Travel Narratives in Bengali Literature (বাংলা সাহিত্যে ভ্রমণকাহিনী)

Abstract

From the dawn of civilization on this planet, human curiosity and inquiry have been constant. Curiosity and the subsequent discovery of novelty have been inherent in the birth of cultures. These discoveries have sometimes been born out of necessity, and at other times, out of pure knowledge. The livelihood of early humans has sometimes served as a stepping stone for these discoveries. The inclination of humans to travel from one country to another has awakened the wanderlust in them. They often move to new places without getting entangled with one group and instead, seek opportunities elsewhere. This fosters a constant interest in new places.

               However, in the present day, people choose to go to other places based on their own desires, such as higher education, professional needs, or religious reasons. People also travel for exploration and not just for change, thereby contributing to the expansion of imagination. Human exploration gives birth to the curiosity from which literature arises. Travel literature explores diverse and fascinating subjects. Bengali travel narratives are enticing and thrilling. From Durgacharan Roy’s ‘Debotader Mortye Agomon’ (1880) to Krishna Basu’s ‘Bhromon Deshe Deshe’ (2022), Bengali literature has produced a wide variety of travel literature. Palamou (1880) by Sanjibchandra Chattopadhyay describes the hills, rivers and forest of Chotonagpur Plateau. Several books pique curiosity about the Himalayas, especially those related to the Himalayan peaks. Prabodhkumar Sanyal’s Mahaprosthaner Pothe, Debatatma Himalaya, Birendrakumar Roy’s Himachalam, and Ramananda Bharati’s Himaranya are some examples of this kind. Atul Chandra Gupta’s Nadipothe describes the mesmerising beauty of Bangladesh. Annadashankar Roy’s Pothe-Probase, Japane, Fera, Manoj Basu’s Chin Dekhe Elam, Sovieter Deshe Deshe, and Debesh Roy's Rajosi come under the writings about travels. Tagore’s Europe Probasir Potro or Russiar Chithi also has an important place in Bengali Travel literature. Umaprasad Mukhopadhyay’s Gangabataran, Nabanita Debsen’s He Purna Taba Charaner Kache, Arun Mukhopadhyay’s Hindutirtha Parikrama are important texts regarding pilgrimage. Apart from this, there are important texts in the field of spiritual and philosophical writings. Furthermore, various travel narratives have been written in Bengali. These travel stories are as enjoyable as reading short stories or novels. Bengali travel literature has thus expressed itself uniquely from its inception.