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{{ | {{Short description|Sanyasi and fakir from Kannauj, India}} | ||
{{more citations needed|date=July 2021}} | |||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Puran Puri | | name = Puran Puri | ||
| image = Puran_Puri.jpg | | image = Puran_Puri.jpg | ||
| caption = Original illustration by [[ | | caption = Original illustration by [[Jonathan Duncan (Governor of Bombay)|Jonathan Duncan]] dated to May 1792 showing Puran Puri with his arms aloft undergoing the ''urdhwa bahu'' penance. | ||
| native_name = पूरन पुरी | | native_name = पूरन पुरी | ||
| native_name_lang = hin | | native_name_lang = hin | ||
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}} | }} | ||
'''Puran Puri''' ([[Hindi]]: पूरन पुरी, alternative spellings '''Purana Poori''' or '''Praun Poory''')<ref name="Asiatic Researches"> Asiatic researches, or, Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal for inquiring into the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences and literature of Asia v5 1799 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/92907#page/59/mode/1up</ref> was an 18th-century [[Sannyasa|sanyasi]] monk and traveller from [[India]], who travelled from Central India to [[Sri Lanka]], Malaysia, the Middle East, [[Moscow]] and [[Tibet]]. He was a [[Khatri]] or [[Rajput]], born {{circa}}1742 in the city of [[Kannauj]] in what is now the modern-day state of [[Uttar Pradesh]] in India. | '''Puran Puri''' ([[Hindi]]: पूरन पुरी, alternative spellings '''Purana Poori''' or '''Praun Poory''')<ref name="Asiatic Researches">{{cite book|title=Asiatic researches, or, Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal for inquiring into the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences and literature of Asia v5 1799|year=1799 |volume=5 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/92907#page/59/mode/1up |via=biodiversitylibrary.org}}</ref> was an 18th-century [[Sannyasa|sanyasi]] monk and traveller from [[India]], who travelled from Central India to [[Sri Lanka]], Malaysia, the Middle East, [[Moscow]] and [[Tibet]]. He was a [[Khatri]] or [[Rajput]], born {{circa}}1742 in the city of [[Kannauj]] in what is now the modern-day state of [[Uttar Pradesh]] in India. | ||
== Initiation and Life as a Yogi == | == Initiation and Life as a Yogi == | ||
Puran Puri left his father's house at the age of nine, and travelled to [[Bithoor]] where he became a [[Fakir]]. From Bithoor he proceeded to [[Allahabad]], where he started his ''urdhwa bahu'' [[tapasya]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | Puran Puri left his father's house at the age of nine, and travelled to [[Bithoor]] where he became a [[Fakir]]. From Bithoor he proceeded to [[Allahabad]], where he started his ''urdhwa bahu'' [[tapasya]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> ''Urdhwa bahu'' is a penance that consists of keeping the arms raised aloft, for decades.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Truth_of_Yoga/ibziDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Urdhva+Bahu+puran+puri&pg=PT12&printsec=frontcover|isbn = 9780374722685|title = The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices|date = 5 January 2021|publisher = North Point Press}}</ref> Puran Puri belonged to the Puri sub-order of [[Dashanami Sampradaya]] swamis. | ||
== Travels == | == Travels == | ||
Even though he was a humble ascetic and travelled mainly to Hindu places of worship as a form of pilgrimage, Puran Puri's travels were extensive and comparable in distances to those of more famous travellers like [[Ibn Batuta]]. His travelogue was recorded by East India Company official<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asia.si.edu/exhibition/a-tense-relationship/|title=A Tense Relationship|website=Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery}}</ref> [[ | Even though he was a humble ascetic and travelled mainly to Hindu places of worship as a form of pilgrimage, Puran Puri's travels were extensive and comparable in distances to those of more famous travellers like [[Ibn Batuta]]. His travelogue was recorded by East India Company official<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asia.si.edu/exhibition/a-tense-relationship/|title=A Tense Relationship|website=Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery}}</ref> [[Jonathan Duncan (Governor of Bombay)|Jonathan Duncan]] in May 1792, when he was the British Resident at Benares.<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Travel to Rameswaram and Sri Lanka === | === Travel to Rameswaram and Sri Lanka === | ||
He first set out to travel to [[Rameswaram]], a holy pilgrimage site at the tip of the Indian peninsula which is one of the [[Chardham | He first set out to travel to [[Rameswaram]], a holy pilgrimage site at the tip of the Indian peninsula which is one of the [[Chardham]]s (four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites). | ||
His route took him through the cities of [[Kalpi]], [[Ujjain]], [[Burhanpur]], [[Aurangabad]], [[ | His route took him through the cities of [[Kalpi]], [[Ujjain]], [[Burhanpur]], [[Aurangabad]], [[Ellora Caves|Ellora]], crossing the Godavari near Toka, passing by [[Pune]], [[Satara (city)|Satara]], [[Nagara, Karnataka|Bidanur]] and [[Srirangapatna]]. Using the [[Thamarassery Churam]] mountain pass he crossed into [[Malabar District|Malabar]], then onwards to [[Cochin]] and [[Rameswaram]]. | ||
From [[Rameswaram]], Puran Puri took a northwards detour to the [[ | From [[Rameswaram]], Puran Puri took a northwards detour to the [[Jagannath Temple, Puri|Jagannath Temple]], another of the [[Chardham]]s, in [[Puri]], Orissa. | ||
Returning to [[Rameswaram]], he then crossed over into [[ | Returning to [[Rameswaram]], he then crossed over into [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]] (Sri Lanka), visiting the capital [[Kandy]], the pilgrimage town [[Kataragama temple|Kataragama]] by the [[Menik Ganga]] river, and the Sri Pada or "sacred footprint" on [[Adam's Peak]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Travel to Afghanistan === | === Travel to Afghanistan === | ||
Leaving Sri Lanka, Puran Puri returned by sea to Cochin on the west coast of India, travelling via [[Bombay]] to [[Dwarka]], which is another the [[Chardham | Leaving Sri Lanka, Puran Puri returned by sea to Cochin on the west coast of India, travelling via [[Bombay]] to [[Dwarka]], which is another the [[Chardham]]s, and [[Hinglaj]], an important Hindu pilgrimage place in current day [[Balochistan]], [[Pakistan]]. Passing through [[Multan]] and beyond [[Attock]], he took a westward detour to visit [[Haridwar]] in India. | ||
Continuing his eastward journey, Puran Puri passed through the [[Punjab]] to [[Kabul]] and [[ | Continuing his eastward journey, Puran Puri passed through the [[Punjab]] to [[Kabul]] and [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]] where he noted the [[Buddhas of Bamiyan|great statues]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Meeting with Ahmed Shah Abdali === | === Meeting with Ahmed Shah Abdali === | ||
Near [[Ghazni]] in modern south-eastern Afghanistan, Puran Puri came into contact with the army of [[ | Near [[Ghazni]] in modern south-eastern Afghanistan, Puran Puri came into contact with the army of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Abdali]], the founder of the state of Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah had an ulcer on his nose, and since Puran Puri was an Indian ascetic, Shah consulted him regarding the ulcer. Having no knowledge of medicine or surgery however, Puran Puri used his wits to get out of the situation by suggesting that there might be a link between the Shah's kingship and the ulcer, because of which it might not be advisable to remove one lest it affect the other.<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Travel to Azerbaijan === | === Travel to Azerbaijan === | ||
From Afghanistan, Puran Puri travelled through [[ | From Afghanistan, Puran Puri travelled through [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] via [[Herat]] and [[Mashhad]], to [[Gorgan|Astrabad (Gorgan)]] in Iran. From here he made his way to the [[Ateshgah of Baku|Maha Jwala Mukhi]] ("flaming mouth")<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> in [[Suraxanı raion|Surakhani]], a suburb of [[Baku]] in present-day [[Azerbaijan]], where a castle-like [[Jwala Ji#Atashgah of Baku|fire temple]] and monastery complex existed on a pocket of [[natural gas]] that produced a flame from natural gas seepage. | ||
=== Travel to Russia === | === Travel to Russia === | ||
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After spending almost a year at the Jwala Mukhi, Puran Puri went on to the city of [[Astrakhan]], on the banks of the river [[Volga]] in southern Russia, where he met up with resident Hindus. As Astrakhan was the Russian gate to the Orient, many merchants from Mughal India had settled there. | After spending almost a year at the Jwala Mukhi, Puran Puri went on to the city of [[Astrakhan]], on the banks of the river [[Volga]] in southern Russia, where he met up with resident Hindus. As Astrakhan was the Russian gate to the Orient, many merchants from Mughal India had settled there. | ||
The Volga was frozen at this time, and travelling on the frozen river for eighteen days, he reached [[Moscow]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | The Volga was frozen at this time, and travelling on the frozen river for eighteen days, he reached [[Moscow]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> Since in Moscow Puran Puri was inconvenienced by the large crowds of curious Russians who flocked to see him, unwittingly disturbing him in his devotions, he decided not to proceed further, and to return.<ref>The European Magazine and London Review, by the Philological Society of London. Volume 57, 1810</ref> This was the western-most destination in his travels. | ||
=== Travel through Persia === | === Travel through Persia === | ||
From Moscow, Puran Puri returned to Astrakhan, and via the Silk Road cities of [[Shamakhi]], [[Shirvan]], [[Tabriz]] and [[Hamadan]], reached [[Isfahan]]. [[Isfahan]] was one of the largest cities in the world, and after a stay of forty days there, he then proceeded to [[Shiraz]] in the Fars Province of current day [[Iran]]. In Shiraz, Puran Puri was part of an audience with [[Karim Khan Zand]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | From Moscow, Puran Puri returned to Astrakhan, and via the Silk Road cities of [[Shamakhi]], [[Shirvan]], [[Tabriz]] and [[Hamadan]], reached [[Isfahan]]. [[Isfahan]] was one of the largest cities in the world, and after a stay of forty days there, he then proceeded to [[Shiraz]] in the Fars Province of current day [[Iran]]. In Shiraz, Puran Puri was part of an audience with [[Karim Khan Zand]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Voyage to Bahrain === | === Voyage to Bahrain === | ||
From the port of [[Bushehr]] on the southern coast of Iran, he travelled to [[Kharg Island|Kharg]], a small island 25 | From the port of [[Bushehr]] on the southern coast of Iran, he travelled to [[Kharg Island|Kharg]], a small island 25 km off the Iranian coast. From here, he continued on to the island of [[Bahrain]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Voyage to Iraq === | === Voyage to Iraq === | ||
From Bahrain, Puran Puri re-embarked for [[Basra]], in [[Iraq]], where he found some Hindu traders. He tried to travel up the river [[Tigris]] to [[Baghdad]] but was unable to do so, and returned to Basra. <ref name="Asiatic Researches" | From Bahrain, Puran Puri re-embarked for [[Basra]], in [[Iraq]], where he found some Hindu traders. He tried to travel up the river [[Tigris]] to [[Baghdad]] but was unable to do so, and returned to Basra.<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Voyages to Muscat and Yemen === | === Voyages to Muscat and Yemen === | ||
From Basra, Puran Puri made his way to the port of [[Muscat]] in present-day [[Oman]]. From here he briefly voyaged to [[Surat]] on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, but soon embarked on another voyage to the port city of [[Mocha, Yemen|Mocha]] in Yemen. From Yemen he returned to the Indian subcontinent at the port he called 'Sanyanpoor' on the [[Sindh]] or [[Kutch]] coast.<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | From Basra, Puran Puri made his way to the port of [[Muscat]] in present-day [[Oman]]. From here he briefly voyaged to [[Surat]] on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, but soon embarked on another voyage to the port city of [[Mocha, Yemen|Mocha]] in Yemen. From Yemen he returned to the Indian subcontinent at the port he called 'Sanyanpoor' on the [[Sindh]] or [[Kutch]] coast.<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Travels to Uzbekistan === | === Travels to Uzbekistan === | ||
Puran Puri's next journey was to [[Balkh]] in present-day Afghanistan on the Uzbekistan border, where he observed Hindus settled, and to [[Bukhara]] in present-day Uzbekistan. From here he proceeded to the city of [[Samarkand]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | Puran Puri's next journey was to [[Balkh]] in present-day Afghanistan on the Uzbekistan border, where he observed Hindus settled, and to [[Bukhara]] in present-day Uzbekistan. From here he proceeded to the city of [[Samarkand]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Return to India === | === Return to India === | ||
From Samarkand, Puran Puri travelled to [[Badakhshan]], from where he made his way to [[Kashmir]] and [[Gangotri]], a Hindu | From Samarkand, Puran Puri travelled to [[Badakhshan]], from where he made his way to [[Kashmir]] and [[Gangotri]], a Hindu pilgrim town and the origin of the river [[Ganges]]. Travelling to the south-east from there, he reached [[Awadh]].<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
=== Journey to Tibet === | === Journey to Tibet === | ||
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From [[Awadh]], Puran Puri made his way into [[Nepal]], visiting [[Kathmandu]] and other places including crossing five km into [[Tibet]] to visit [[Shishapangma|Gosainthan]], "place of the saint" or "Abode of God". | From [[Awadh]], Puran Puri made his way into [[Nepal]], visiting [[Kathmandu]] and other places including crossing five km into [[Tibet]] to visit [[Shishapangma|Gosainthan]], "place of the saint" or "Abode of God". | ||
Returning to [[Kathmandu]], he ventured further into [[Tibet]] by crossing into [[Zhangmu|Khasa]] and [[Tingri (town)|Tingri]] and reached [[Lhasa]]. From there he made his way to [[Drongtse Monastery|Drongtse]], near the seat of the [[Panchen Lama]] (also called the Teshu / Teshoo Lama) and finally to [[Mansarovar|Lake Mansarovar]], a sacred place in Hinduism.<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | Returning to [[Kathmandu]], he ventured further into [[Tibet]] by crossing into [[Zhangmu|Khasa]] and [[Tingri (town)|Tingri]] and reached [[Lhasa]]. From there he made his way to [[Drongtse Monastery|Drongtse]], near the seat of the [[Panchen Lama]] (also called the Teshu / Teshoo Lama) and finally to [[Mansarovar|Lake Mansarovar]], a sacred place in Hinduism.<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> | ||
At this time, the Governor General [[Warren Hastings]] was trying to access China as a market for Bengal textiles, using the Panchen Lama's influence. | At this time, the Governor General [[Warren Hastings]] was trying to access China as a market for Bengal textiles, using the Panchen Lama's influence. | ||
On his way back, the Lama entrusted over a sealed package, a letter and a spinning wheel as a gift for Hastings to Puran Puri. Along with this, the Panchen Lama also gave Puran Puri five ingots of silver and 200 tolas (around 2 kg) of gold for himself. | On his way back, the Lama entrusted over a sealed package, a letter and a spinning wheel as a gift for Hastings to Puran Puri. Along with this, the Panchen Lama also gave Puran Puri five ingots of silver and 200 tolas (around 2 kg) of gold for himself. | ||
=== Return to India === | === Return to India === | ||
Puran Puri returned to India on a Tangun horse, given to him by the Lama. When Captain Samuel Turner came across Puran Puri in Calcutta on his way back in 1783, he was assisted by two gosains and clothed in a satin dress, also given to him by the Lama.<ref>Samuel Turner; An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet, London, Bulmer and Co., 1800. pp 269-271 </ref> | Puran Puri returned to India on a Tangun horse, given to him by the Lama. When Captain Samuel Turner came across Puran Puri in Calcutta on his way back in 1783, he was assisted by two gosains and clothed in a satin dress, also given to him by the Lama.<ref>Samuel Turner; An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet, London, Bulmer and Co., 1800. pp 269-271</ref> | ||
After delivering the items to Hastings, he was presented with letters of introduction to Maharaja [[Chait Singh]] of Benares,<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | After delivering the items to Hastings, he was presented with letters of introduction to Maharaja [[Chait Singh]] of Benares,<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> through whom Hastings arranged for an ample maintenance as a reward. | ||
== Post-travel Life == | == Post-travel Life == | ||
Later when Hastings stopped at Benares on his way to Lucknow,<ref name="Asiatic Researches" | Later when Hastings stopped at Benares on his way to Lucknow,<ref name="Asiatic Researches" /> he arranged through Maharaja Chait Singh's nephew and successor [[Narayan dynasty#Maharaja Mahip Narayan Singh|Maharaja Mahipnarayan Singh]] of Benares<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bhattacharya, Ananda|title=Dasanami Sannyasis as Ascetics, Baniyas and Soldiers|journal=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute|volume=93|year=2012|page=243|jstor=26491237|accessdate=July 25, 2021|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26491237}}</ref> a grant of the [[jagir]] (land grant) of the village [[Ashapur, Pindra|Ashapur]] to Puran Puri. | ||
== Popularity of Image in Europe == | == Popularity of Image in Europe == | ||
Puran Puri's image with his hands raised in penance, along with the image of a fellow sanyasi [[Prakashanand Bramhachari|Param Swatantra Prakashanand Bramhachari]] lying on a bed of nails, was drawn by [[ | Puran Puri's image with his hands raised in penance, along with the image of a fellow sanyasi [[Prakashanand Bramhachari|Param Swatantra Prakashanand Bramhachari]] lying on a bed of nails, was drawn by [[Jonathan Duncan (Governor of Bombay)|Jonathan Duncan]] himself<ref>{{cite web|author=James Mallinson|title=Purn Puri and Jonathan Duncan|url=https://www.academia.edu/3492951|via=academia.edu}}</ref> for his 1799 article in the 'Asiatic Researches' journal. These were among the earliest images of yogis received in Europe, and triggered the European fascination for documentation of the novel postures and painful practices of ascetics.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yoga: The Art of Transformation, Exhibition at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. "Part 4: Yoga in the Transnational Imagination"|url= https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/21990541/228-yoga-in-the-transnational-imagination/7|via=yumpu.com}}</ref> As such, the image of Puran Puri was widely redrawn and reproduced as an archetype of a yogi or [[Gymnosophists|gymnosophist]].<ref>Colour engraving by J. Chapman, 1809. From the Encyclopaedia Londinensis or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature; Volume X; Edited by Wilkes, John. Published in London in 1811</ref> | ||
Purn Puri and Jonathan Duncan https://www.academia.edu/3492951 | |||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:18th-century explorers]] | [[Category:18th-century explorers]] | ||
[[Category:1740s births]] | |||
[[Category:1800 deaths]] | |||
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]] | |||
[[Category:People from Kannauj]] | |||
[[Category:Indian Hindu yogis]] | |||
Latest revision as of 17:25, 29 March 2022
 | This article needs more citations. (July 2021) |
Puran Puri | |
|---|---|
पूरन पुरी | |
 Original illustration by Jonathan Duncan dated to May 1792 showing Puran Puri with his arms aloft undergoing the urdhwa bahu penance. | |
| Born | c.1742 |
| Died | 26 July 1800, Benares |
| Occupation | Ascetic, Traveller |
Puran Puri (Hindi: पूरन पुरी, alternative spellings Purana Poori or Praun Poory)[1] was an 18th-century sanyasi monk and traveller from India, who travelled from Central India to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Middle East, Moscow and Tibet. He was a Khatri or Rajput, born c.1742 in the city of Kannauj in what is now the modern-day state of Uttar Pradesh in India.
Initiation and Life as a Yogi[edit | edit source]
Puran Puri left his father's house at the age of nine, and travelled to Bithoor where he became a Fakir. From Bithoor he proceeded to Allahabad, where he started his urdhwa bahu tapasya.[1] Urdhwa bahu is a penance that consists of keeping the arms raised aloft, for decades.[2] Puran Puri belonged to the Puri sub-order of Dashanami Sampradaya swamis.
Travels[edit | edit source]
Even though he was a humble ascetic and travelled mainly to Hindu places of worship as a form of pilgrimage, Puran Puri's travels were extensive and comparable in distances to those of more famous travellers like Ibn Batuta. His travelogue was recorded by East India Company official[3] Jonathan Duncan in May 1792, when he was the British Resident at Benares.[1]
Travel to Rameswaram and Sri Lanka[edit | edit source]
He first set out to travel to Rameswaram, a holy pilgrimage site at the tip of the Indian peninsula which is one of the Chardhams (four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites).
His route took him through the cities of Kalpi, Ujjain, Burhanpur, Aurangabad, Ellora, crossing the Godavari near Toka, passing by Pune, Satara, Bidanur and Srirangapatna. Using the Thamarassery Churam mountain pass he crossed into Malabar, then onwards to Cochin and Rameswaram.
From Rameswaram, Puran Puri took a northwards detour to the Jagannath Temple, another of the Chardhams, in Puri, Orissa.
Returning to Rameswaram, he then crossed over into Ceylon (Sri Lanka), visiting the capital Kandy, the pilgrimage town Kataragama by the Menik Ganga river, and the Sri Pada or "sacred footprint" on Adam's Peak.[1]
Travel to Afghanistan[edit | edit source]
Leaving Sri Lanka, Puran Puri returned by sea to Cochin on the west coast of India, travelling via Bombay to Dwarka, which is another the Chardhams, and Hinglaj, an important Hindu pilgrimage place in current day Balochistan, Pakistan. Passing through Multan and beyond Attock, he took a westward detour to visit Haridwar in India.
Continuing his eastward journey, Puran Puri passed through the Punjab to Kabul and Bamyan where he noted the great statues.[1]
Meeting with Ahmed Shah Abdali[edit | edit source]
Near Ghazni in modern south-eastern Afghanistan, Puran Puri came into contact with the army of Ahmed Shah Abdali, the founder of the state of Afghanistan. Ahmed Shah had an ulcer on his nose, and since Puran Puri was an Indian ascetic, Shah consulted him regarding the ulcer. Having no knowledge of medicine or surgery however, Puran Puri used his wits to get out of the situation by suggesting that there might be a link between the Shah's kingship and the ulcer, because of which it might not be advisable to remove one lest it affect the other.[1]
Travel to Azerbaijan[edit | edit source]
From Afghanistan, Puran Puri travelled through Khorasan via Herat and Mashhad, to Astrabad (Gorgan) in Iran. From here he made his way to the Maha Jwala Mukhi ("flaming mouth")[1] in Surakhani, a suburb of Baku in present-day Azerbaijan, where a castle-like fire temple and monastery complex existed on a pocket of natural gas that produced a flame from natural gas seepage.
Travel to Russia[edit | edit source]
After spending almost a year at the Jwala Mukhi, Puran Puri went on to the city of Astrakhan, on the banks of the river Volga in southern Russia, where he met up with resident Hindus. As Astrakhan was the Russian gate to the Orient, many merchants from Mughal India had settled there.
The Volga was frozen at this time, and travelling on the frozen river for eighteen days, he reached Moscow.[1] Since in Moscow Puran Puri was inconvenienced by the large crowds of curious Russians who flocked to see him, unwittingly disturbing him in his devotions, he decided not to proceed further, and to return.[4] This was the western-most destination in his travels.
Travel through Persia[edit | edit source]
From Moscow, Puran Puri returned to Astrakhan, and via the Silk Road cities of Shamakhi, Shirvan, Tabriz and Hamadan, reached Isfahan. Isfahan was one of the largest cities in the world, and after a stay of forty days there, he then proceeded to Shiraz in the Fars Province of current day Iran. In Shiraz, Puran Puri was part of an audience with Karim Khan Zand.[1]
Voyage to Bahrain[edit | edit source]
From the port of Bushehr on the southern coast of Iran, he travelled to Kharg, a small island 25 km off the Iranian coast. From here, he continued on to the island of Bahrain.[1]
Voyage to Iraq[edit | edit source]
From Bahrain, Puran Puri re-embarked for Basra, in Iraq, where he found some Hindu traders. He tried to travel up the river Tigris to Baghdad but was unable to do so, and returned to Basra.[1]
Voyages to Muscat and Yemen[edit | edit source]
From Basra, Puran Puri made his way to the port of Muscat in present-day Oman. From here he briefly voyaged to Surat on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, but soon embarked on another voyage to the port city of Mocha in Yemen. From Yemen he returned to the Indian subcontinent at the port he called 'Sanyanpoor' on the Sindh or Kutch coast.[1]
Travels to Uzbekistan[edit | edit source]
Puran Puri's next journey was to Balkh in present-day Afghanistan on the Uzbekistan border, where he observed Hindus settled, and to Bukhara in present-day Uzbekistan. From here he proceeded to the city of Samarkand.[1]
Return to India[edit | edit source]
From Samarkand, Puran Puri travelled to Badakhshan, from where he made his way to Kashmir and Gangotri, a Hindu pilgrim town and the origin of the river Ganges. Travelling to the south-east from there, he reached Awadh.[1]
Journey to Tibet[edit | edit source]
From Awadh, Puran Puri made his way into Nepal, visiting Kathmandu and other places including crossing five km into Tibet to visit Gosainthan, "place of the saint" or "Abode of God".
Returning to Kathmandu, he ventured further into Tibet by crossing into Khasa and Tingri and reached Lhasa. From there he made his way to Drongtse, near the seat of the Panchen Lama (also called the Teshu / Teshoo Lama) and finally to Lake Mansarovar, a sacred place in Hinduism.[1]
At this time, the Governor General Warren Hastings was trying to access China as a market for Bengal textiles, using the Panchen Lama's influence. On his way back, the Lama entrusted over a sealed package, a letter and a spinning wheel as a gift for Hastings to Puran Puri. Along with this, the Panchen Lama also gave Puran Puri five ingots of silver and 200 tolas (around 2 kg) of gold for himself.
Return to India[edit | edit source]
Puran Puri returned to India on a Tangun horse, given to him by the Lama. When Captain Samuel Turner came across Puran Puri in Calcutta on his way back in 1783, he was assisted by two gosains and clothed in a satin dress, also given to him by the Lama.[5]
After delivering the items to Hastings, he was presented with letters of introduction to Maharaja Chait Singh of Benares,[1] through whom Hastings arranged for an ample maintenance as a reward.
Post-travel Life[edit | edit source]
Later when Hastings stopped at Benares on his way to Lucknow,[1] he arranged through Maharaja Chait Singh's nephew and successor Maharaja Mahipnarayan Singh of Benares[6] a grant of the jagir (land grant) of the village Ashapur to Puran Puri.
Popularity of Image in Europe[edit | edit source]
Puran Puri's image with his hands raised in penance, along with the image of a fellow sanyasi Param Swatantra Prakashanand Bramhachari lying on a bed of nails, was drawn by Jonathan Duncan himself[7] for his 1799 article in the 'Asiatic Researches' journal. These were among the earliest images of yogis received in Europe, and triggered the European fascination for documentation of the novel postures and painful practices of ascetics.[8] As such, the image of Puran Puri was widely redrawn and reproduced as an archetype of a yogi or gymnosophist.[9]
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A color engraving of Puran Puri, copied from the original around 1809 -
Another color engraving of Puran Puri, copied from the original
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Asiatic researches, or, Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal for inquiring into the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences and literature of Asia v5 1799. Vol. 5. 1799 – via biodiversitylibrary.org.
- ↑ The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices. North Point Press. 5 January 2021. ISBN 9780374722685.
- ↑ "A Tense Relationship". Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
- ↑ The European Magazine and London Review, by the Philological Society of London. Volume 57, 1810
- ↑ Samuel Turner; An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet, London, Bulmer and Co., 1800. pp 269-271
- ↑ Bhattacharya, Ananda (2012). "Dasanami Sannyasis as Ascetics, Baniyas and Soldiers". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 93: 243. JSTOR 26491237. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ↑ James Mallinson. "Purn Puri and Jonathan Duncan" – via academia.edu.
- ↑ "Yoga: The Art of Transformation, Exhibition at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. "Part 4: Yoga in the Transnational Imagination"" – via yumpu.com.
- ↑ Colour engraving by J. Chapman, 1809. From the Encyclopaedia Londinensis or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature; Volume X; Edited by Wilkes, John. Published in London in 1811