The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
After visiting the Jhulan Yatra in Vrindavan, the author and his companions set off for Haridwar.
Traveling from Vrindavan via Mathgram (Mant), Korri (?), Khair (Khayer), Khurja (Khurja), Golchi (?), and Hapur (Hapur), they reached Meerut on the sixth day. There is a British army camp in Meerut, and at least 150 Bengali people reside there. There is also a Kali temple in Meerut. The author notes that Bengali patrons regularly contribute monthly for the maintenance of Kali temples wherever they are found. Kali temples are established for two reasons: first, they serve as lodging for Bengali beggers, travelers or workers in various places, and second, in these regions, animal slaughter is looked down upon. When someone feels that they shouldn't eat meat, they offer a sacrifice to the goddess before consuming it. Meerut is a very beautiful city with good markets in various places. There are offices for judges, collectors, magistrates, and commissioners. The city also has a jail, a medical center, and an electric-telegraph office. In the market, one can find shops run by Bengalis, locals, Punjabis, Europeans, and Muslims, selling goods from all over.
Traveling through Kajikapur (Khojki Pur, UP), they reached Roorkee (Roorkee, Haryana) on the third day. This is a new city. The British East India Company has named it New Kolkata. An engineering college has been established here, and there is a high-quality factory producing iron goods, mainly iron boats. In Roorkee, a new type of very strong bridge has been constructed over the canal (Upper Ganges Canal) by the British government, stretching from Haridwar to Allahabad. This has improved water transport, trade, and the movement of war materials, as well as irrigation for crops, benefiting both the ruler and the subjects.
After that, the author and his companions reached Haridwar, traveling via Jalapur (?) on the eleventh day after leaving Vrindavan. Upon arriving in Haridwar, they performed the tarpan at Har ki Pauri (Har Ki Pauri Ghat) and searched for a place to stay. However, due to the influx of pilgrims for the upcoming Kumbh Mela, accommodation prices were very high, with rents at 100 rupees per room for fifteen days. The available rooms were also not very clean. Therefore, they set up a grass hut by the banks of the Ganges. They performed Tirtha Shraddha at Kushavarta Ghat and observed many fish playing in the water.
They crossed the Ganges by pool of boats, then crossed the Neel Ganga by boat as well, and reached the base of the Neel Mountain. Climbing almost three krosh up the mountain, there was a dense forest on the northern side where many ascetics practice yoga. Visiting these ascetics is very difficult due to the presence of wild animals such as elephants, tigers, bears, and wild boars in the forest. On the other side of the Neel Mountain, there is a temple of Chandi Devi. After worshiping the goddess, they visited Anjana Devi’s temple on a hill about half a crosh high and then descended from the southern side of the mountain, visiting many deities including Nilkantheshwar Shiva, before arriving at Gauri Kund. They touched the water in the Kund and watched the large fishes playing in it.
Afterwards, they visited Vishakeshwar, located at a distance of one crosh from Har ki Pauri at the base of the mountain, which is surrounded by poisonous trees and is always filled with the sound of “Har Har” due to the presence of many ascetics.
They then traveled three krosh away to visit the Kankhal Tirtha, bathed, performed Tarpan, and visited Daksheshwar Shiva, where the Daksha Yagna was held. Half a krosh to the west is Sati Kund, where Sati sacrificed herself. There are many akharas of Mohantas in Kankhal. During the Kumbh Mela, kings, zamindars, and other wealthy individuals set up shelters in the area. The writer and his companions visited Har ki Pauri Ghat and also went to Neel Dhara, Tridhara, Panch Dhara, and Sapt Dhara, touching the water at each site. Additionally, they toured the city and listened to the hymns of the ascetics daily.
(To be continued)
In this episode, the period of the diary is from 5th Chaitra 1261 (19th March 1855) to 20th Chaitra 1261 (3rd April 1855).
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