The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
The book Bhromonkarir bhromonbritanto (The Traveler’s Travelogue) was published in 1294 Bengali calendar (1887 AD). The title of the book reads: "The Traveler’s Travelogue, that is, a brief description of every district like Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, etc., collected, written, and published by Rasik Krishna Bandyopadhyay." The travel period mentioned in the book is 1885 AD.
Nothing is known about the author, Rasik Krishna Bandyopadhyay. In the dedication section, under the title "Offering", he addresses Shri Banamali Raychoudhury, the ruler of Tadasdi, a noble and protector, with the phrase "Param Kalyaniyo" (whose well-being is most highly wished). During this journey, he had taken shelter in the houses of various zamindars, kings, and royal employees.
At the start of autumn in 1291 Bengali year, the author set out for a journey to Chotanagpur and Utkal. The author mentions having some companions, but their names and identities are never mentioned. From Kolkata, he traveled through Budge budge and reached Mahishrekha in Uluberia, Hooghly district. (At that time, these places were part of the Hooghly district, not Howrah.) From Alipur, one would come 10 miles on Budge budge Road, then another 6 miles on Uluberia Road. From Uluberia, one could continue south towards the Cuttack Road leading to Orissa. This road passed through Medinipur, crossed Balasore, and reached Puri. The northern bank of the Rupnarayan River was part of the Hooghly district, while the southern bank was part of the Medinipur district. The place where the Rupnarayan was crossed was called Kolar Ghat (Kolaghat). Following the Cuttack Road, the author left Hooghly district, crossed the river, and entered Medinipur district. At Kolar Ghat, there was a small shelter for travellers, an outpost, and a post office. After traveling 16 miles, the author crossed the Kangsabati River at Pashkura, where there was a large market, a police station, a canal water office, and English silk warehouses. The market there was very cheap, offering milk, fish, and vegetables. Another 24 miles further was Medinipur, after crossing the Kangsabati River again. After traveling 18 more miles, the author arrived at a village named Pathra, which had many houses. Medinipur district had a courthouse, a high school, the Medinipur newspaper, and a press for missionaries.
The Cuttack Road from Medinipur, which went to Puri, had branches leading to Sambalpur and Madras. This road connected to the highway of Singhbhum at the district boundary. Another road headed north-west toward Raniganj, and roads also led north to Garbeta, Bagri, and Raniganj. Another branch of this road headed east from Garbeta and, after 12 miles, reached the highway of Bankura. A branch from the south-east of Pashkura traveled 12 miles and reached Tamluk. From Tamluk, another branch went 30 miles southwards to the Hijli-Kanthi Subdivision. That road was unpaved, and two small rivers, Terapeka and Kalinagar, had to be crossed. Continuing along the Cuttack Road, one could travel 20 miles and reach Belda, from where a further 20 miles southeast would lead to Kanthi (Contai). The road from Garbeta led 12 miles north, where a branch eastward reached Ghatal. This road was old, but not strongly built due to the fear of floods. After traveling 21 miles south, the Medinipur district ended. The Subarnarekha River separated Medinipur and Orissa. Here, the place where the river was crossed was called Rajghat. This river becomes terrifying during the monsoon, and there is a local saying in Bengal: "If you cross the Subarnarekha, you will lose sight of your parents."
A canal ran alongside the Cuttack Road up to Medinipur. Small steamers and boats transported people and goods along this waterway. Despite the presence of two or three rivers along the path, the canal was well-constructed to avoid any hindrance in the journey. By controlling the flow of water with locks, boat traffic was facilitated on the Medinipur canal.
The author then provided various details about the natural state of Medinipur district, the products it produced, and the people of different communities living there. Medinipur district was home to many famous zamindars, most of whom had royal titles, and their residences were called garh (forts), such as Mayna Garh, Garh Podubasan, Mahishadal Garh, Narayangarh, Ramgarh, and Lalgarh. The Mayna Garh fort was surrounded by a beautiful moat, and there were forests in the area with peacocks and deer. After crossing a wide canal, one could reach the royal palace. One could not reach the palace by land, but only by boat. The former port of Tamluk was called Tamralipta. This port was once used by the people of Bengal for maritime journeys, but it no longer held the same prosperity. However, it still housed the revered temple of Bhima and Krishna-Arjuna. The residence of the King of Kanthi was called Najna Garh, and 6 miles away was the fort of Basudebpur. There was a saying that the King of Gopegarh once had the cattle shed of Virata of the Mahabharata. On a low mound in Gopegarh, there was a old building, though it was not very ancient. However, 3 miles north of Kanthi, the royal area contained several ancient Shiva temples that seemed very old. The author then discussed the educational advancements in Medinipur district and the high incidence of lawsuits. Despite being a part of Bengal, the region followed the calendar and system of Odisha, such as starting the year on the second day of the lunar fortnight in the month of Bhadra.
The author continued westwards towards Singhbhum, crossing the Kangsabati River. They had to travel along a dusty, unpaved road in bullock cart and after 12 miles, they reached a market. They took shelter in a local house as there was no inn. The next day, they continued their journey through the jungle, passing isolated settlements where they had no hope of finding shelter. After traveling 12 miles, they arrived at Nrisimhagarh, where the ruler of Dhalbhum had once reigned. They stayed at a shop for the night.
The next day, after 6 miles of travel, they arrived at the banks of the Subarnarekha River. This river’s sands contained a small amount of gold dust, and the locals would sift the sand for it. However, the amount of gold was so small that laborers could earn no more than four or five annas daily. The source of this gold has never been discovered. The banks of the Subarnarekha River were beautifully scenic, with large Sal forests, various trees and creepers providing shelter for travelers, and vast stretches of hills. On the left bank of the river, near Rajghat, stood the temple of Dhaleshwari Devi (also known as Rankini Devi). During the Sharadiya Mahashtami festival, sacrifices were made to the goddess, including the ritual killing of a buffalo by spear. The nearby royal palace had been established by the ruler of Dhalbhum. The author met the king and stayed in his hospitality for several days.
After traveling 42 miles through a jungle path, one would reach Singhbhum district. From there, Ranchi lay over 100 miles southwest. There was another road leading to Ranchi via the East India Railway’s cord line, passing through Sitarampur station, and then branching to Barakar. From there, one could travel through Manbhum or Purulia district and then enter Singhbhum before reaching Ranchi. The Ranchi division was mountainous and forested, once ruled by the Utkal king and now under British control.
On the other side, crossing the Subarnarekha at Rajghat and traveling 32 miles, one would reach Balasore district. Balasore port and district lay along the river Burh Bhalang (Buri Balam). During the rainy season, the river had strong currents, but it could be crossed on foot in the dry season. The main road from Medinipur to Balasore was the Cuttack Road, and there was also a route passing through Mayurbhanj. This path began at the south-western edge of Medinipur and reached Mahapal after 22 miles. After crossing the Subarnarekha River on foot, one could travel 6 miles to reach Gopiballavpur. This was the last settlement of Medinipur district. The village had a police station and post office. A Krishna idol named Gopinath was enshrined in a temple of a Vaishnav family. The family here held the Gosain title. From Gopiballavpur, traveling 24 miles southwest through the jungle, the author arrived at the capital of Mayurbhanj, Baripada.
(To be continued)
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