari (mentioned in the Prayag section) came to Kashi, seeking the water for worship of Vishweshwar, he struck the earth with his hand, and by his yogic power, Bhogwati emerged from this well.
To the north, there is an old temple of Vishweshwar. Vishweshwar was hidden there because Emperor Aurangzeb had "oppressed" the temple by demolishing it and building a mosque and his own tomb on top of it (though his tomb is in Aurangabad, Maharashtra). They do not allow anyone to enter there. Some (Hindus) used to perform many praises and rewards for the guards to access the place, as the author heard.
The author then describes the main pilgrimage sites of Kashi, such as Annapurna, Kedareswar at Kedarghat, Shamshaneshwar, Tilvhandeshwar, Lolarak Tirtha, and Durgakund. He also mentions the pilgrimage journeys of Kashi, including South Manas, West Manas, and North Manas journeys, as well as the five, seven, and nine-day Panchkroshi pilgrimages that devotees undertake.
One of the pilgrimage sites in North Manas is Lat Bhairav, where the Bhairav's stick and Bhairav's grinder are present. It is believed that committing sinful acts in Kashi would result in being crushed by Bhairav's stick and grinder for six thousand years. This yatra has been a source of dispute between Hindus and Muslims. When Muslims began constructing a mosque at that place, Hindus resisted and defeated them. Later, Muslims set fire around the grinder at night, but it did not burn. However, when fire was set with cow blood, the grinder broke. The next morning, riots between Hindus and Muslims began. At that time, the Judge Renwick of the East India Company in Kashi allowed Hindus to fight the Muslims. Thousands of Muslims were killed. Those who survived were subjected to various atrocities, including having pig blood and cow dung smeared on their faces, having their ears cut off, desecration of their religious places, and mistreatment of their wives. Many Muslims left the country. Later, the British came and pacified the Hindus by making copper grinder for them. That grinder still exists.
The buildings in Kashi are made of stone and are large, ranging from three to five stories high. There are narrow alleyways between the buildings, about one and a half hands wide. The city has five thousand gates, with five, six, or seven alleys between each gate. It is very difficult to find one's way in the alleys. Kashi has many markets and bazaars. Additionally, there are many shops and betel leaf stalls in every neighborhood. Satin, velvet, and Banaras tillyar (a type of fabric) saris are available, including Neelambari and Peetambari.
The description of the pilgrimage to Kashi was given in the first travel account, so it is not repeated here.
Now the author prepared to return home. After various obstacles, when the time came to travel by boat in the month of Jyeshtha, the boatman said it would not be possible to travel by boat due to storms and rains. It could be done in the month of Ashadha. The companions decided to travel by postal carriage (horse-drawn cart) instead of by water. At that time, news came of various disturbances in Meerut and Delhi. The road to Kolkata would soon be closed. This was the beginning of the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857. The author has detailed the Sepoy Rebellion, but it is not presented here as it is not relevant to this travel narrative. During the rebellion, the author remained in Kashi. The rebellion did not have a significant impact on Kashi.
The author continues to visit various pilgrimage sites in Kashi, performing rituals, worship, and offerings. In the month of Bhadra, the Ganges' water increased so much that it hadn't been that high in the last twenty years. The water of the Ganges reached the Pushkarvashkar Tirtha in Kashi, and the flow of the Ganges over the Shivalinga at the Chakratirtha of Manikarnika Ghat increased the significance of those Tirthas. Consequently, everyone took holy baths at these places. Additionally, he witnessed the Lakshmikund fair, Tilatritya vow, Ganesh Chaturthi, Varuna journey, and other religious events during this time.
On the 3rd of Ashwin 1264 (26th December 1856), a solar eclipse occurred. During the eclipse, kings, wealthy individuals, and ordinary people from various countries came to bathe in the Ganges at Kashi. The priests of Kashi profited immensely during this time. Some kings donated elephants and horses covered in gold. However, this year, the Company government received news that rebels disguised as pilgrims would enter Kashi under the leadership of Kunwar Singh of Bhojpur, Bihar, and various English officers of Kanpur. Therefore, government officials blocked the roads, prepared with guns, and closed all access, including boat crossings. No one from other places was allowed to enter Kashi. As a result, the priests suffered significant financial losses.
The author then witnessed the Sharadiya Durga Puja in Kashi. The Bengali community in Kashi celebrates Durga Puja at Durgabari (Old Durgabari, Benares). A fair also takes place there for nine days during Navaratri. Although animal sacrifices are prohibited in Kashi, they were allowed at Durgabari.
(To be continued)
This section covers the diary of the writer for the period from 11th Poush 1263 (26th December 1856) to 16th Ashwin 1264 (1st October 1857).
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