*Dr. Dushyant Kumar Shah
After reading Achal Pulasteya's travelogue "Kuruna Se Kamakhya," another point that emerges is the significant influence of the Bengali and Assamese cultures of the East on the Bhojpuri way of life. Though ostensibly a travelogue, after reading it, one feels that the author, Dr. Achal Pulasteya, has woven together the history, geography, sociology, Puranas, myths, the Aryan-Videha-primitive struggles, and the environment of eastern Uttar Pradesh, northern Bihar-Bengal, and Assam into a research treatise. Dr. Achal Pulasteya is primarily an Ayurvedic physician, as well as a poet-storyteller and a scholar of folk culture. This is why his keen eye misses nothing along the way, be it the history, society, culture, politics, or faith of the people, or the rivers, mountains, forests, and environment. While conversing with these elements, the traveling author presents the travelogue in such a rhythm that the reader is compelled to become a fellow traveler. One reason for this is that Pulasteya's inquisitive mind keeps exploring nationalism in his own civilization, culture, and language throughout the journey.
The narrative begins at a shop on the Muzaffarpur Highway bypass in Bihar, but after having tea and samosas and asking for directions to Guwahati, the author returns to his starting point, his village Packauli Maharaj in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. Then begins the story of the Kuruna stream, in which he clearly establishes, based on evidence, that the present-day Kuruna stream is a dead river from the Buddhist period that has transformed into a stream over time. Then, while discussing the inhabitants of this dead riverbank, the history, settlement patterns, development, agriculture, society, and culture of the district, the author reaches Kushinagar, the site of Gautam Buddha's Parinirvana, located in the Kuruna's place of origin. There, while conversing with the Hiranyavati, another dead river from the Buddhist era, he introduces the reader to the local history and myths.
In an unparalleled poetic style, while talking to his fellow traveler, Dr. Pulasteya enters Bihar via NH-27. Then, under the guise of the autobiographies of the Gandak, Bagmati, Kamala Balan, Bihula, Tiuga, Koshi, and Mechi rivers, he unveils the layers of history, geography, myths, Puranas, society, farms, markets, environment, politics, and caste conflicts of the towns of northern Bihar that fall along the way – Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Forbesganj, Araria, Kishanganj, etc. – involving the reader in the anxieties of paradoxes and problems.
Throughout the journey, Pulasteya does not leave behind his roots and folk culture, trying to connect everything he sees to the Bhojpuri folk culture. Upon seeing the Bihula River, he is reminded of the story of Sati Bihula in the Videshiya dance, which he presents in a very poignant manner. During tea and water breaks along the way, Pulasteya also keenly observes the differences in dialects that change every few miles in conversations with shopkeepers and locals, which is why he writes, "Speaking Bhojpuri in the Bengali style becomes Maithili."
Dr. Pulasteya, a rich personality rooted in folk traditions, makes the reader sway when he presents Bhojpuri songs played by the driver amidst the sweetness of Vidyapati and Sharda Sinha, symbols of Maithili culture. By mentioning the birthplaces and works of the writers and artists encountered on the way, Pulasteya has made this travelogue academic.
By evening, the author's journey enters the Bengal border from a small market called Khoribari. There, the author stops to have tea at the shop of Tapini Das, a woman with literary interests. The Bengali woman's husband is Nepali, and the waiters at the shop are Maithili and Bhojpuri. After learning this, the author sees an image of Mother India in Tapini Das. Then, the legends related to Bengali literature and Rosgulla arouse curiosity and also entertain the reader. A short distance from here, when Pulasteya's car passes through Naxalbari, the author gives a very interesting answer to his fellow traveler Nandlal's curiosity, saying, "It's not a very old history, Nandlal ji! Until 1967, Naxalbari was also a normal village, just like other villages in the country. The country was independent, but zamindars ruled the villages because the zamindars had also fought for independence. Farmers and laborers also fought, but everyone got as much freedom as they could afford, and it's still happening that way today." Then, in the course of conversation, the author narrates the entire story of the Naxal movement.
In this way, during the journey, the author connects not only with rivers, streams, and natural beauty but also engages in dialogue about the country's political and economic problems. While sipping tea at roadside stalls, he also takes the pulse of time and society.
After a night's rest in Siliguri, under the guise of a conversation with the Mahananda River, he presents the regional history, geography, and the picturesque description of the present, along with a remarkable presentation of women's discourse: "Mahakali is the original woman. Centuries must have passed in transforming the original woman into Lakshmi. Countless praises must have been sung in her honor for her to be ready to press Vishnu's feet. Countless adornments and ornaments must have been used to entice her for her to be ready to settle down."
The next morning, while traveling, the author loses his way and heads towards Sikkim. Then, how could the history, geography, environment of Sikkim, and a conversation with the Teesta River be missed? In the river dialogue, the author has used an innovative style by personifying the rivers, for example: "Standing near the barricading along the river, I began to gaze at the Teesta. Emerging from the bluish flow between two hills, the emerald beauty, Teesta, appeared and spoke - 'Why, Pulasteya! Have you seen such a beautiful river anywhere else? No, right? If I weren't here, Sikkim and Darjeeling would have remained unknown to the world. I originate from the Pahunri glacier in the Kailash region at an altitude of seven thousand meters, the Zemu glacier, and the Cholamu lakes. Nourishing the lives of the people of Sikkim, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Bangladesh by flowing 309 km, I become the companion of the Brahmaputra.'" Reading this, it feels more like an autobiography of rivers than a travelogue.
Moving forward from here, by unveiling the lifestyle and problems of the tea garden laborers and the obscure tribal communities like Toto, Garo, and Mech in the Buxa forest, Pulasteya, who has a keen eye for tribal issues, seems to be seeking solutions to problems within the folk life.
It is not that the author, lost in his travel discourse and the enchanting natural environment, has forgotten the current state of the country and society. He becomes agitated upon seeing the naked parade and rape of three young women by a mob in Manipur on social media and expresses his views on the history, geography, and present of Manipur, saying: "Tribes, who have been struggling since ancient times for their freedom and culture, have been thrown into the fire of the electoral dice game. Both the Kukis and the Meiteis are burning, and the players of the dice game are silently watching the spectacle. Here, Indians who consider themselves the nation are displaying patriotism by raising indifferent slogans to this problem. What else can they do when such a large-scale devastation is absent from the media?"
Continuing in this vein, the conversation with the tribal communities, rural markets, and the Angarbhasa, Torsa, Kaljani, Raidak, and Sankosh rivers not only introduces a new form of Bengal but also acquaints us with the education, unemployment, impractical government policies, and land-related problems here. During the journey, Pulasteya repeatedly connects so deeply with the common people that he becomes distressed upon seeing a young man from a poor family in Jharkhand, who aspires to become a doctor, running a tea and snack shop in a tea garden, but he also becomes emotional seeing his attachment to his culture. Here, the reader also begins to sink and rise in the author's sea of emotions.
Further on, Udbhav Mishra says, "When Pulasteya's car enters Assam in the next phase, under the guise of conversations with the Champavati, Gadadhar, Pagladia, Beki, etc., rivers, he takes us on a tour of the wonderful world of folk tales ingrained in the Assamese way of life. Meanwhile, the journey continues with discussions on the history and present of the Bodoland movement."
When the author reaches his destination, Guwahati, he begins to search for the Assamese culture, environment, and prosperous Guwahati he had seen in previous travels, which has been lost in the course of development. Through a conversation with the Brahmaputra River, not only are the layers of the art and culture of Assam and its original inhabitants unveiled, but the history, geography, environment of the Brahmaputra, and the many mythological and legendary tales associated with it, make the travelogue resemble a research paper.
Upon reaching the Kamakhya Devi temple on the Nilachal mountain, numerous windows open to the history, Puranas, myths, customs, festivals, traditions, tantra, spirituality, philosophy, and mysteries of Kamarupa and Devi worship. Peeking through one window reveals a deep connection between Kamakhya Devi and Bhojpuri folk culture. In western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, almost all local power worship sites are linked to the deity of Kamakhya, who is worshiped as the family goddess by the indigenous communities here. Here, Pulasteya seems successful in connecting the indigenous culture of the Northeast with the indigenous communities of North India.
In the context of connecting Devi Kamakhya with Bhojpuri folk culture, he quotes a 'Pachra' song sung in the worship of local power: "Ari kanwaru kamichchwa se chale mor Bhawani ta ranth saji na, Kaili adhaul singar maiya ranth saji na," (O Bhavani, adorned with a lotus garland, rides in her chariot. Mother, adorned with hibiscus, rides in her chariot.)
In every village of the Bhojpuri region, people like Devaki Sokha and Kodai Sokha can be found invoking Kamakhya Devi by singing Pachras. Kamakhya Devi, in the forms of Vamati Mai, Samay Mai, Paramsundari Mai, etc., resides in every village, having become the family goddess of every household. This very thread connects the indigenous communities of the Northeast with the indigenous communities of the Bhojpuri region, strengthening the cultural unity of the country. Ignoring this diverse unity, an attempt is being made today to impose politically motivated religion on the entire country, which will certainly weaken cultural unity. The author expresses concern over this.
From another window, along with the breaking of the myth of turning men into parrots and sheep in Tiriyaraj, other stories related to Kamakhya Devi besides the yoni-peetha of Sati are also revealed. The author says this in his playful language: "Amidst this dilemma, I was gazing at the ever-changing shapes in the Saubhagya Kund. Suddenly, the words of Vasudev Sharan Agrawal, a scholar of Indian culture, flashed in my mind that the worship of the goddess originated from the primitive clan tradition of the Nishads and Bhils, which later developed into the Shakta sect."
Extending this point, Pulasteya writes, "This indicates that the worship of the goddess was started at this place by the Garo, Bodo, and Kirat clans. This tradition is still prevalent today among the untouchable indigenous communities of other parts of the country – the Nishads, Gonds, Bhils, Rajbhars, Khatiks, and Chamars. In some Kshatriya clans also, there is a tradition of offering sacrifices to the goddess."
Unveiling this important fact, he says, "In an ancient inscription, Goddess Kamakhya is called Kameikha in the Garo language, which became Kamakhya in Sanskrit. The Kalika Purana and Yogini Tantra also mention the Kirats as the first worshippers of Kamakhya."
Finally, with archaeological evidence, the author succeeds in showing that the goddess is the family deity Kameikha of the tribals, which has become Kamakhya in the classical language and culture of the Sanatan tradition. Kameikha means the আদি জননী (Adi Janani - original mother), and because she is the family goddess of the primitive communities, the tradition of animal sacrifice still exists today according to the primitive worship system. This discovery by the author, while proving the prevalent Puranic story about Devi Kamakhya to be superimposed, also provides a glimpse into the process of the inclusion of cultures.
The author's journey does not stop here; he also opens the pages of the archaeological significance and history of the Ahom, Bodo, and Koch kings, and various tribes, of the changing markets and other ancient sites of Guwahati such as Vashishtha, Das Mahavidya, Ugratara, Shukleshwar, Aklanta, and Dirgheswari, with which the Hindi world has remained largely unfamiliar. Coincidentally, during his travels, the author gets the opportunity to witness the Assamese New Year festival, Rongali Bihu, whose visual description captivates the reader.
On the return journey, in response to the curiosity of his fellow travelers, the author's unveiling of the mysteries related to Buddhist Vajrayana and Tantra associated with Kamakhya Devi proves him to be a profound scholar of Tantra, Puranas, literature, and history.
Woven into the fabric of historical, mythological, and folk beliefs, this travel story is not just a travelogue; its poetic sweetness creates an unbroken curiosity in the reader's mind. The reader, connecting with their ethnic history, experiences unity in diversity. The veil of ignorance about civilization, culture, and the times is also lifted.
Dr. R. Achal Pulasteya's travelogue "Kuruna Se Kamakhya" has become a historical, cultural, and social research treatise on eastern Uttar Pradesh, northern Bihar, Bengal, and Assam, which is useful for the inquisitive, tourists, and research students.
After reading this book from beginning to end, another point that emerges is the widespread influence of the Bengali and Assamese cultures of the East on the Bhojpuri way of life, whereas there is no evidence of any invasion or migration of communities from the East. On the other hand, there has been significant infiltration from the Khyber and Bolan Passes, but we have not been as influenced by it as we have been by the East.
It is the authorial ability of Dr. Pulasteya that this travel story of just 1100 kilometers, by making the reader a fellow traveler and providing a sense of joy, explores many threads of unity in the multi-colored diversity of India, which will undoubtedly establish a benchmark of popularity.
# Kamakhya Devi,#Kirorimal College, University of Delhi
https://www.amazon.in/-/hi/Dr-R-Achal/dp/9355458452
https://www.desertcart.in/products/585667930-kuruna-se-kamakhya
*Asst.Prof. Deptt of History,Kirorimal College, University of Delhi
The narrative begins at a shop on the Muzaffarpur Highway bypass in Bihar, but after having tea and samosas and asking for directions to Guwahati, the author returns to his starting point, his village Packauli Maharaj in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. Then begins the story of the Kuruna stream, in which he clearly establishes, based on evidence, that the present-day Kuruna stream is a dead river from the Buddhist period that has transformed into a stream over time. Then, while discussing the inhabitants of this dead riverbank, the history, settlement patterns, development, agriculture, society, and culture of the district, the author reaches Kushinagar, the site of Gautam Buddha's Parinirvana, located in the Kuruna's place of origin. There, while conversing with the Hiranyavati, another dead river from the Buddhist era, he introduces the reader to the local history and myths.
In an unparalleled poetic style, while talking to his fellow traveler, Dr. Pulasteya enters Bihar via NH-27. Then, under the guise of the autobiographies of the Gandak, Bagmati, Kamala Balan, Bihula, Tiuga, Koshi, and Mechi rivers, he unveils the layers of history, geography, myths, Puranas, society, farms, markets, environment, politics, and caste conflicts of the towns of northern Bihar that fall along the way – Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Forbesganj, Araria, Kishanganj, etc. – involving the reader in the anxieties of paradoxes and problems.
Throughout the journey, Pulasteya does not leave behind his roots and folk culture, trying to connect everything he sees to the Bhojpuri folk culture. Upon seeing the Bihula River, he is reminded of the story of Sati Bihula in the Videshiya dance, which he presents in a very poignant manner. During tea and water breaks along the way, Pulasteya also keenly observes the differences in dialects that change every few miles in conversations with shopkeepers and locals, which is why he writes, "Speaking Bhojpuri in the Bengali style becomes Maithili."
Dr. Pulasteya, a rich personality rooted in folk traditions, makes the reader sway when he presents Bhojpuri songs played by the driver amidst the sweetness of Vidyapati and Sharda Sinha, symbols of Maithili culture. By mentioning the birthplaces and works of the writers and artists encountered on the way, Pulasteya has made this travelogue academic.
By evening, the author's journey enters the Bengal border from a small market called Khoribari. There, the author stops to have tea at the shop of Tapini Das, a woman with literary interests. The Bengali woman's husband is Nepali, and the waiters at the shop are Maithili and Bhojpuri. After learning this, the author sees an image of Mother India in Tapini Das. Then, the legends related to Bengali literature and Rosgulla arouse curiosity and also entertain the reader. A short distance from here, when Pulasteya's car passes through Naxalbari, the author gives a very interesting answer to his fellow traveler Nandlal's curiosity, saying, "It's not a very old history, Nandlal ji! Until 1967, Naxalbari was also a normal village, just like other villages in the country. The country was independent, but zamindars ruled the villages because the zamindars had also fought for independence. Farmers and laborers also fought, but everyone got as much freedom as they could afford, and it's still happening that way today." Then, in the course of conversation, the author narrates the entire story of the Naxal movement.
In this way, during the journey, the author connects not only with rivers, streams, and natural beauty but also engages in dialogue about the country's political and economic problems. While sipping tea at roadside stalls, he also takes the pulse of time and society.
After a night's rest in Siliguri, under the guise of a conversation with the Mahananda River, he presents the regional history, geography, and the picturesque description of the present, along with a remarkable presentation of women's discourse: "Mahakali is the original woman. Centuries must have passed in transforming the original woman into Lakshmi. Countless praises must have been sung in her honor for her to be ready to press Vishnu's feet. Countless adornments and ornaments must have been used to entice her for her to be ready to settle down."
The next morning, while traveling, the author loses his way and heads towards Sikkim. Then, how could the history, geography, environment of Sikkim, and a conversation with the Teesta River be missed? In the river dialogue, the author has used an innovative style by personifying the rivers, for example: "Standing near the barricading along the river, I began to gaze at the Teesta. Emerging from the bluish flow between two hills, the emerald beauty, Teesta, appeared and spoke - 'Why, Pulasteya! Have you seen such a beautiful river anywhere else? No, right? If I weren't here, Sikkim and Darjeeling would have remained unknown to the world. I originate from the Pahunri glacier in the Kailash region at an altitude of seven thousand meters, the Zemu glacier, and the Cholamu lakes. Nourishing the lives of the people of Sikkim, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Bangladesh by flowing 309 km, I become the companion of the Brahmaputra.'" Reading this, it feels more like an autobiography of rivers than a travelogue.
Moving forward from here, by unveiling the lifestyle and problems of the tea garden laborers and the obscure tribal communities like Toto, Garo, and Mech in the Buxa forest, Pulasteya, who has a keen eye for tribal issues, seems to be seeking solutions to problems within the folk life.
It is not that the author, lost in his travel discourse and the enchanting natural environment, has forgotten the current state of the country and society. He becomes agitated upon seeing the naked parade and rape of three young women by a mob in Manipur on social media and expresses his views on the history, geography, and present of Manipur, saying: "Tribes, who have been struggling since ancient times for their freedom and culture, have been thrown into the fire of the electoral dice game. Both the Kukis and the Meiteis are burning, and the players of the dice game are silently watching the spectacle. Here, Indians who consider themselves the nation are displaying patriotism by raising indifferent slogans to this problem. What else can they do when such a large-scale devastation is absent from the media?"
Continuing in this vein, the conversation with the tribal communities, rural markets, and the Angarbhasa, Torsa, Kaljani, Raidak, and Sankosh rivers not only introduces a new form of Bengal but also acquaints us with the education, unemployment, impractical government policies, and land-related problems here. During the journey, Pulasteya repeatedly connects so deeply with the common people that he becomes distressed upon seeing a young man from a poor family in Jharkhand, who aspires to become a doctor, running a tea and snack shop in a tea garden, but he also becomes emotional seeing his attachment to his culture. Here, the reader also begins to sink and rise in the author's sea of emotions.
Further on, Udbhav Mishra says, "When Pulasteya's car enters Assam in the next phase, under the guise of conversations with the Champavati, Gadadhar, Pagladia, Beki, etc., rivers, he takes us on a tour of the wonderful world of folk tales ingrained in the Assamese way of life. Meanwhile, the journey continues with discussions on the history and present of the Bodoland movement."
When the author reaches his destination, Guwahati, he begins to search for the Assamese culture, environment, and prosperous Guwahati he had seen in previous travels, which has been lost in the course of development. Through a conversation with the Brahmaputra River, not only are the layers of the art and culture of Assam and its original inhabitants unveiled, but the history, geography, environment of the Brahmaputra, and the many mythological and legendary tales associated with it, make the travelogue resemble a research paper.
Upon reaching the Kamakhya Devi temple on the Nilachal mountain, numerous windows open to the history, Puranas, myths, customs, festivals, traditions, tantra, spirituality, philosophy, and mysteries of Kamarupa and Devi worship. Peeking through one window reveals a deep connection between Kamakhya Devi and Bhojpuri folk culture. In western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, almost all local power worship sites are linked to the deity of Kamakhya, who is worshiped as the family goddess by the indigenous communities here. Here, Pulasteya seems successful in connecting the indigenous culture of the Northeast with the indigenous communities of North India.
In the context of connecting Devi Kamakhya with Bhojpuri folk culture, he quotes a 'Pachra' song sung in the worship of local power: "Ari kanwaru kamichchwa se chale mor Bhawani ta ranth saji na, Kaili adhaul singar maiya ranth saji na," (O Bhavani, adorned with a lotus garland, rides in her chariot. Mother, adorned with hibiscus, rides in her chariot.)
In every village of the Bhojpuri region, people like Devaki Sokha and Kodai Sokha can be found invoking Kamakhya Devi by singing Pachras. Kamakhya Devi, in the forms of Vamati Mai, Samay Mai, Paramsundari Mai, etc., resides in every village, having become the family goddess of every household. This very thread connects the indigenous communities of the Northeast with the indigenous communities of the Bhojpuri region, strengthening the cultural unity of the country. Ignoring this diverse unity, an attempt is being made today to impose politically motivated religion on the entire country, which will certainly weaken cultural unity. The author expresses concern over this.
From another window, along with the breaking of the myth of turning men into parrots and sheep in Tiriyaraj, other stories related to Kamakhya Devi besides the yoni-peetha of Sati are also revealed. The author says this in his playful language: "Amidst this dilemma, I was gazing at the ever-changing shapes in the Saubhagya Kund. Suddenly, the words of Vasudev Sharan Agrawal, a scholar of Indian culture, flashed in my mind that the worship of the goddess originated from the primitive clan tradition of the Nishads and Bhils, which later developed into the Shakta sect."
Extending this point, Pulasteya writes, "This indicates that the worship of the goddess was started at this place by the Garo, Bodo, and Kirat clans. This tradition is still prevalent today among the untouchable indigenous communities of other parts of the country – the Nishads, Gonds, Bhils, Rajbhars, Khatiks, and Chamars. In some Kshatriya clans also, there is a tradition of offering sacrifices to the goddess."
Unveiling this important fact, he says, "In an ancient inscription, Goddess Kamakhya is called Kameikha in the Garo language, which became Kamakhya in Sanskrit. The Kalika Purana and Yogini Tantra also mention the Kirats as the first worshippers of Kamakhya."
Finally, with archaeological evidence, the author succeeds in showing that the goddess is the family deity Kameikha of the tribals, which has become Kamakhya in the classical language and culture of the Sanatan tradition. Kameikha means the আদি জননী (Adi Janani - original mother), and because she is the family goddess of the primitive communities, the tradition of animal sacrifice still exists today according to the primitive worship system. This discovery by the author, while proving the prevalent Puranic story about Devi Kamakhya to be superimposed, also provides a glimpse into the process of the inclusion of cultures.
The author's journey does not stop here; he also opens the pages of the archaeological significance and history of the Ahom, Bodo, and Koch kings, and various tribes, of the changing markets and other ancient sites of Guwahati such as Vashishtha, Das Mahavidya, Ugratara, Shukleshwar, Aklanta, and Dirgheswari, with which the Hindi world has remained largely unfamiliar. Coincidentally, during his travels, the author gets the opportunity to witness the Assamese New Year festival, Rongali Bihu, whose visual description captivates the reader.
On the return journey, in response to the curiosity of his fellow travelers, the author's unveiling of the mysteries related to Buddhist Vajrayana and Tantra associated with Kamakhya Devi proves him to be a profound scholar of Tantra, Puranas, literature, and history.
Woven into the fabric of historical, mythological, and folk beliefs, this travel story is not just a travelogue; its poetic sweetness creates an unbroken curiosity in the reader's mind. The reader, connecting with their ethnic history, experiences unity in diversity. The veil of ignorance about civilization, culture, and the times is also lifted.
Dr. R. Achal Pulasteya's travelogue "Kuruna Se Kamakhya" has become a historical, cultural, and social research treatise on eastern Uttar Pradesh, northern Bihar, Bengal, and Assam, which is useful for the inquisitive, tourists, and research students.
After reading this book from beginning to end, another point that emerges is the widespread influence of the Bengali and Assamese cultures of the East on the Bhojpuri way of life, whereas there is no evidence of any invasion or migration of communities from the East. On the other hand, there has been significant infiltration from the Khyber and Bolan Passes, but we have not been as influenced by it as we have been by the East.
It is the authorial ability of Dr. Pulasteya that this travel story of just 1100 kilometers, by making the reader a fellow traveler and providing a sense of joy, explores many threads of unity in the multi-colored diversity of India, which will undoubtedly establish a benchmark of popularity.
# Kamakhya Devi,#Kirorimal College, University of Delhi
https://www.amazon.in/-/hi/Dr-R-Achal/dp/9355458452
https://www.desertcart.in/products/585667930-kuruna-se-kamakhya
*Asst.Prof. Deptt of History,Kirorimal College, University of Delhi
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