It was around the rainy season and we have planed to visit the Langolbond (লাঙ্গলবন্দ), a place beside the river Old Brahmaputra (পুরাতন ব্রহ্মপুত্র নদ) at where Hindu devotee people take their bath during a specific day from the month Chaitra (চৈত্র) of Bengali Calendar. We have reached there within 10:30pm of the day. After leaving the bus at highway we have explored the Modonpur bridge (মদনপুর ব্রীজ) that is over the Old Brahmaputra River (পুরাতন ব্রহ্মপুত্র নদ). The river has narrowed down due to the construction of the bridge. Also, the river lacks a great source to have a nice flow on it. That’s why the river was totally calm.
We have explored the bridge and its proximity area and collected several weed flowers from there. After that we have headed for the Langolbond Ghat (লাঙ্গলবন্দ ঘাট) at where devotee people use to take the bath to get blessing from the god. It was about 10 Taka rickshaw fare from the bridge area, and took only 5 minutes (or less).
The Ghat was totally covered with the large water hyacinths and I wonder how a boat uses to push through it. But still they are doing this masterfully. Local people are crossing the river with boats which were pushing through this water weeds easily. No bath festival (or ritual) was happening there as it wasn’t the right time. But still found few pious people were there and was doing their prayers. This place gets totally overwhelmed by the Hindu people who come here to participate the ritual. May be someday I’ll come back here to observe that festival.
About Langolbond (লাঙ্গলবন্দ):
There are several stories available behind this place. And it is really hard to decide to which one you are going to believe. According to Internet stories, there was a saint (ঋষি) named Jomodagni (জমদগ্নি) who had five children. His wife made a sin and he wanted to give her a punishment. He asked his children to kill their mother. Bot all were phlegmatic to do this, except the youngest one named Porshuram (পরশুরাম). He killed his mother with an axe. After that the axe got stuck with his hand as it was a sin to kill the mother.
Porshuram’s father advised him to travel from temple to temple until the axe gets detached from his hand. On this course of the journey, Porshuram (পরশুরাম) reached at the Lake at Himalaya and took a bath on that lake. With the blessing of the holy water from that lake, his axe got detached from his hand. So he decided to bring the water of that lake into the flatland for normal people. So that they also can get blessings from this holy water.
He made a plow with the help of that axe (using as a blade) and started dragging it on the ground and moving forward. He became too tired when he has reached at the Langolbond (লাঙ্গলবন্দ). So he stopped his dragging at there. That’s why people started to call this place as Langol Bondho (লাঙ্গল বন্ধ), which means the ‘plow stopped’. Later colloquially the word Langol Bondho (লাঙ্গল বন্ধ) has transformed into Langolbond (লাঙ্গলবন্দ). And the river has created from the plowing of Porshuram (পরশুরাম). And people think it as a holy place and thus they take bath here during that particular day of year.
How to Go:
Langolbond (লাঙ্গলবন্দ) is very near from Dhaka city. It takes around 40 minutes to reach there using public bus services. You can take such a bus from Gulistan (গুলিস্তান). Borak (বোরাক), Shonargaon (সোনারগাঁও), etc will be a handy public bus option for you. You have to leave the bus at Langolbond (লাঙ্গলবন্দ) Bus Stoppage near Modonpur Bridge (মদনপুর ব্রীজ). GPS Coordinate of the stoppage is (23°39’37.69″N, 90°34’1.29″E). From there it is a walking distance to Langolbond (লাঙ্গলবন্দ) at where people takes the bath. GPS of this is location is (23°39’13.21″N, 90°33’56.99″E).
When to Go:
The bath ceremony takes place during the 8th day as per the moon phase from the month Chaitra of Bengali Calendar (চৈত্র মাসের অষ্টম তিথী). Usually its around 21-23 of the month March in English Calendar. If you can manage to go there during that day, it will be great I believe.
Langolbondo Tirthosthan (লাঙ্গলবন্দ তীর্থস্থান),
Upazela: Bondor (বন্দর উপজেলা),
District: Narayanganj (নারায়ণগঞ্জ জেলা),
Country: Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ),
GPS Coordinate: 23°39’13.21″N, 90°33’56.99″E
This article has written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog http://icwow.blogspot.com/
