The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
"Englande Bongomohila", i.e. "A bengali woman in England" is a book written by Krishnabhamini Das, which was published in 1885. The author’s name is kept secret in the book. The publisher Satyaprakash Sarbadhikari refers to the author as the "creator of the book" in the preface. Undoubtedly, the author's name has been kept hidden at her own request. However, was the author concerned about the social acceptance or possible criticism of a Bengali woman traveling to England?
Krishnabhamini Das (1862-1919) was a Bengali writer and feminist. Born in Murshidabad, she moved to Kolkata after her marriage. Her husband Debendranath Das went to England for further education. Krishnabhamini Das spent time in England from 1882 to 1889 and returned to India. She wrote extensively about women's education and women's rights in magazines like Bharati, Prabashi, and Sadhana. In this book as well, she repeatedly makes feminist remarks. At the beginning of the book, the author states that she did not write this book to gain recognition or to display her knowledge. The book is a simple and direct reflection of her thoughts and observations based on the new things she encountered in a foreign land. The book provides information that Indian youths who are interested in coming to England might find useful. She addresses the female readers, stating that this book is meant to satisfy their curiosity about England. The author mentions that her husband read the book and suggested revisions and changes, helping her with the education and political aspects of the content.
In the book, the author compares the condition of Bengali women with that of women in England. She extensively discusses various topics like English social customs, religion, festivals, education, politics, people's behavior, and economic classes. However, since these discussions are not related to travel, many parts of these topics have been omitted from this writing.
On September 26, 1882, she started her journey from Howrah station towards Bombay, traveling in a railway carriage (the "coller car"). At this time, she was not hidden behind a veil, as was customary at the time. Her heart was full of pain from the separation from her homeland and loved ones. She was familiar with places like Hooghly and Burdwan because she had passed through them before, veiled, when visiting her paternal home. Now, with her head uncovered and wearing a hat, no one would recognize her. Perhaps the foreigners might think she was a "mem" (a European woman).
Seeing Patna station, she reflected on the lost glory of the ancient city of Pataliputra. At Mugalsarai station, she felt a desire to visit Kashi. Passing Allahabad, she thought of the place as sacred for both Hindus and Muslims—Hindus see it as Prayag, while Muslims regard it as the City of Allah. In Allahabad, she changed cars and entered the women’s carriage. There were no other women passengers in the compartment, so she spent the night there alone. The next morning, she reached Jabalpur. They had to change trains again here. The train from Kolkata to Allahabad was operated by one railway company, while the one from Allahabad to Jabalpur was operated by another. There are many trains that go directly from Kolkata to Bombay without needing to change cars, but they did not find such a train. They stayed a few days in Jabalpur, intending to visit places like the Narmada River’s waterfall and the Marble Rocks but had to leave on September 29, as the ship to England was scheduled to depart from Bombay.
From there, they saw mountains and forests through the train windows, sometimes even passing through tunnels. The next morning, they arrived at Bombay station. Her husband left her alone to arrange for a hotel, and she had no difficulty, as no one dared to approach her, a woman dressed in foreign clothes. They went to a large hotel. The streets of Bombay were much cleaner than those of Kolkata. Along the streets, there were paved sidewalks, which were found only in Chowringhee, Kolkata. The buildings here were made of wood and stone, in addition to bricks. The houses were six or seven stories tall, but the floors were shorter. The roofs were covered with slate, and they could not be accessed. Most of the shops along the main streets were owned by Parsis.
On the scheduled day, they boarded a small boat and then transferred to a large ship. Onboard, she observed Parsis, Muslims, and Christians, but did not see any Hindus. As the boat moved farther from Bombay, the city's lights gradually disappeared, and only the light from the lighthouse was visible. She did not experience seasickness during the voyage.
On the ship, there was a captain’s cabin and a kitchen on the deck. Below were small cabins, each with two, four, or more beds stacked on top of each other. Some cabins had small windows facing the sea, known as portholes, and some even had facilities for bathing. One side of the ship was for the first-class passengers, while the other side housed the second-class passengers and sailors. Between them was the engine room. As the ship sailed, she observed the various forms of the sea and felt delighted when she recognized familiar constellations in the night sky.
Eventually, they reached Aden, where they saw boys swimming and asking for money and local people selling goods. She also saw flying fish in the Red Sea. The ship stopped at Suez, and they were supposed to travel by rail to Alexandria and then board another ship to Brindisi. However, due to the ongoing war in Egypt, no one was allowed to disembark. They had to travel through the Suez Canal by water instead.
They stayed in Suez that night. In the morning, they observed numerous ships around them, each flying different flags and signs. The canal was narrow, and only one ship could pass at a time. On either side of the canal, there was desert, with a few houses scattered in the distance. Small boats occasionally came by, selling eggs, fish, and fruits. It was here that the author first tasted delicious pomegranates, grapes, and apples. After passing through Imma and Port Said, they continued their journey through the Suez Canal for 45 miles. They boarded another ship at Port Said and headed for Italy, passing through the Mediterranean Sea.
As they neared Greece, small mountains became visible. The author thought about the hardships people faced when traveling to England in the past, when it took one and a half years, nine months, six months, or even three months.
Finally, they arrived at Brindisi, a city in the southeastern corner of Italy, where they were held in quarantine for three days to prevent the spread of any diseases, particularly the plague from Egypt. After the quarantine, the ship sailed on to Venice, passing through the Adriatic Sea.
In Venice, the author saw the famous canals instead of streets. Boats were used for transportation, and there were no horse-drawn carriages. The poor women in Venice wore handkerchiefs on their heads, similar to how some women in North East India dress. She noted how both Indian and Romans were once pagan civilizations, but Italy had now recovered its glory through figures like Mazzini and Garibaldi, whereas India "still sleeps."
They reached Milan, changed trains, and continued toward Switzerland. Soon, they were in the Alps, crossing a mountain range and a tunnel that took about 25 minutes to pass through. They reached Basel, Switzerland, and from there, they traveled to France, where they observed the flatlands.
Eventually, they reached Calais, a French port city, and boarded a ship to England, crossing the English Channel and arriving at Dover. From there, they took a train to London and arrived on October 20, 1882. In London, the author marveled at the city’s electric lights that made the night appear as bright as day.
London was vast, about four times the size of Kolkata, with a population of around 4 million. The city was continuously expanding, and many of the fields around the city had been replaced by houses. London was known as a city of advertisements, shops, wealth, and theaters. Without money, there was no happiness in London.
London was divided into eight parts. The north and northwest areas were home to the middle class, where one could find cheaper rent. The west and southwest were mainly occupied by the wealthy. The east was where the poor lived, with unhealthy and unsanitary conditions.
London had many parks, and the largest was Regent's Park, which became crowded in the summer. The park had a lake for boating, lawn tennis and cricket grounds, and even a small zoo.
During the winter months of November, December, and January, London was covered in fog, making it difficult to walk or breathe, and the author sometimes felt like she was living in hell.
There were various modes of transportation in the city, including carriages, buses, and trams. The streets were filled with the noise of the vehicles, and Palkees (palanquins) and bullock carts were no longer seen.
The houses in London had underground rooms where kitchens and storage were kept, and the underground railway even ran beneath the River Thames. There were also trams and buses that did not run on rails.
In London, there were about 8-10 royal palaces, including Buckingham Palace, where Queen Victoria lived, and a grand Parliament House nearby. The famous Big Ben clock tower was situated on the top of the Parliament building, and its chimes were heard throughout the city.
Crystal Palace was located about three miles south of London, a grand structure built for the 1851 Great Exhibition. The building was surrounded by large gardens and fountains, and its glass construction was stunning at night.
The British Museum displayed ancient items from all over the world, and the Westminster Abbey was the burial site for England’s most notable figures.
There were 30 theaters in London, each holding thousands of people, and plenty of concert halls and opera houses as well. One popular tourist attraction was the Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.
In London, there are large palace-like hotels and restaurants to dine at. The restaurants offer cooked food at relatively high prices. If one is not comfortable at home or while on the road, there is the option to eat there. Additionally, there are pubs or public houses, often referred to as gin palaces.
Apart from discussions on social, political, economic, and educational matters of London, this marks the end of Krishnabhamini Das's account of her travels in London (England).
