Thread by @BengalAntiquity

#Bengaliwomantravellers
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Durgaboti Ghose
(1905-1992)

Durgaboti Ghosh was born to Indumati and Girindrashekhar Bose in the year 1905.
Schooled at Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya, Durgaboti was married to Rabindra Chandra Gose in 1921.

The book details her first travel westwards with her husband in the year 1932. This was a leisurely trip , organised by Thomas Cook and Company.

Even though , largely, the author might come across a a typical housewife out exploring the world, Durgabati's observations regardin

the Warwick Castle and it's builder are quite academic which shows the mind of a well educated woman.

Durgabati's father had recommended her meeting with some psychoanalysts of the day, with whom he was corresponding at the time.

One of them being Ernest Jones who asked

her whether Indians, if they were to gain independence, would want their treasures back from the British museum!

She met Sigmund Freud too who was quite amused by her fear of dogs and enquired whether Girindrashekhar knew of his daughter's fear and what he thought about it?

Durgaboti posits the question, " If I could speak fluent English, I would ask Professor Freud at least once what his own love of dogs signified?"
Surely , the question would have been interesting for such a famous psychoanalyst!

Throughout the book, Durgabati's wit and vivacious nature shines through and certain places are quite amusing and humorous. Typical Bengali dry wit, if we were to use that term, something that is prevalent among today's Bengali women too.

Durgabati had set sail onboard the MV Victoria from Ballard pier, Bombay docks ,on June 1932 and returned by SS Contiverde in October 1932.

Ramananda Chattopadhyay, while reviewing her book Paschimjatriki, in the Modern Review February 1937 issue, comments, that her style is "pleasant, literary, and occasionally entertaining".

There is a clear Bengaliness in her writing and manner of describing what she was observin

and would often mention how Indians were cleaner than their western counterparts and more hygienic etc. This is common to other such mentions in travelogues by other Bengali women. All of them had maintained their Bengali-ness.

There are many humorous accounts of interacting

with the customs officers, other tourists and guides. The glances she would get from Europeans due to her draping up in a saree.

Whilst in Giza, on their sightseeing tour, the photographers were so amused that they wanted her to pose on top of a camel , which she refused.

Lastly, they insisted that she at least hold the reins of the camel and pose. To which she says 👇👇