Other Writings: From Jessore to Calcutta

From Jessore to Calcutta by Renuka Ray

Every year during the Durga Puja festival my whole family would gather at my grandfather’s house in a small but very pretty village close to Jessore. When the festival was over (after about a month) we would leave my grandfather’s large, beautiful house where we had been staying. We all set off towards the steamer boat departure point, the servants carrying the luggage on their heads. As it was nearly dusk, each also carried a lantern.

The steamer boat departure point was really just a small hut with a lantern inside. Eventually the steamer would arrive, its huge light shining brightly at us and whistling dreadfully. Having waited a long time, we were all glad to see the steamer. The servants got on first of all, as they had to get our quarters ready. Eventually the steamer captain would blow his whistle, indicating that the boat was about to depart. When this happened the servants would quickly get off the boat and run back to their homes in the village.

As the boat set off, most of the passengers settled down to sleep. However I did not do this. I loved to stand up on deck, holding the railings in the dark, looking at the beautiful countryside near the river – the dimly visible trees casting their long shadows everywhere. From time to time the steamer would stop at villages further up the river and more passengers would get on heaving their luggage with them. I would not sleep at all that night, instead standing on the deck and gazing at the beautiful flat fields and the tall black trees in the river delta. Eventually the faintest glimmer of light on the horizon became visible. Gradually that glimmer became brighter and the darkness receded. People started to wake up. Cries of “Khulna!” were heard as they spotted the skyline of that town (the largest in the district) in the distance. Eventually we were there, the boat stopped, and that magical night journey through the villages of Bengal was over.

At Khulna we had several hours to wait before the arrival of the Calcutta train. My uncle and some of the other relatives jumped in and swam in the river. We girls set off for one of the local hotels where we washed and freshened up after that long boat journey.  Then it was to the hotel dining room for a lovely lunch, sitting not at tables and chairs but on wooden “piris”. Soon though, the time came to go to the station. The train arrived whistling wildly. My family together with all the passengers crowded onto the train and soon we off. Our holiday in East Bengal was over and soon we would once more be in the crowded, noisy metropolis of Calcutta.