The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
Debendranath Tagore, with a jhāpān (a type of chair carried by four men on shoulder), began his journey through the mountains of the Himalayas. Sometimes, he would ascend directly upwards, and at other times, he would descend a little, reach the riverbank, and then climb again. He continued like this, using the jhāpān to move. Near the riverbank, they would cook and eat. Then, they would climb the next mountain. At night, they stayed in Haripur. After many such days, they arrived in the market of Simla. The shopkeepers stared at him in astonishment. In the same market, they rented a place and stayed there for a year, from April 1857 to April 1858.
The Bengali people who lived there for work came to meet the writer. After hearing from them, he went to see a beautiful waterfall. Descending into the gorge on the jhāpān, he saw that there were settlements, grain fields, and cows and buffaloes grazing. He was astonished. Further down, there was no path to continue with the jhāpān. He walked on foot, holding a stick, and slowly reached the waterfall. The water fell from a height of three hundred feet, creating foam on the rocks. He sat there, watching the water’s play. The next Sunday, he again went to the waterfall with his companions and had a picnic. He enjoyed bathing in the waterfall's water.
One day, the writer heard that Gurkha soldiers were coming to loot Simla. News arrived that there had been severe killings in Delhi and Meerut due to the Sepoy Rebellion. In Simla, the British ordered the disarming of the Gurkha soldiers, but the soldiers, enraged, refused to comply. More Gurkha soldiers came to attack Simla. The Bengali residents fled in fear. As the British also fled, Simla became almost deserted, and Devendranath realized that it was time to leave. However, without porters, how could they move? Just then, a tall, dark man with red eyes assured him that he could provide porters. Hesitant, the writer agreed. The next night, the man brought the porters, and Devendranath set off with them. At every moment, he feared they would kill him and his companions, throw them into a gorge, and loot their money. However, as time passed, he saw that the porters were trustworthy. Even when some money fell from his pocket, the porters picked it up and returned it to him. They brought them to Dogshahi (Dagshai, Himachal Pradesh), where he stayed in a broken house. The next day, he saw British soldiers had set up a fort on a hill using empty boxes of wine bottles, flying a flag. Fearing the Gurkhas were coming, they asked the writer. Devendranath stayed a few more days in the broken house and, when Simla became safe again, he decided to go back. Porters were still not found, but he managed to get a horse. After traveling many paths in the heat of summer, he reached a bungalow by noon and miraculously got a little water and food. He returned to Simla by evening.
After a few days, Devendranath left with his companions and set off alone toward the northern mountains, on the jhāpān. On the way, he had to walk along the edge of a broken bridge with a terrifying gorge below. The mountain was steep like a wall, with a dangerous gorge beneath. From a nearby village, dogs like tigers chased after him. After crossing this dangerous path, he found an empty guesthouse and stayed there. As there were no servants to cook, he ate a roti made of corn and barley made by the jhāpān bearers. Some hill people were singing and dancing. Among them, one person had no nose, as a bear had torn it off, but he was still happily dancing. Devendranath was moved by the simplicity of these people. The next night, they stayed on another hilltop. The villagers told them about the hardships of life here—snow in winter, the trouble caused by bears and pigs during harvest. Devendranath learned that, due to the small number of women, like the Pandavas, the men married the same woman, and her children called them all "father." The next day, they could not proceed with the jhāpān on the steep path, so Devendranath had to walk on foot. At the summit, they found a house to stay. The next day, they reached Narkanda, which was higher and colder. Devendranath continued walking on foot through dense forests, observing that many trees had been burned by forest fire, with no flowers or fruits on the trees, except for the ugly fruits pine trees. Yet, on the mountain slopes, many different-colored flowers and fruits were still blooming on shrubs and creepers. Some flowers had no fragrance, but a type of white rose bloomed, filling the air with a pleasant fragrance. Occasionally, red strawberries could be seen. The beauty of the flowers in this remote region reminded him of God's compassion. Reciting Hafiz’s poems loudly, he reached the summit of Sungri Hill by evening. From there, some mountains were covered in dense forests, home to wild animals like bears. Others were covered in wheat fields. Some mountains were covered in grass, while others had no grass at all. As the sun set, he sat alone on the peak. From a distance, the light of lamps in the villages scattered across the mountains revealed human settlements. The next day, he started descending through a forest of pines. He felt as though the trees were standing like soldiers, a manifestation of God's divine power. On the way, he bathed in a ice-cold stream of water and prayed. The jhāpān bearers gave him goat's milk, which was a miraculous gift in such a remote area. Debendranath used to drink milk after a prayer. He felt blessed by God’s grace.
As they descended further, they reached a place called Boali (in Uttar Pradesh). Below this mountain, there was a river called Nagari, and in the distance, the Shatadru River was visible, flowing toward Rampur in Uttar Pradesh. From there, they passed through the capital of Bhajji's (a princely state under the British, now in Himachal Pradesh) Rana (King) in Sohini (Suni, Himachal Pradesh) and then reached Bilaspur, where the mountain met the plains of Punjab. The next day, they arrived at the riverbank of the Shatadru River, where they saw the river flowing fiercely against large rocks. After crossing a bridge over the river, they found a beautiful bungalow to rest. There was only one family living in the valley, and from their happiness and contentment, the writer thought that no king could be as happy. In the evening, while traveling along the riverbank, he saw a forest fire on the mountain. The next day, he bathed in the ice-cold water of the river. They continued their journey up the mountain and reached a high, snow-covered peak. On the first day of Ashad (rainy season), Devendranath saw snow falling here. After descending, they arrived at the mountain of Sirahan (Sarahan, Himachal Pradesh), where the Rana’s palace was. After another ten days of travel, they reached Simla. Thus, after a twenty-day mountain journey, Devendranath felt that God had blessed him with lessons in patience and tolerance, and he bowed to God in gratitude.
The monsoon arrived in the Himalayas. The clouds gathered below the mountain, not above his head, which astonished the writer. There was a continuous downpour for several days, with no sign of the sun. The streams became full from the rains, making the paths more difficult to navigate. In the month of Ashwin (September- October), there was no special change in the landscape of the Himalayas. During winter, the mountains from base to peak were covered in snow, taking on a white appearance. Despite the intense cold, Devendranath continued his habit of daily morning walks, even in the biting cold. He would travel far, returning to enjoy tea and milk. During his bath, he would pour cold, icy water on his head. For a moment, his blood flow would stop, but soon it would rush through his body with greater energy, making him feel invigorated. During the cold nights, he would not light a fire in his room. He sought to increase his patience and tolerance by enduring the cold. He would leave his room’s door open at night, finding the cold breeze to be refreshing. Day and night, he immersed himself in spiritual contemplation.
At the end of Magh (February 1858), Devendranath received an invitation from the Rana’s minister in Bhajji. He started to descend into the valley on the jhāpān. By evening, he reached the Rana's capital, Sohini (Suni), located on the banks of the Shatadru River. There, he discussed religion with the royal guru and the Rana. Devendranath traveled alone along the riverbank. He crossed to the other side in a large leather bag, as boats could not navigate the river due to the under - water large rocks. Many people were bathing on the riverbank, believing that doing so would cure various diseases. After a week there, he returned to Simla.
While traveling, he saw the prince of Bhajji adorned with jewels, a diamond necklace, and a pearl garland, hunting in the forest. Seeing him, it seemed as if he were a forest god.
At the end of Chaitra (April), the mountains were blooming with flowers. After spending a year at the house in Simla Bazaar, he decided to rent a bungalow in a beautiful and secluded location on the mountain. There was only one tree at the summit, which became his solitary companion. He remarked that it was a mystery how the native Bengali could understand his wearing woolen clothes during the month of Baishakh (the Bengali month corresponding to April-May). In the month of Baishakh, while others would usually wear light clothes due to the heat, he was dressed in woolen garments, which seemed out of place to the locals.
He would meditate on the stones in the solitary mountain area. Whenever his heart desired, he would walk for miles along the quiet forest paths, as far as his mind wanted to go. Then, the monsoon arrived. Observing the river rushing powerfully downhill with the torrential rain, he realized that the river could not remain still in this holy land. The river had no choice but to abandon its arrogance and, though muddy, must follow its course downward in order to provide water to the lands of cultivation. He felt that this was a reflection of the spiritual truth that sometimes, one has to sacrifice their own happiness and comfort for the welfare of others. Similarly, he received a divine message in his heart that the knowledge he had gained from his solitary time in the mountains must be shared with the world. This realization prompted him to begin preparing to return home.
On 16th October 1858, the day of Vijayadashami, he left Simla after almost two years and began his journey down the mountain. He gradually passed through Kalka, Panjour (Panjour, in Punjab), and finally reached Ambala. From Ambala, he hired a horse carriage and began traveling day and night. While traveling in the carriage, he saw a man on a horse racing alongside them. Because of the fear of rebels, the British government had set up a rule where cavalry would patrol the roads at night to ensure the safety of travelers.
Near Kanpur, he came across a large crowd gathered in a field, with many tents set up. After making inquiries, he learned that the King of Delhi was being taken prisoner, and these arrangements were made for his transportation. Devendranath recalled that on his way to Simla, he had once seen the King of Delhi flying a kite joyfully in the open air, but now he was being taken as a prisoner to face uncertain conditions. Reflecting on this, Devendranath thought to himself how one could never know what fate had in store for anyone—how fortunes could change in the blink of an eye.
At Kanpur, the railway line had been opened, and he tried to buy a train ticket. Initially, he was unsuccessful because the trains were only carrying wounded soldiers. Later, however, a Bengali stationmaster, who had been one of his students at the Tattvabodhini school, recognized him and arranged for him to get a ticket. However, when he arrived in Allahabad, he found that the railway station was not yet completed, and the train stopped at one point, and they had to get off and walk three miles to reach the Dak Bungalow in Allahabad. But since there were no rooms available at the Dak Bungalow, they stayed at a building called Lal Kuthi, near the fort.
In Allahabad, Devendranath saw a notice that anyone wishing to travel further east would do so at their own risk, as the government would not be responsible for their safety. He also heard that there were ongoing battles in Danapur (now part of Bihar) involving the rebel leader Kunwar Singh. After hearing this, he thought that it might be better to avoid traveling by land and instead take a water route. Traveling by steamer, however, was only allowed with permission from the British brigadier, as the steamers were reserved for soldiers and their families. Once the brigadier learned who Devendranath was, he granted him permission to board the steamer.
But since there was no room left on the steamer, Devendranath had to travel in the captain's cabin of a cargo boat instead. During the later part of the journey, the captain's cabin had to be vacated by him for the English women, and Devendranath had to spend his time outside in the open deck. Later, at Rampur, he switched steamers, and on 15th November 1858, at the age of 41, he finally returned to Kolkata.
Thus, the travel narrative of Devendranath Tagore ends here, as his autobiography remains unfinished at this point.
