Dhanshiri River of Jhalakathi
Dhanshiri River of Jhalakathi
Do you know, what is Dhanshiri? It is the name of a river, located at Jhalakathi, not so long, not so wide. But the name is famous and so Bangalis keep the name of their favorite organization after this river. Because the word ‘Dhanshiri’ is the symbol of beauty and love. This district is crisscrossed by many big rivers like Bishkhali, Dhanshiri, Gabkhan, Sugandha, and their tributaries. Bangladeshis know this river of the famous poet Jibonando Das who wrote the famous poem ‘Abar Ashibo Fire’. As such, the Dhanshiri river is known ‘the river of Jibononda Das’. Poet Jibonanondo Das, who was also a Professor by profession, made the river Dhanshiri so famous by writing the poem ‘Abar Asibo Fire’. Poet Jibanananda Das was born in Barisal in 1899 and died in 1954. Jibonando das studied English literature at the Presidency College of Calcutta and took teaching as his profession. Poet Jibonando Das used to visit his childhood with his parents at the house of his maternal uncle at the bank of Dhanshiri in Bamnakathi village of Rajapur. The poet fell in love with the natural beauty of the river and wrote the poem later on with the memory of the river Dhanshiri. Despite being a professor of English literature, he was a poet, novelist, and essayist in Bengali literature. In the boyhood of the poet Jibanand Das, he was so amazed by the beauty of the river ‘Dhanshiri’, afterwords, he wrote this famous poem ‘Abar Asibo Fire’...... chanting ‘I shall come back again, in this country Bangladesh, at the bank of the river ‘Dhanshiri’’. In fact, the poet’s poem made the river famous that became an icon of the Jhalakathi district. In this context, Dhanshiri may be called the river of Jibonanondo Das. There are many names of hotels, restaurants, shops, organizations, and real-states apartments after the name of the river Dhanshiri. The river Dhanshiri is connected with the west side of the Gabkhan Channel near the Boidarapur village of Jhalakathi. It then moves to the south via Chatrakanda, Vatarkanda, Pingri, Sachilapur, Kestakathi, Devra. From Devra, it turned to the west and reaches Moddho Bagri and Bashtola. It again turned to the south through Indropasha, Bagri near Rajapur Bazar. Finally, it unites with the river Jangalia near Rajapur Bazar. During the Poet Jibonanondo’s childhood time, the river Dhanshiri was wide with a strong water current. But now, like many other rivers of Bangladesh, the Dhanshiri has been narrow taking the shape of a canal. This happened due to siltation and human occupation of its bank. In recent times, its bottom has been dredged. The beautiful rice field has been replaced by dwellers' houses, orchards, and other establishments. But, in the nearing fields on both sides, still, there are many sources of natural beauty including farmers' fields, crop fields, and other adorable places that are even the landmarks of the district Jhalakathi. When you will stand on any of both banks of Dhanshiri, you will also feel the sweet remembrances of the beautiful nature, as the poet Jibonando Das enjoyed in his childhood – green rice fields, forests, birds, ducks, and melodious sounds of never-ending raindrops. Enjoy some scenes of the river Dhanshiri of recent times at the Kistakathi, Sachilapur, Satrakanda, and Rajapur points. Though narrow, Dhansiri is still the river of poet Jibanananda Das. Can't we bring back the previous aesthetics of Dhansiri?
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