The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
Before Hooghly, the royal port of Bengal was Satgaon or Saptagram. The Ganges once flowed from here towards Andul. With the removal of accumulated silt over time, some destroyed boats can still be found along this blocked flow. Satgaon’s ancient heritage was so significant that the Romans named it Ganges Regia (Ganga Ridi?). It was a vast royal city and the capital of kings. The first Europeans to arrive in Bengal mentioned two ports—Chattogram and Satgaon. In the 18th century, many rural colonies were established here. The change in the course of the Ganges led to the decline of these trading colonies. Efforts to use the Hooghly port as the main port gradually failed. Consequently, it lost its former glory and became a minor location. Literally, Saptagram was composed of seven villages. The Mallik family of Kolkata once lived there. Later, they moved to Hooghly and then Kolkata.
Then came Tribeni. Like the holy confluence of the three rivers at Prayagraj in Allahabad, Tribeni is also a sacred place. Every March, a bathing fair is held here. Previously, Kolkata’s elite would not even think of traveling to the suburbs without crossing Tribeni. Tribeni is so ancient that Pliny and Ptolemy mentioned it. This place is a center of Sanskrit learning. The great scholar Jagannath Tarkapanjana, who was Sir William Jones’ Sanskrit teacher and compiled Hindu laws under the patronage of Lord Cornwallis, lived here. He had an extraordinary memory. There is a story that once, on his way back home after a bath, he met a kafir and a Chinese person who were quarreling. The police, handling the case, called him to testify. He claimed not to know the languages of the kafir and the Chinese, but he could completely recount the words they had uttered. Everyone was astonished by his memory. After Tribeni, one encounters the ordinary village Bengal. Brick houses are very few here. Ghats and temples are seen far apart. The river here is wider, but the current is less due to occasional sandbanks.
Four miles north of Tribeni is Dumurdaha or Dumurdah, a very small village but notorious for bandits and pirates. Even now, no boat crosses this area after sunset. During the day, boats also hesitate to anchor at the ghats here. Traders fear robbery and murder when passing through this area with their savings. Once, some people from the Puja bandits would either puncture boats or throw people into the water. Bandit Vishwanath Babu (Bish the Bandit) lived here about 60 years ago, around 1785. Another practice was to offer shelter and hospitality to travelers and then rob and kill them in the middle of the night. Vish the Bandit’s operations extended as far as present-day Jessore. He was adept at evading the police. Once, a traitor from his gang betrayed him, leading to his execution in the forest. His two-story house by the Ganges still exists (at the time of the writer’s visit). The inhabitants here are mostly boatmen and fishermen, many of whom are also bandits at night.
Next came Suksagar. Fifty years ago, many elite families lived in Suksagar. Lord Cornwallis often came here to spend summers. Just as Viceroys now go to Shimla, Suksagar was their summer retreat before the summer residence in Barrackpore was built. A revenue board was also established here before moving to Murshidabad. The change in the course of the Ganges has submerged much of this area. Later, there are no traces of those houses. In 1823, the area was severely flooded.
Chakda or Chakdah is the next place. It is said that a deep trench in the ground was created by the impact of Bhagirath’s chariot wheels, forming this place. Chakda is a trading center where agricultural products from surrounding districts are sold. Like other major Indian markets, it has many warehouses and brothels. Many boats anchor at the ghats.
On the other side lies Balagarh, a paradise for Vaishnav Goswamis and Kulin-Baidyas. After that is Guptipara. The Brahmins here are famous for their scholarly pursuits. The number of monkeys here is immense, and their mischief knows no bounds. It is said that King Krishna Chandra Rai once brought monkeys from Guptipara and married them off in Krishnanagar with great pomp. The cost of that marriage was half a lakh rupees. It is said that asking someone if they are from Guptipara implies calling them a monkey.
In the last century (18th century), the Ganges flowed right beside Shantipur. But now there is a vast sandy bank beside Shantipur. Shantipur has likely existed since ancient times, but little is known about its existence before the 15th century. The earliest records of river journeys on the Bhagirathi come from the time of Emperor Ashoka. His son, Mahendra, went to Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism. Some information about this journey is found in Buddhist scriptures. The Chinese traveler Fa Hien sailed this route to return to his country. In the 5th century, Chand Sadagar (in Mangsamangol) and Srimanta (in Chandi Mangol) journey stories are mixed with history and fiction. The biography of Chaitanya mentions Shantipur. Adwaita’s birthplace and place of worship were in Shantipur. Once, Shantipur was a densely populated place. It was a commercial center of the East India Company. Lord Wellesley stayed here for two days. The house he stayed in was built at a cost of one lakh rupees. In 1822, it was known that there were at least twenty thousand brick houses here, but now the number has halved. However, it is renowned for fine muslin fabric, second only to Dhaka. There are at least ten thousand weaver families here. The descendants of Adwaita are Goswamis here. The main deity is Shyamsundar. There are still many tol houses. No Brahmin now maintains a hundred wives, widows are not required to become sati but can remarry. The grand Barowari Puja is no longer celebrated. Once, during a Barowari Kali Puja, Brahmins allegedly sacrificed a Brahmin instead of a goat while intoxicated, as the author wrote. Women of Shantipur are slender, elite, and delicate native beauties. As Vidyasundar mentioned, these women can braid their hair very beautifully. They are distinguished by intelligence and lively conversation.
Kalna, although not as large as Shantipur, is much more elite and clean. Its roads and markets are better. Previously, the Ganges flowed behind the current city. The old Kalna city is in that direction. The present Kalna was built by the Burdwan Raja. The king and queens came here for pilgrimage baths. The major roads of Burdwan and Kalna are lined with bungalows, stables, and ponds every eight miles. The Ganges is now shifting back towards New Kalna, causing a decline in current trade. The first thing to see in Kalna is the current king’s palace. There are many elite houses and large temples. In a vast area, there are two circular temples (one within the other). The temples are richly decorated. There is a place for feeding beggars here. After that, the notable site is the royal family’s cemetery. The king, of the Kshatriya clan, preserves the ashes of the deceased. He may have adopted this practice from Rajput or another source as such a practice is not found in Hindu scriptures. The ashes of the former king are kept wrapped in fine cloth on a velvet seat, with a silver hookah, rose water, and other items arranged as they were during his reign.
Afterward, in some parts, the river is so shallow that the author and companions walked along the bank while the boat was dragged by ropes. Near Mrijapur, a canal was dug by the Military Board twenty years ago to carry water from there to Rajmahal.
After many hours of walking along the riverbank, Nadia (Nabadwip) was seen in the distance. Nadia holds a special place in Hinduism. Its contribution as a center of Sanskrit learning and as the birthplace of Chaitanya Deva is immense. However, the current state of Nadia is disheartening. There are no ancient, dilapidated temples or residences near Nabadwip, as might be expected. Few Sanskrit scholars are seen. Instead, there is a small town with a working-class Brahmin community. The old Nadia has sunk beneath the Ganges. Old Nadia was on the riverbank towards Krishnanagar. A popular story about Nadia is that two saints, Billagram and Dhatri Gram, lived here in deep forests for secluded study. Many people came to learn from them. Pleased with their devotion, Goddess Saraswati appeared to them. Another story is that King Kashinath, on a pleasure trip, came upon Nadia, which was then covered by jungle and hidden from view. But the king liked the place so much that he decided to make it his capital. The jungle was cleared, and the capital was built, leading to the development of the region. However, there is no documented evidence of exactly when and how Nadia was established. Some say the last king of the Sen dynasty, Lakshman Sen, had his capital in Nadia. When Bakhtiyar Khalji invaded Bengal, his troops destroyed Nadia and established the capital in Gour. There is no further information about Nadia until the 15th century. However, as a center of Sanskrit learning, Nadia’s reputation was undoubtedly maintained. Under the influence of Sri Chaitanya Dev, there was a resurgence of spiritual awakening among the people of Navadwipa. Besides the temple of Sri Chaitanya, there are the ruins of the house of Kali practitioner Agam Bagish in Nadia. He was the first to create an image of Kali from his imagination. It is believed that Kali was a deity of the indigenous people and was worshipped in earlier times. However, the history of Hinduism suggests that Kali has foreign origins. The worship of Shakti seems to have roots in Egyptian and Assyrian civilizations. The worship of Kali images, however, is a distinctive feature of Hinduism. Kali Puja is associated with tantric practices. It is unclear exactly when Agam Bagish lived or whether the ruins attributed to him are truly his home or if it was submerged during a change in the course of the Ganges. There is a deity known as "Pora Mai," which is a piece of black stone smeared with red clay, placed under a very old banyan tree. The people of Raja Kashinath's court had set fire to the forest in Nadia. He was burned black in the fire. The old banyan tree is still recognizable. This part of Nadia has not been submerged by the Ganges. Near the banyan tree of Pora Mai, Raja Krishna Chandra Rai built a large Kali temple. The author then visited some tol (traditional schools). There are more than 50 tols in Navadwipa. The most prominent scholar is Sri Ram Shiromani, who has forty students. Among them, one is from Assam, another from Kalighat, and another from Telangana. Even ordinary people and women in Nadia can recite some Sanskrit shlokas. However, Brahmins are still the teachers and students of tols, as in ancient times. But with the spread of English education, the Brahmins' dominance in education has waned. Oriental scholars such as Sir William Jones and Dr. Carey had visited Nadia. The author saw a yogi in Nadia. The individual appeared to be around 40 years old, with black hair. He does not eat, does not drink water, speaks not a word, and remains in meditation with his legs folded in the same posture. There was no sign of fasting affecting his appearance. Many locals and Europeans come to see him. Various efforts have been made to disrupt his meditation, but none have succeeded.
In Jahnunagar, located four miles west of Nadia on the Katwa Road (Navadwipa-Katwa Road), is a small ancient temple of Jahnumuni. This muni drank the Ganges water and then afterwards allowed the Ganges water to flow out via his ear again. Beneath this temple lies an old riverbed. Here the author heard that a zamindar from this town was punished by being kept in an ant-infested room for failing to pay taxes. The Nawabs of Murshidabad were said to punish people by keeping them in rooms filled with insects. Nearby at Brahmaditala is a Durga temple where human sacrifices used to be performed, according to the author. Now, a large fair is held there in July, featuring attractions such as snake dances, snake catching, and venom extraction.
(To be continued)
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