17. Tirtha Bhromon 2 Jadunath Sarbadhikari

     The travels of Bengalis in the past 

                   ----Sumana Dam

        (Continued from the last part)

This time, the writer Jadunath Sarbadhikari set out on foot from Gaya towards Kashi with new companions. Since there were several women with him, they also had a palanquin and ox carts. They first arrived at Yamuna village (Yamunanagar, Bihar), where they were met by the Kashi Ganga-putra ,(panda or his assistants). They then traveled through Panchanandpur (Panchanandpur, Bihar) and stayed the night at Go (the location is unclear). The next day, they stayed the night at Punpun (Punpun, Bihar). Following that, they stayed the night at Daud Nagar (Daud Nagar, Bihar), and then at Podori (Pokhara, Bihar). In these places, there were accommodations for travelers. 

From Podori, they went to Akori (Akorigola, Bihar), where the Son River is about one and a half krosh wide, or roughly four and a half kilometers. After bathing there, they went to Sasaram, an old city with a Mughal sarai. The city is diverse, with a post office, a magistrate’s court, and a registry office. Artisans of various crafts, such as weaving, were selling their goods door-to-door. Letters were sent home from here. They then traveled to Shivsagar Sarai (Shivsagar, Bihar), bathed there, and stayed in Jahanabad (Jahanabad, Bihar). From Jahanabad, they proceeded to Mohania (Mohania, Bihar), which has a beautiful pond and a Shiva temple, and a market for iron and fine goods. Artisans making wool and thread goods were producing high-quality carpets at prices ranging from four to sixteen rupees per yard. From here, they arrived at the banks of the Karmanasha River. According to scripture, touching this river is forbidden as it nullifies all deeds. Previously, there was no bridge over this river, and lower-caste people used to carry people across, causing much hardship. Now, the British have built a bridge here. There are markets, shops, and many settlements. They then went to a place called Jagadish's Sarai (location unclear). From there, they went to Dulhipur (Dulhipur, Uttar Pradesh), where there is a sarai, and stayed the night. From Dulhipur, they reached Banaras, or Kashi, which is three krosha away.

Kashi is located on the western bank of the Ganges. It is a very beautiful and golden place. To the south is the Assi River and to the north, the Varuna River. There are many ghats here. Kashi is renowned for Anand Kanan, Gauripith, Mahashmashan, North Bahini Ganga, Chakratirth, and Manikarnika. They stayed at the residence of Tarachand Dev, a resident of Italy, after crossing at Dashashwamedh’s Sheetala Ghat. On that day, they observed a pilgrimage fast, visited Vishwanath in the evening, and witnessed the anointment and aarti at night. The aarti was so spectacular that the writer noted it could only be understood by those who had seen it. The next day, they bathed at Manikarnika, performed Tarpan, visited Visheshwar and Annapurna, and conducted Tirtha Shraddha, feeding Brahmins, married women, and young girls. The following day, they started their journey towards Dakshin Manas, first visiting Kedarnath at Kedarghat, and then seeing and worshiping twenty-five deities, culminating in the Darshan of Til Bhandeshwar, completing the Dakshin Manas visit. The next day, they journeyed towards Paschim Manas, visiting Pataleshwar first, followed by Shankh Karna Mahadev, and viewing twenty-two deities. The following day, they bathed and performed Tarpan at Manikarnika and then headed towards Dakshin Manas. Visiting sixty-two places of deities at Dakshin Manas, they worshiped Ganesha, Visheshwar, Annapurna, Kedara, Durga, and Shitala Devi. Then, they bathed at Panch Tirtha, first at Assi Sangam and finally at Manikarnika, completing their visit. They performed Tarpan and Brahmin meals at Assi, Dashashwamedh, Varuna, Panchganga, and Manikarnika. 

They spent another five days in Kashi. Although they intended to stay longer, they decided to leave Kashi due to the rising heat and the increasing number of deaths caused by the cholera and pox diseases. They then departed for Vrindavan via Prayag Tirtha.

                        (To be continued)

In this episode, the time period of the diary is from 7th Chaitra 1260 (11th March 1854) to 23rd Chaitra 1260 (6th April 1854).

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