Travels of Bengalis in the past
— Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
In the next part, they reached Rajmahal Hills. The hilly areas of Rajmahal were notorious for the mischief of mountain thieves. Therefore, everyone was on high alert, and the boat started moving at great speed. On the left was Udanala or Udaynala (now Udhra in Jharkhand), the battlefield where Major Adams of the British forces fought against Mir Qasim. The boat sped past this point and arrived at Rajmahal in Jharkhand. Everyone was overwhelmed by the sight of Rajmahal city. The city spanned five kroshes with numerous buildings, markets, shops, and frequent clocktowers indicating the time. The Fauzdar arrived in a palki to meet Krishna Chandra and offered a 100 rupee nazarana, but Krishna Chandra declined the money. He had a lengthy discussion with him. Various travelers took refuge in different houses. Ghosal mahasay made rounds to check on everyone about their comfortable stay.
After staying in Rajmahal for two days, the journey resumed. They saw mountains as high as clouds, and on top of the mountains were the homes of the Chuhars or Chuars, an indigenous tribe of the Santhal Parganas. Adorned with neckpieces, earrings, bangles, and anklets, and carrying sticks, the travelers were initially frightened. One Chuhar, acting as a representative, offered a plantain to Ghosal mahasay and received a monetary reward and kind words in return.
The boat then proceeded to Sakrigali. On one side was the mountain and on the other, the Ganges. The next day, passing by Telyagadi (Teliagari) on the left, the boat continued. After Siraj-ud-Daulah's defeat at the Battle of Plassey, he had taken refuge with a faqir in a village near Rajmahal. The faqir secretly sent message to Siraj's enemies, and Mir Jafar's brother, Mir Daud, imprisoned Siraj and his family here. The boat passed this location and continued on. Lakshmipur and Shrampur were left behind, and the boat proceeded to Boteswar Mountain in Bihar. There were many temples on the mountain. Ghosal mahashay performed a puja there and also offered his respects at Muni's hermitage.
The boat then arrived at the stone-paved ghat at Patharghata, where they stayed overnight. The next day, they traveled past Paha Raja or Raja's Bati Kahlgram (an ancient city with many old relics, including the Vikramshila Mahavihara excavated later) and spent the night in Khagra.
The following day, they passed Chapkali, Dohargadh, and Dhirnagar on the right and Bhagalpur, Sujaganj on the left, reaching Shivganj. After refreshments and bathing, the boat set off again. They spent the night in Gopalpur (Bihar).
The next day, the boat arrived at Jahangir or Jangira. To the left was a beautiful mountain and to the right, hills in the river. Various sculptures were carved into the mountain. On top of the mountain were the temples of Gaurishankar and several beautiful buildings. Various rituals were performed for Shiva. The boat then set off to perform puja at Baidyanath Dham. From this place, the Ganges flows north, so the water here was considered sacred.
The boat then continued past Jangir, Ghograhat on the left, and Kashipara’s market on the right. In the distance, Munger’s mountain was visible. They spent the night at Kodalighat.
In the morning, the boat continued, passing Sacho Dhan Pir’s house on the left. Guruguni Saheb or Gurgin Khan alias Gregory, an Armenian, had a shelter there. He and his brother Pedru were famous for their valor. Guruguni Saheb was a general in Mir Qasim’s army and fought against the British. To the west of this place was the hot spring of Sitakund, a pilgrimage site for Hindus. The boatmen sang songs to advance the boat.
When the boat reached the western part of Munger, a person named Manohar Mukherjee welcomed everyone to his home for the night. The next day, they visited the Munger Fort. The stone fort, spanning two kroshes, was extremely beautiful, with numerous mosques and many soldiers on guard. Inside the fort was the place of King Karna, who was said to donate one and a quarter mounds of gold daily. He would fry his body in a cauldron filled with thirty mounds of ghee and offer it to Goddess Kali. She accepted this offering and granted him life again with her blessings. King Karna would then distribute gold freely to Brahmins. King Vikramaditya was puzzled by where Karna obtained so much gold. He disguised himself as a Shudra and spoke with Vikramaditya. Karna Raja gave him a hundred tankas as salary. One night, while Karna Raja was asleep, Vikramaditya performed a similar worship of Kali. Goddess Kali granted him life and miraculous powers. Karna Raja woke up realizing that Goddess Kali had left him. Vikramaditya assured Karna Raja not to worry as he would give as much gold as needed for donations. Karna Raja did not believe that Vikramaditya had the power to obtain unlimited gold through Kali's grace. Vikramaditya then revealed his true identity. Karna Raja sought forgiveness from Vikramaditya. This is a well-known story.
The next day, passing Safarabaz on the left and crossing Singhonala, Choukighata, and Surynala, the boat reached Suryaghar. A severe storm arose. The travelers, fearing the boat would sink, started praying to their deities. It is said that Kashinath heard the desperate prayers of Krishna Chandra and the storm ceased. They stayed the night at Shankar Majumdar’s house and then spent the next night on the sandbanks of Dariapur. The boat then arrived at a place called Badh. There was a dispute with a boatman named Bhola Barkandaz, but the soldiers, seeing the authority, became fearful. They praised the authority and sought forgiveness. While staying there, Ramananda Sarkar arrived. He assured that appropriate justice would be served regarding the dispute. The next night, the boat took shelter in Debipur.
The following day, they visited Gaurishankar Devata near Vaikunthpur for darshan and puja. Then the boat arrived in Fatwa city or Fatwa, the confluence of the Ganges and Punpun rivers and a pilgrimage site. Here, travelers performed shraddha and had to go to Gaya. The market there sold various colored fabrics. They spent the night in the city.
The next day, the boat traveled to Raja Ramnarayan’s garden. Ramnarayan was a trusted friend of Nawab Ali Vardi Khan and the deputy of Patna. During Siraj-ud-Daula’s time, he was the commander of the Nawabi army, and under Mir Jafar, he was also the deputy of Patna. He was imprisoned and killed in Patna during Mir Qasim’s reign. They passed Lonagala, Rekabganj, Maruganj, and Adamat, and the boat stopped at Faras’s Kuti Ghat.
Everyone arrived in Patna. They stayed at Vishnu Singh’s house, a beautiful, well-built home with large rooms. Four hundred travelers stayed in this house while others stayed elsewhere. Patna was a large city with big houses, markets, and some dirty lanes. The authority sent a gift to the Subedar of Patna, Setab Rai, along with Munshi Vishwanath. The authority himself later visited the Subedar. Setab Rai, the Subedar of Azimabad, presented gifts such as horses and shawls. After this, Krishna Chandra Ghosal lived in Patna for some time. During this period, the English officer, Dewan Shantiram, gave Ghosal mahasaya various information. They were then joined by Mansa Ram, the chief Kothiwal of Patna, who had been oppressed and plundered by Nawab Mir Qasim.
(To be continued)
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