ANCIENT NORTH BENGAL
RAJSHAHI - BOGRA - DINAJPUR
It represents the
earliest and the largest archaeological site in Bangladesh, consists of the
ruins of the ancient city of Pundranagara. The site is 13 km north of Bogra
town on the Dhaka-Rangpur highway. The ruins measuring 1500m N-S and 1400m E-W
and are enclosed on their four sides by rampart walls that rise to an average
height of 6m from river level. Many isolated mounds occur at various places
outside the city within a radius of 8 km on the north, south and west,
testifying to the existence of suburbs of the ancient provincial capital. After
a series of excavations, Bairagir Bhita, Govinda Bhita, Parasuram Palace,
Khodar Pathar Bhita, Man Kalir Kunda etc. were excavated.
Govinda Bhita:
Govinda Bhita |
Gokul Medh:
Gokul Medh is located
around 5 km south west of the complex of the village Gokul. This site popularly
known as Behular Bashar Ghar or Lokshminderer Medh is a 13m high podium
consisting of 172 blind cells. On the flat top of this podium a Buddhist
religious stupa or temple was built in 6th century AD. During the rule of Senas
in 11th centuries another temple was built on the ruins of the former Buddhist
one. The substructure appears to have been decorated with ornamental bricks
containing floral and geometrical motif of ornamentation.
Due to its
g eographical situation the entire region of Bengal, including the Paharpur
Buddhist Vihara has been one of the vital links between India and Southeast
Asia since ancient times.
The Sompur Vihara is a
Buddhist Monastery dating from the late 8th century. It is located in Paharpur,
in the northwest of Bangladesh. It is said to be the second largest single
Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas. It was made a WHS as a tribute to
the Pala dynasty that ruled Bengal and Bihar for 3.5 centuries from middle of
the 8th century.
The monastery is built
under the second Pala King Dharmapala as a quadrangle, measuring 281 meter on
each side. All outer four wings contain monastic cells, 177 in total. In the
center of the vast open courtyard of the monastery stands the shrine. Its
remains are still 21 meter high and have three gradually diminishing terraces.
The walls were built of burnt bricks; some ornamented with motif of flowers and
seated Buddha’s. There were also bands of terracotta plaques in rows all
around the terraces.
Kusumba Masjid |
Kusumba Mosque:
This stone mosque is
situated in the village Kusumba in the district of Naogaon. According to an
inscription, it was erected by a patron, Sulayman in 1558 during the reign of
Ghiyath al din Bahadur Shah. The Kusumba mosque is one such example in Bengal,
which may be termed as Black Gem of Bengal. Stones used in this mosque are dark
black-basalt that was transported from Rajmahal hill of Bihar through
waterways.
It is located on the
west bank of a big tank measuring 381m x 274 m. There is a big courtyard in
front of the mosque surrounded by a low boundary wall. This mosque is still in
a good state as it has been well preserved.
Varendra Museum:
Varendra Museum was
the first museum to be established in erstwhile East Bengal in 1910. The museum
started out as the collection for Varendra Anushandhan Samiti or Varendra Investigation
Society and got its current name in 1919. The Zamindars of Rajshahi and Natore,
notably Kumar Sharat Kumar Ray, donated their personal collections to Varendra
Museum. Varendra refers to an ancient janapada roughly corresponding to
northern Bangladesh.
This museum has a rich
collection of objects of Mohenjodaro and also of 16th to l9th century AD. This
is devoted to the study of ancient history and culture. Its rich collections
contain interesting objects of past Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim heritage. It is
located at the heart of Rajshahi town and maintained by Rajshahi University
authority. The year of its formal establishment is 1910.
Putia:
Govinda Temple |
Jagannath Temple |
Shiva Temple:
The ShivaTemple, a
19.81m square building, was erected by Rani Bhuvan Mohini Devi in 1823 AD on a
high plinth and plastered all over. It is decorated with numerous miniature
ratnas on the main tower and on the four smaller towers on the roof of the
ground floor.
Putia Rajbari:
The two-storied Putia
Rajbari, which is the most notable structure in the area faces a
four-storied large pyramidal dol mancha on the north, across an open ground and
presents an imposing 60.96m frontage. It has two symmetrical projected wings at
the east and west ends while its central part, about 15.24m wide, accommodates
a grand portal. This grand palace was constructed by Rani Hemanta Kumari Devi
in 1895 AD in honor of her mother-in-law Maharani Sarat Sundari Devi.
Bagha Mosque:
Nator Rajbari |
Natore Rajbari:
Natore Rajbari is situated
in Natore, a district town about 48 km east of Rajshahi, was
the zamindari headquarters of the Natore Raj. Like most of the feudal palaces
in Bangladesh the palace ruins of Natore are approached through a long avenue,
fringed on either side with carefully planted rows of bottle palms.
Ramjivan, the real
founder of the Raj family, made his headquarters at Natore and built most of
the Rajbari complex, the tanks, temples, orchards and flower gardens.
Originally Natore was a small settlement under Taraf Kanaikhali in Lashkarpur
Pargana.
Choto Sona Masjid:
Sona Masjid |
It was built by Wali Muhammad son of Ali during the reign of Sultan Hossain Shah (1493-1519). It has fifteen gilded domes including three chauchala domes in the middle row. Chief attractions of the Mosque are its intricate stone carvings and decoration. The gilding employed in the ornamentation that has given the building its appellation Chhoto Sona Masjid (Little Golden Mosque)
Tahkhana:
Literally Tahkhana
(Persian) means a cold building or palace. A structure built on the west bank
of a large tank situated in the Firuzpur quarters of the city of Gaur-Lakhnauti
is traditionally known as the Tahkhana.
Darasbari Mosque:
Darasbari Mosqueis the
largest mosque in the Bangladesh part of Gaur-Lakhnauti, now in ruins. It is
situated in the Darasbari quarter of the mediaeval city on the west side of the
Chhota Sona-Kotwali Darwaza Road, at present a desolated area near the Indian
border. The name Darasbari is derived from its being located within a darsbari
(place of lesson or learning), pointing to the madrasa to the east of the
mosque, separated by a large tank, forming a typical Muslim educational
complex. According to its inscription, which is now preserved in the Indian
Museum at Calcutta, the mosque was built in 1479 AD by Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar
Yusuf Shah.
Kantanagar Temple is
an eighteenth century brick temple, situated about 18 km. north of Dinajpur
town. It has gained eminence as an outstanding monument in Bengal for its
fabulous terracotta embellishment. This nava-ratnaHindu temple, exhibits the
exuberance of Terracotta Art at its best in Bangladesh.
Maharaja Prannath of
Dinajpur began its construction about 1722. It was completed by his adopted son
Maharaja Ramnath, in Shaka era 1674 (1752 AD. This magnificent pyramidal temple
rose in three receding terraces and was crowned with nine ornamental spires or
ratnas (jewels) on the corner of the three terraces which imparted to it an
appearance of a huge rathaor an ornate chariot resting on a high plinth. It was
provided with arched openings on all four sides in order to enable devotees to
see the deity enshrined inside from all directions.
Dinajpur Rajbari:
Dinajpur Rajbari now
in ruins, is situated on the north-east outskirts of the present
town. Originally enclosed within defensive moats and high rampart, the derelict
remains of the Dinajpur Rajbari, can now be approached through a tall arched
gate facing west. Inside the palace precinct near the gateway on left is a
painted Krishna temple and on right, some ruined outhouses and another inner
gateway that provides access to an inner square court. Facing the courtyard on
the east is a flat-roofed temple, the front verandah of which is supported on
four semi-Corinthian pillars and another set of columns carry the roof of the
main hall.
North
Bengal
Tour
( 4 days / 3 Nights ) Price Per Person US$ 300
North
Bengal Tour ( 3 days / 2 Nights
) Price Per Person US$ 250
North
Bengal Tour (2 days / 1
Night ) Price Per Person US$ 200
NOTE: We need minimum 02 adults to run this trip.
Price
includes:
§
A/c accommodation twin
sharing basis.
§
Reserved Car.
§
Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner,
Tea/Coffee , Water.
§
Entrance fee.
§
English speaking
guide.
Price
excludes:
§
Personal expense, Gratuities.
CONTACT US:
PathFriend Tour Operator
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