The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
From Bhimgoda to Gaurikund, passing through Jhilmil Chatti, they reached Asimath (also known as Ushamath or Ukhimath). This place serves as the winter seat of Kedarnath, where worship takes place for six months. There is a market here. They visited the Kedarnath temple and the Lakshminarayana temple. After that, they visited Puthibasa, Bamni Chatti, Kshetrapal's Chatti, Garudganga, Kumar Chatti, and Vishnuprayag before arriving at Joshimath on the eighth day. Joshimath is the winter seat of Badrinath, where worship is conducted for six months. Here, they visited Lakshminarayana and Hargauri temples. Joshimath has a dharamshala (pilgrimage rest house) for Badrinath. Eight krosh away from Joshimath is Pandukeshwar, where there is a Shiva temple established by the Pandavas. They also visited Chaturbhuja Narayana. The next day, they crossed eight krosh of hilly terrain to reach Badrinath's mountain on the third day (the twelfth day from Kedarnath). The last four krosh had to be traversed through snow. They crossed a wooden bridge over the Alaknanda River and stayed at a hermit's house. The severe cold made it necessary to bathe in the hot spring of Tapta Kund before visiting Badrinath. Tapta Kund is about twenty hand lengths long and sixteen hand lengths wide, covered with a stone structure. Hot water from the spring fills the room. Water flows into the Kund from the faces of a cow, lion, elephant, and tiger.
The Badrinath deity is two-armed and has a very beautiful appearance. This idol cannot be touched. The deity can only be seen from the second or, if powerful enough, the third tier of the temple. The temple houses many other deities and statues of sages and rishis. Mahaprasad (sacred rice food) can be purchased and consumed from the market. Pindadan (ritual offerings) was performed at Brahmakapal.
That day, a solar eclipse occurred, plunging everything into darkness. They bathed at Tapta Kund, Surya Kund, Nagaraj Kund, Urdhvarek Kund, Vishnu Kund, and the confluence. Bathing at Nagraj Kund is very challenging, as there is a risk of falling into the Alaknanda River through a narrow tunnel between two stones and potentially perishing. Three krosh from the Badrinath temple is the Thousand Streams waterfall (Sahasra Dhara). The Badrinath market has several shops and accommodations. Goods are very expensive because they come from far away.
The author now describes the region of Bhot, which is a nine-day journey from here to the northwest. Though it is possible to travel to and from Bhot, it is not easy. One must wear fur garments and special boots for the snowy path. In Bhot, both men and women consume alcohol and meat. Good dogs, horses, and yaks can be found in Bhot. Women there are very strong and hardworking. The author did not visit Bhot, but might have heard about it from Badrinath. But what country is this? Most probably he referred to Tibet.
After staying two nights in Badrinath, performing rituals, and feeding Brahmins, it was time for everyone to return. They visited Pandukeshwar, Kumachatti, Joshimath, Garudganga, Pipar Kuthi (Pipal Kot), Kshetrapal, and Nandaprayag before reaching Adi Badri. Then they arrived at Govind Kuthi. From here, one can travel ten krosh by mountain path to Almora. On that mountain, there are offices of collectors, magistrates, post offices, and military encampments. Everything one would find in a city is available in the mountains. Then came Karnaprayag, where they bathed at the confluence and visited the ashram of sage Karna. Many kinds of goods are available in the market here. There was a wooden bridge for crossing, but it was broken, so the reliance was on the hanging bridge. They then traveled through Shimkuthi to Melchouri. Here, the previous travelers from Jhapanwalas and Kandiwalas parted ways. Despite many requests, they did not agree to descend further because they were accustomed to the cold and could not tolerate the heat.
From Melchouri, they took new Jhapan and Kandi and reached Lohagadh. Here, there are iron ore deposits and places for smelting iron on the mountain. They then arrived at Bura Kedar. Here, Kedarnath is situated on the bank of the Kaushalya River. They traveled through Kanagir Chatti along the bank of the Kaushalya River, crossing the river seven times. The river has a strong current, slippery stones, and if one slips into the water, they might be swept away. That night, they made a fire on the edge of the forest on the mountain and spent the night. Gradually, they reached Dhikuli, Ramnagar, Chinka, and Kashipur. Kashipur has good houses, markets, and offices of the tahsildar and kotwal. Previously, there were offices of judges, magistrates, commissioners, and collectors, but now these have moved to the Nainital hills eight krosh away. There is a deity named Naini Devi in these hills, and a kund (water reservoir) where bathing, deity worship, and worship of Taleshwar Bhairav occur. Above the resting place, two krosh higher, is a very pleasant place called Devadevi Kund. Bengali babus (Bengali gentlemen) reside here. Previously, the path was treacherous, and people could not travel due to fear of wild animals. Now, with the presence of offices and soldiers, the path has become better, and people travel easily.
From Kashipur, they traveled fourteen krosh (about 42 kilometers) to Sambhal Muradabad in a single day. From Sambhal Muradabad, they started traveling at night due to the heat. There is no fear while traveling at night here. People do not harm each other. If someone falls asleep while traveling, they rest under a tree and later rejoin their companions. Thus, no one became fatigued. They then traveled fourteen krosh from Shirs to Goma, and from there to Koyel via Danpur. In Koyel, there are offices of judges, magistrates, collectors, and other officials. The soldiers' encampment is always training for war. There are many shops selling various goods in the market. The Bengali babus have a Kali temple here. From Koyel, they passed through Beshra, Mansarovar, and Mathgram and reached Keshighat on the Yamuna. From Keshighat they crossed Yamuna river via boat and returned to Vrindavan on the 24th of Jaistha,1262 Bengali year.
It took twenty days to walk from Badrinath to Vrindavan, and about seven weeks to reach Vrindavan from Haridwar via Kedarnath and Badrinath. Upon reaching Vrindavan, they visited Shri Jiu temples and met familiar friends, and after a long time, they finally rested peacefully at their shelters. During the travel through the mountainous forests inhabited by wild animals, there was no proper rest. Meals were irregular and the food was unfamiliar. The sandy, rugged mountain paths and thorny forests resulted in wounded feet. The body became emaciated, and the skin was scorched by the sun. Despite the hardships, they had the opportunity to see the greatest pilgrimage sites of Uttarakhand. Traveling through various countries allowed them to observe and experience different people and their customs. The mountain people are truthful, never lie, and do not know theft, kidnapping, or betrayal. Everyone works hard to sustain their lives. Women engage in agricultural work while men plow and prepare the land. There is no untimely death in the mountains, so there are no young widows. Everyone eats fish and meat. They collect their clothing, blankets, and ornaments through their own labor. The women are not immoral; they have no hesitation or shyness and can wander alone in the mountains and forests. Even those adorned with expensive jewelry carry loads of wood and sell them. When asked why they do this despite their wealth, they say that the jewelry was acquired through their labor, and they earn their living by working, paying taxes, and buying ornaments if they can. Additionally, women carry water from springs, rivers, or wells, grind flour, look after livestock, and raise children. The author reminisces about the beauty of the flowers seen on the way to Kedarnath and Badrinath—roses, kunda, champa, korobi, hibiscus, and various mountain flowers—and notes that the mountains always remain fragrant with these flowers. The author concludes that traveling in the mountains leaves no room for sorrow, suffering, attachment, or delusion.
(To be continued)In this episode, the period of the diary is from 25th Baishakh 1262 (8th April 1855) to 24th Jyaishtha 1262 (6th June 1855).Dear Reader : Your feedback matters! Please take a moment to leave a comment and share your thoughts on this post. I'd love to hear from you!
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