Lot Essay
Sitakund, on the Ganges near Monghyr, was famous for its hot springs. The Daniells first visited the site on 22 October 1788, from Bhagalpur. Much later, when on the return leg of their northern tour, they again stayed with Samuel Davis at Bhagalpur, this time for over a year - between the spring of 1790 and the autumn of 1791 - and once again visited Sitakund. Its attraction was explained in William's letter to his mother (transcribed by Joseph Farington):
'A few miles below [Monghyr] is a Hot well called Satacoonda much frequented by Hindoos who [come] to purify themselves by prayers and ablutions which they stand in great need of and to pray to the image of Satta [Sita], the wife of one of their principal gods. The water of this well is remarkably good. It is constantly carried to Calcutta for such as are [sick] - there are other wells in the neighbourhood but inferior. Mr Daniell thought the water of all of them better than those at Bath' (Cotton, 1923, p.13).
The drawing evidently shows the river at Sitakund; in 1809, Thomas made an oil painting of the springs (see Shellim, 1979, TD67).
'A few miles below [Monghyr] is a Hot well called Satacoonda much frequented by Hindoos who [come] to purify themselves by prayers and ablutions which they stand in great need of and to pray to the image of Satta [Sita], the wife of one of their principal gods. The water of this well is remarkably good. It is constantly carried to Calcutta for such as are [sick] - there are other wells in the neighbourhood but inferior. Mr Daniell thought the water of all of them better than those at Bath' (Cotton, 1923, p.13).
The drawing evidently shows the river at Sitakund; in 1809, Thomas made an oil painting of the springs (see Shellim, 1979, TD67).