The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
Mayurbhanj was a tributary state under the British government. During the writer's stay in Mayurbhanj, he witnessed the grand celebrations, hospitality, and hunting arrangements made by the king in honor of the arrival of the British commissioner. Eventually, despite strong objections from the king’s guardians and subjects, the British commissioner forcibly took the minor king of Mayurbhanj to Cuttack for English education. (Maharaja Shree Ramchandra Bhanj Dutt, who reigned from 1870 to 1902, was the young king in question). Mayurbhanj is a mountainous and forested kingdom. It is traditionally said that Mayurbhanj was once ruled by Kichaka, the brother-in-law of King Virata from the Mahabharata. There is a temple of Kichakeshwari (located in Kiching). In Mayurbhanj, there is a Jagannath Temple modeled after Puri, where the Rath Yatra is celebrated with great fervor. There is a banyan tree in this temple with leaves resembling the shape of a cow's ear, thus it is called the Gokarna Banyan Tree. (Hari Baldev Ji Jagannath Temple, Baripada).
Afterward, the writer set off for Balasore. Traveling 32 miles south from Baripada, he crossed the Buribalam River on foot. On this route, there is no drinking water for 8 to 10 miles. After traveling one mile on the Cuttack Road, the writer reached Balasore town. The Bay of Bengal is located at the border of Balasore district. From Kolkata, water vessels carrying passengers and goods travel back and forth every eight hours. Passengers travel quickly on this route, but they face much discomfort due to the rude behavior of the waterway staff.
From Balasore, there is a wide royal road leading to the seaport of Chandabali (which is on the Baitarani River). There is a road heading west to the now non-functional port of Remuna. Remuna is famous for the Kshirochora Gopinath Temple. According to legend, Gopinath once stole kheer from a Brahmin, and thus everyone offers him kheer in his honor. A road from Balasore leads to the tributary state of Nilgiri. The capital of this state, Raj Nilgiri (now Nilagiri), is only 8 miles from Balasore.
Leaving Balasore and traveling south along the Cuttack Road for 42 miles, the writer arrived in Bhadrak. Recently, a canal has been constructed from Bhadrak which connects the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers to the Mahanadi below Cuttack. The writer then boarded a steamer from Bhadrak, sailing through the canal toward Cuttack. Besides this canal, another artificial canal from Chandabali to Cuttack was constructed by the British government, although the travel is uncomfortable due to the mismanagement of the steamer services.
Along the way, to assist a Bengali family, the writer disembarked from the steamer, crossed the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers, and took a bullock cart to a place called Kongyapal near Neulpur. From there, he visited some ancient relics in Nayagram. Among the notable sites were the ancient Shiva temple of Shukleshwar (Mahanga, Odisha), and the temple of the royal family’s goddess, Bhagabati, who is depicted as the six-armed lion-riding goddess. King Manikeshwar built the capital here and erected these temples. However, the temple of Manikeshwar Shiva is now in ruins, and the idol has disappeared into the cave. The site, once a fortified jungle capital, is said to have been the refuge of King Lakhan Sen of the Sena dynasty, who was driven out of Gour and took shelter here in Utkala. Most of the ancient ruins are now buried in time, but the goddess’s (Manikeshwar Temple, Mahanga) worship continues even today.
From there, the writer took a bullock cart to Cuttack. Cuttack was ruled by Hindu kings from Utkala, as well as by the Mughals, Pathans, and Marathas, with different kings building various architectural structures during their reigns. In the southwest part of the city, the Maratha rulers had built a stone embankment along the banks of the Katjuri River about 150 years ago. Many images of gods and goddesses are carved into the stones of this embankment. Cuttack is home to many Bengalis, and its inhabitants love to keep birds, with even the house of the Zamindar being filled with them.
A few days later, the writer set off for Puri. After traveling twelve miles, he stayed the night on the banks of the Balihanta River. The next day, he left Puri Road and walked southwest along a forested path, eventually reaching Bhubaneswar with the Pandas. In Bhubaneswar, he visited many beautiful temples. However, the Pandas informed him that these were not the famous temples of Bhubaneswar. He visited the Bindusagar tank, but the water there had become very polluted. He then visited the main temples of Bhubaneswar, where he was impressed by the beautiful structure of the temples. In the Shiva Purana, Bhubaneswar is referred to as Guptakashi. Here, every home has a temple, and the Rath Yatra of Bhubaneswar takes place on the full moon of the month of Baisakh.
The next day, they arrived at Sakhigopal. This deity’s idol belongs to the Kanchi Raj's property. The king of Utkala defeated Kanchi Raj in battle and brought his chosen gods, Gopal and Ganesh, to establish them in Sakhigopal and Puri. Here, the writer witnessed the Ras Leela of the people of Odisha, which is celebrated during the month of Baisakh. Several earthen idols were placed in a room, and a pandal where coconut leaf was spread over them. The dancers performed here for about a month. Several boys dressed in various ways sang songs in the Odia language. As for the legend of Sakhigopal, which involves giving testimony, the writer mentions that there is no basis for this story.
Five miles from there is Puri. Upon reaching the Puri Road, the Pandas began to irritate the writer. After crossing Athara Nala, he arrived at Chandan Talab, the largest pond in Puri. It was excavated by a person named Narendra, and so it was called Narendra Pushkarini. It is here that the Chandan Yatra of Lord Jagannath takes place. Many stalls are set up around the pond during the Chandan Yatra. After the third watch, Lord Madan Gopal Ji arrives from Puri at this location.
In front of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the main road of the city leads. The chariot travels along this road up to Gunjabati. The road is about 100 feet wide. On the left side of the road, as one heads toward the Jagannath Temple, lies the residence of the Utkala King. On the other side of the road are shops and the Pandas' homes. The writer stayed the night at the house of one of the Pandas after viewing the Chandan Yatra. The next day, he visited the Shri Kshetra (Jagannath Temple) in Puri and received prasad. Afterward, he met with the Dewan of the Maharaja of Puri, who was a Bengali. The writer and his companions spent nearly a month in the Dewan’s house, living in peace and comfort.
The perimeter of Lord Jagannath's temple is about 2 miles, surrounded by stone walls with four gates. The eastern gate is called Singhadwar. In front of this gate, there is a 30-foot-long stone pillar, which was originally in front of the Konark Temple. After the destruction of the Konark Temple, this pillar was brought here. At the entrance of the gate, there is an idol of Lord Jagannath called Patitapaban. Those who are not allowed to enter the temple because of their caste can view this idol. It was not there earlier. Once, a king accidentally became impure and lost his right to enter the temple. Therefore, the Patitapaban idol was established for his viewing. After passing through the Singhadwar and climbing 22 steps, the second gate appears, which was rebuilt by a saint who collected funds through begging. On both sides of the steps and at the top of the gate, there are sweet offerings sold in the market. South of this gate is another door where the rice prosad (offering) market, known as Ananda Bazaar, is located. Inside the second gate is the first offering temple. The offerings provided by the king are placed in the main temple before the deities. Other offerings from devotees are also kept at this offering temple. Next is the large Nat Mandir (dance hall), followed by the Shreemandir (Main Temple). While the temple's architecture is high, it lacks the artistry seen in the Bhubaneswar temples. Some inappropriate carvings are also present in the temple, which might be related to tantric worship practices. Surrounding the Shreemandir are temples of various gods and goddesses.
According to the writer, the daily expenditure for all services and offerings at Lord Jagannath’s temple is over 250 rupees. Three types of dress are offered to Lord Jagannath every day, with different dresses being worn on various dates. During the Rath Yatra, three new chariots are built according to specific regulations written in a book. The length, width, and the exact dates for starting and completing the chariot construction are mentioned in this book. The Dasapala King of the Garhjata Mahal provides the necessary wood for the chariots. He has a grant for a forest, and it is his duty to arrange to cut the trees there and transport them to the riverbank. The wood is floated down the river by the workers of the Puri King. During Rathajatra, it takes five or six days for the chariots to reach Gunjabati. During this time, the idols remain on the chariots. After nine days, the chariots return to the temple in Puri.
(To be continued)
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