The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
After that, the author Bhola Nauth Chunder visited several renowned places associated with the Vaishnav saints in Vrindavan. The first notable site was the Samaj or Samadhi (tomb) of the Vaishnav saint Haridas Goswami. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu established the practice of samadhi among Vaishnavs, replacing the Hindu cremation tradition. Haridas spent his last days in Vrindavan singing the holy names. Once, while traveling on the Yamuna River, Emperor Akbar heard Haridas's singing and was so captivated that he requested him to come to the royal court as the chief singer. Naturally, Haridas declined. After repeated requests, he sent his young disciple Tansen to Akbar, who then adorned the court and eventually became a legendary singer. Haridas Goswami’s simple-looking samadhi is a significant pilgrimage site for Hindus.
In the month of Kartik, the Ras festival is celebrated in Vrindavan. The Ras Mandal is an area where the names of Sri Krishna are chanted and dances are performed. During this time, the entire city transforms into a Ras Mandal.
No one has a reputation like Lalababu in Vrindavan. Lalababu (whose real name was Krishna Chandra Singh) was the grandson of Ganga Govinda Singh, the Dewan of Warren Hastings. This wealthy man renounced worldly life in his youth and came to Vrindavan, immersed in love for Krishna. He constructed an extraordinary temple and spent 100 rupees daily for the service of the poor there. Every day, 500 people received prasadam (blessed food). Lalababu personally cleaned the temple courtyard every day and only ate the bread he begged for. This selfless man later left Vrindavan to meditate in the caves of Giri Govardhan.
The next destination was the site of Rup Goswami’s ashram, which is no longer secluded in the jungle but located on a paved road. There is a high-quality temple built by the king of Bharatpur.
They then went to Nidhuban, where Sri Krishna used to play the flute daily and engage in pastimes with the gopis (cowherd girls). It is currently a low-walled area within the city, surrounded by bushes. There is a water body here known as Lalita Kund.
Next, they visited Madan Mohanji's temple, established by Queen Kubja. Madan Mohanji became invisible during the fall of Mathura. After several centuries, he manifested in the house of a Choubey woman, who kept him as a companion for her young son. Later, he came to Sanatan Goswami. Displeased with the simple prasadam given by Sanatan, Madan Mohan craved royal food, which was beyond Sanatan’s means. At that time, a merchant's boat got stuck on a sandbank. The merchant, hoping for help, visited Madan Mohan's temple and vowed that if his goods were saved, he would donate to the deity. Miraculously, the boat was freed, and the merchant gained unexpected profit. He built a temple for the deity, who became one of the main three deities of Vrindavan. The idol established by Sanatan Goswami is now in Jaipur, while the ancient temple is abandoned and in ruins. Sanatan's samadhi is there, where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited, leaving behind his footprints, a wooden sandal, and the shade of the tamarind tree he sat under. However, the author doubts the tree's age and the small size of the footprints.
Next, they visited Nikunjavan, the garden of Radha and Krishna's pastimes. It is said that no person can spend the night in Nikunjavan. Now, it is a low-walled area covered with bushes and grass, home to many monkeys. The author recounts tales of the monkeys’ mischief around Vrindavan. There was only one tree in that place which was old enough.
Banka Bihari has the largest idol of Sri Krishna in Vrindavan, but there is no Radha idol beside him. Radha Ramana is an idol established by Gopal Bhatta Goswami, emerging from a rock.
The author then witnessed a Natak (play) in Vrindavan. A large tent was set up in the courtyard of a temple, illuminated with lights, where the play took place. Villagers adorned with colorful turbans sat on the ground to watch. The ladies of Braj, wearing colorful clothes, sat in a enclosed area and watched. The theme of the play was the pastimes of Radha and Krishna in Nidhuban, featuring a beautiful young boy in a crown and women’s attire as the heroine. The author felt joy listening to the dialogues of Radha and Krishna in Braj Bhasha.
Pilgrims in Vrindavan also visit other places, such as Madhuban or Talavan, where Krishna and Balaram’s childhood pastimes occurred. Radha Kund, Shyam Kund, and Lalita Kund are also notable sites (Lalababu had constructed Radha Kund; Shyam Kund’s water is bluish while Lalita Kund’s is milky white. Sitting by Shyam Kund, Krishnadas Kaviraj wrote his Chaitanya Charitamrita).
Four miles from Radha Kund lies Govardhan Hill, revered by Vaishnavs as a holy site similar to Mount Kailash. Krishna lifted this hill with his little finger to protect Vrindavan from torrential rain. The author narrates another tale about Govardhan. During the war in Lanka, when Lakshman was injured by Ravana's arrow, the physician (Sushen) said he would recover if a specific plant (Vishalyakarani) was brought from a certain Himalayan mountain (Gandhamadan). Hanuman went to fetch the plant but, forgetting its name, lifted the entire mountain and headed to Lanka. At that time, Bharat, Rama’s brother, was passing through where Govardhan is now located. Mistaking Hanuman for a demon, he shot an arrow at his foot, causing Hanuman to shout "Rama Rama" and drop a small portion of Gandhamadan. Hearing Rama's name, Bharat understood his mistake, and upon learning the truth from Hanuman, he asked him to sit on the arrowhead along with Gandhamadan so that he could expedite Hanuman’s journey to Lanka with medicine for his ailing brother Lakshman. However, Hanuman used his supernatural powers to reach Lanka. The piece that fell at that spot became known as Govardhan Hill.
Now, there are many temples on Govardhan Hill, with the main temple dedicated to Krishna as Gopal. Vallabhacharya was the first to popularize the worship of Krishna in the form of Gopal. He was a saint and philosopher of the 15th century in the Braj region. Every year, the Annakut festival initiated by Vallabhacharya is still celebrated there.
In the heart of Vrindavan lies the beautiful tomb of Ranjit Singh (the Maharaja of Bharatpur). On one side of this tomb is a water-filled pond, and on the other, a dry pond. It is said that once, due to thirst, Sri Krishna drank all the water from a pond. In 1805, when the East India Company besieged Bharatpur for three months, Ranjit Singh bravely faced the situation. The empty pond symbolically represents that siege.
At Charan Hill, one can see the footprints of Sri Krishna and his herd of cows. This hill was the site of his hide-and-seek games with the gopis.
At Kamyavan, the Pandavas met Sri Krishna during their exile. Here, their idols and the Yajna Kundas are shown to visitors.
Barsana is the birthplace of Radha, the daughter of King Vrishabhanu; Nandgaon is known as the childhood playground of Krishna; and Vastraharan Ghat is where Krishna stole the gopis' clothes for fun.
The author then visited Mahavan, where the chief deity is Baldev, Krishna's brother.
Gokul is situated on an island in the Yamuna. It is considered one of the most beautiful places in Vrindavan, retaining much of the atmosphere from Krishna's time. The original idol of Gokulnath was hidden in the forest due to Muslim invasions until Vallabhacharya established it in a temple. During Aurangzeb’s time, the original idol was sent elsewhere (to Jaipur). There are other idols present. The author saw Putna-Khal in Gokul, where Krishna killed the demoness Putna sent by Kansa and floated her in the Yamuna.
Thus, the author’s journey in Vrindavan came to an end.
The author's subsequent travelogue began four years later, on November 5, 1866. This time, the journey started from Tundla Junction. During this period, a new road to Delhi had been constructed, significantly increasing the speed of horse-drawn carriages.
The first notable place along the way was Hathras, which has transformed from a haven for robbers and thugs into a busy center for cotton and indigo trade.
Next was Aligarh, anciently known as Kol or Koel. The author referred to it as Koel Aligarh, noting its ancient significance. After Krishna killed Kansa, Jarasandha, Kansa's father-in-law, rested here on his way to attack Krishna. Aligarh is remembered for the mud fort of Monsieur Perron, a commander in the Scindia army. In 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805), Lord Lake of the East India Company attacked and destroyed the fort after a fierce resistance. Now, only the ruins of the fort remain amidst a forested environment. The impact of the Sepoy Rebellion was significant in Aligarh, but gradually the area is regaining its former glory.
The following day, the author set off for Delhi by train. Through Khurja, Bulandshahr, Sikandrabad, Dadri, and Ghaziabad, they arrived in Delhi. In the distance, the Qutub Minar caught his eye. Gradually, the long-awaited city of Delhi revealed itself before him, featuring Humayun's tomb, the Yamuna River, and various types of minarets, pillars, palaces, and mosques.
(To be continued)
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