By Monali Dam
Ever since the days of the Raj,the British were always on the move.They traveled far and wide for various reasons, like administration, trade and commerce, revenue, hunting ,etc.The Indian Postal System established by Robert Clive in 1776 in Kolkata ushered in the age of dak bungalows.In contrast to the dense jungles and deserted roads,these bungalows were a welcome shelter .They were mainly built for British officials and Civilians who traveled through the hinterlands for temporary stays and rest.
There is something magical and mystical about these dak bungalows.I was always fascinated with the concept of dak bungalows.Their offbeat locations,many stories and dark tales always ignited my imagination .The walls hide innumerable tales of a bygone era.Thus,even authors like Rudyard Kipling and Satyajit Ray wrote about it,as they were fascinated by the intriguing aura that led to the plot.
Author Ruskin Bond wrote,”the ghosts …who the British bought and left behind..in our dak bungalows are what’d you called revenants..from the dead reappearing physically but not quite physically .” According to stories, in a particular bungalow in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh , objects would fly around and furniture would move on its own across the room.Any visitors who resisted the ghosts would meet their end, just like General Doughlas who shot his wife and children while staying there for reasons unknown.
In My Own True Ghost Stories author Rudyard Kipling writes that some of the dak bungalows” had little cemeteries in their compounds’’.He writes these ‘’objectionable places to put up in’’ where Khansamas were as old as the bungalows.For the untrained , Khansamas were the caretakers of these bungalows ,who doubled as cooks and butlers.They had a lonesome existence in these forsaken dak bungalows.The Khansamas would also entertain visitors with eerie stories.The fact that many British soldiers and women, children died during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857,can explain the reasons behind these ghosts encounters.
The dak bungalows spanning the length and breadth of the country were strikingly uniform in nature.They were mainly built in European style , comprising three or four rooms and large and wide verandas with majestic views.But these bungalows were usually dilapidated and lacked basic amenities.
But in spite of the poorly maintained, grim tales,the dak bungalows also evoked a certain charm.In her book ‘’The Raj On The Move’’:’’The presence and availability of dak bungalows had an unexpected but profound influence on the social interaction of the British in India.This is how many generations of British in India came to be acquainted with the Indian wilderness that they eventually came to love.’’
Love them,hate them,or fear them these dak bungalows were like a breath of fresh air for weary British officers and travelers to the most unseen scenic corners of this enigmatic land.
By Monali Dam
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