The Story of Kansari Ghosts (Part I)

It was the last decade of the nineteenth century. Lord Elgin was the Viceroy of India then. Shankar Kansari, together with his two sons and wife Parvati, used to live in a small village. Though I can't recall the name of the village now, it was most likely in the Purba Bardhaman district of present-day West Bengal. Shankar was a kansari, or bronzesmith. Copper and bronze utensils were once quite popular in Bengal. At that time, his younger son, Kalipada, was barely a year old, and the elder son, Haripada, had just turned six. 

Image by magicbowls from Pixabay

It was a hot summer afternoon in the month of May when Shankar heard someone yelling "Bom Bhole" outside his workshop. As he rushed out, he saw a sannyasi there. The sannyasi had a fearsome appearance, wearing only a saffron loincloth, and his entire body was covered in white ash. Like Mahadev, he held a sharp trident in his hand. "Are you the Kansari?" with a deep voice, Sannyasi asked Shankar. Nodding his head, Shankar said, Yes. The sannyasi told him that he was in dire need of a new kamandalu as he had somehow lost his old one. 

 

Shankar immediately fetched a new ghoti from inside and presented that to the sannyasi. The sannyasi was extremely pleased and asked Shankar about the price. But Shankar politely told him that it was a gift and he did not need to pay anything. The sannyasi stared at Shankar for a few moments and then took out a small stone bowl from his sack. That black stone bowl probably served as a temporary replacement for his lost kamandalu. Sannyasi gave him the bowl and told him that the bowl would bring good fortune for him.

 

Shankar kept the bowl in his workshop, along with a small statue of Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and prosperity), which he himself made a few years ago. Indeed, his fortune began to shine after the incident. He had an uncle in Katwa who was a well-known kansari there. One day, Shankar came to know that his uncle had died from snakebite. As his uncle had no one else except Shankar, Shankar got his entire property. The goddess of wealth was smiling upon him. He shifted to Katwa with his family.

 

It had been over thirty years since then. Shankar was truly a master artisan with great skill. In Katwa, his kansari business had flourished. He strongly believed that it was the charisma of the bowl that brought good fortune upon him. The elder son, Haripada, had the same expertise as his father. He was his father's right hand. Kalipada was not as talented as his brother, and perhaps owing to that, both Shankar and Haripada used to disregard him in every matter. Parvati also gave birth to a daughter after having two sons. Her name was Bakul. Parvati passed away two years ago. A few years before that, Haripada tied the knot. His wife was Sukumari. Sukumari had quite a reputation for her bad mouth.

 

One day, Shankar fell severely ill. He developed a high fever with severe breathing trouble. As his condition worsened, he called for his sons. Shankar told them, "I can feel that my time is over. Before my death, I want to distribute my property among you all. I wish that Haripada, as my elder son, should get this house and my kansari business. Kalipada will get all the money in my coffer. And I have already given Bakul and Sukumari their shares of ornaments." Shankar started to struggle after saying this much. But after taking some rest, he continued, "All of you know that I have a special bowl, given by a sannyasi, that has brought good fortune upon me. As my time is over, I want to give this to..." Shankar was unable to complete his words. He had left this world forever.

 

One month later, Kalipada came to talk to Haripada. Kalipada was not at all happy with the property division, done by his late father. He said, "Dada, as dad is no more, I think I should leave this house and move to Bardhaman. With my money, I shall start a new business there. So, please give me the stone bowl." 

Haripada replied, "Bowl! Why? That I cannot give you. Dad gave that to me only." 

"How can you say so? You know that is my property. It was my good nature that I let you keep that with you until now. Give that back to me immediately." As Kalipada said harshly, Haripada became infuriated. He not only refused, but literally threw his brother out of the house.

 

Humiliated Kalipada complained about his brother to the village elders. But no one was able to solve the problem. The thing worsened with time. Haripada and Sukumari stuck to their point that Shankar gave that to them, whereas Kalipada started to tell everyone that his own brother stole that from him. Even Bakul started to shout that Shankar was actually going to give that to her. But when Haripada lent some money to her husband to purchase land, she could recall that, indeed, her father said that the bowl belonged to Haripada only. After a few days, the disheartened Kalipada left Katwa and went to Bardhaman in search of his fortune. 

 

A few years passed. Suddenly, Haripada came to know that his brother had returned. He had set up a shop in Katwa, though he was staying in a nearby village. He had been married and is now the father of a son. Haripada became afraid that Kalipada may again come to demand the bowl from him. But Kalipada never came to see his brother.

 

One evening, Haripada, Sukumari, and their sons and daughters together went to see a jatra pala (staged drama). In their absence, someone broke into their house and stole only the stone bowl. As expected, Haripada blamed Kalipada but could prove nothing. 

 

But after that, Haripada changed radically. He started to lose his mental stability very fast. He lost his interest in business and was always thinking about the bowl. He started to believe that good fortune had left him forever. One day, Sukumari went to see Kalipada and begged him to return the bowl for the sake of his own brother. But Kalipada denied it on her face and said that he did not have that. 

 

On the other hand, Kalipada's business thrived day by day. In reality, it was he who stole the bowl somehow. Kalipada was not a skilled kansari as his brother, but he was a good businessman. The goddess of wealth started to favor him.

 

Almost three year later, one night, Sulata, Kalipada's wife, woke upon hearing the voice of her husband. Sitting on the bed, staring directly at the bowl atop a rack, Kalipada was talking angrily with someone. There was no one present in the room. "What are you doing?" Sulata asked. "With whom are you talking?" With a peculiar wide grin on his face, Kalipada replied, "Dada passed away a few hours ago. He has come to me to get his bowl back. How can he expect to retrieve it after passing away since he was unable to get it while he was still alive? He tried to scare me. I have told him that if he is unwilling to go to hell, he can stay here as a ghost. But don't expect anything from me." Sulata was stunned. She thought her husband had lost his mind. But Sulata felt a chill in her spine when Pravat, Haripada's elder son, came early the next morning to tell them that Haripada had suddenly died the last night. 

 

Soon after this incident, Sulata noticed some changes in her husband. Kalipada started having nightlong conversation with an invisible entity. Another few years passed by. Kalipada almost lost his mind in these years. His health also deteriorated severely. His only satisfaction was that he was able to keep the bowl to himself despite his older brother's constant threats. Sulata and her son, Santanu, had to look after their business as Kalipada became very reluctant to everything else. He even stopped going outside in fear that, in his absence, someone might steal that bowl from him. 

 

One evening, Sulata saw Kalipada weeping hysterically. When she asked why, Kalipada told her that something awful was going to happen. Instead of being angry, his brother has begun to laugh at him and was making some peculiar gestures. Sulata also became frightened. 

"Don't let anyone take the bowl from me, even after my death," Kalipada suddenly said, holding her hands. "I can never rest in peace if you fail to keep it safe in this house." As Sulata assured her husband,  contented Kalipada closed his eyes and slept. However, he didn't wake up again. While he was asleep, he passed away. 

 

After the cremation of Kalipada, Sulata called her son Santanu and said, "Look, Santanu, this is a cursed bowl. Your father stole it from your uncle. This made both your father and uncle crazy. Take this one and immediately go to your uncle's house. Give this to Pravat, the eldest son of your uncle. Tell him that it was your father's last wish." As told, Santanu went to his uncle's house for the first time. As Pravat came outside, he told him that Kalipada had passed away two days ago, and by the last wish of his father, he had come to return the bowl to its rightful owner. Pravat could not believe his own eyes. This was that controversial thing for which his father went mad and died. He got extremely happy but apparently showed his reluctance towards the bowl and expressed his sympathy for his uncle's untimely death. 

 

More than a month had passed. One night, Sulata suddenly heard Santanu sobbing loudly. She got up and hurriedly went to the next room. "What has happened, Santanu?" As Sulata asked her son, Santanu angrily cried out, "Why have you done this? When father told you not to give the bowl to anyone, why did you tell me to do so?" 

After being confused for a while, Sulata questioned, "Why? What took place?"

"What has happened? Father is going to kill me." 

"Are you seeing your uncle, just like your father?" Sulata cautiously inquired. 

"No. I see my father only." 

"Where is he?"

"Look behind you." 

Sulata looked behind her, but there was no one. Sulata lost her temper. She shouted, "Don't you feel ashamed. You are still disturbing us at this time. If I see you again, that will not be good for you."

Santanu was stunned. He had seen his mother yelling at his father, but he never imagined that she could shout at his ghost as well.

Sulata told her son, "I know your father very well. If I talk politely, he will never listen to me. Go to sleep now. He will not bother you again."

But neither mother nor son could sleep for the rest of the night, and indeed, Kalipada did not appear again.

 

It was early in the morning when Sulata and Santanu heard someone severely pounding the main door. Pravat and Sukumari rushed in as Santanu opened the door. Sukumari was extremely angry and she started to yell at Sulata. Sulata couldn't comprehend at first. Then slowly she understood that the ghosts of Kalipada and Haripada had been fighting over the bowl in Sukumari's house all night long. The two ghost brothers even threatened Pravat not to touch the bowl until it was decided who was the rightful owner. Sukumari was certain they would never find a way to solve this. Thus, they came to curse Sulata for permanently making their house a hounted one. 

Sulata did not say a single word. 

Santanu glanced at her mother after Pravat and Sukumari left. 

Sulata told him casually "I'm going to make you some fish curry and rice. Go to your shop. Your father will no longer be coming back." 

"And what about the bowl?" asked Santanu.

"We no longer have ghosts in our house." Sulata said "That's sufficient. You dont need that bowl."