Rajshahi is one of the oldest and traditional districts of Bangladesh. Rajshahi is the largest city in the northern region and Rajshahi division of Bangladesh. I am writing today’s article about the sightseeing places of Rajshahi. On the banks of the Padma river lies the city. Rich in the history of ancient Bengal, this city has numerous structures and beautiful natural places.
Places to visit in Rajshahi:
The Varendra Research Museum, established in 1913 as a private initiative in Hatim Khan Mohalla, the heart of Rajshahi city, is Bangladesh’s first museum. The museum boasts a vast collection of traditional history, religious customs, culture, and more, all from the Rajshahi region.
In terms of archaeological collection, it is one of the museums in South Asia. Varendra Research Museum is a major achievement of Varendra Research Society.Sarathkumar Roy and his associates Akshaykumar Maitreya, Ramaprasad Chand and other antiquarians devoted their time and effort to build these two institutions.
Their life-long endeavor was to bring to the public the priceless artefacts of that period (of Bengal, especially Barendri). It is currently managed by the University of Rajshahi. In late 2010, the United States donated a large sum of money for the overall development of Varendra Museum under the University of Rajshahi.
The amount of which is 94 thousand 933 dollars. Starting in July 2011, the modernization work of the museum began with that money. In this sense, the roofs of some buildings of the museum newly constructed, modern stage is made for statues.
Each gallery now has electric lights and electricity, and the building’s floor is made of concrete. Additionally, grills have installed on several doors of the building. In this, the research museum has touched by modernity.The Barendra Museum staff has arranged various pottery, dolls, and small statues neatly in several galleries numbered 1 to 7, which are now framed in glass.
They added written identification to these items, which were previously unlabeled, a year ago. The frames on the ceiling have electric lights attached to them. The museum staff washes and cleans all the statues around the clock. Now the best attraction for visitors is a museum.
Puthia Rajbari (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
- The residence of Maharani Hemantakumari Devi, also known as Panchani Zamindarbari, is the Puthia Rajbari. This Rajbari, located in Rajshahi, is one of Bengal’s archaeological heritage sites. In 1895, Maharani Hemantakumari Devi built the current two-storied rectangular palace in an attractive Indo-European style. Facade of the building, pillars, ornamentation, woodwork, paintings of flowers and foliage on the walls and doors of the rooms bear the mark of excellent architectural style.
- The roof of the palace is flat, iron beams, wooden beams and tiles are used on the roof. Moats were dug around the palace for security. Puthia is located 32 km north-east from Rajshahi district headquarters on Natore highway. Puthia can reach from any part of the country by bus and can be easily reached by road from Natore or Rajshahi by train.There are six Rajdighis around Puthia Rajbari. Each dighi has an area of six acres. There are also six temples. The biggest Shiva temple.
- Apart from this there are Radha Govinda Temple, Gopal Temple, Govinda Temple, Dolmanch etc. Beautiful terracotta plaques on the walls of each temple. Jorbangla temple, Banglo temple, Pancharatna i.e. pinnacled temple i.e. temples of different styles of Bengal are all interesting. Apart from this, the bathing ghat of the queen, the large palace courtyard with the inner quarters.
How to get to Puthia Rajbari?
To go to Puthia Rajbari you have to come from Dhaka to Rajshahi. Puthia Rajbari is 34 and 18 km by road from Rajshahi and Natore. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to reach Rajbari from Puthia bus stand on Rajshahi-Natore highway.
Bagha Mosque (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
Bagha is located approximately forty kilometers away from Rajshahi. There are mango orchards everywhere in Bagha. You can visit the historic Bagha Mosque to see the mango garden. This ancient mosque is made of bricks. The main mosque has a total of ten domes in four rows around and two rows of five in the middle. There are five doors on the eastern side of the mosque.
All the four doors on the north and south walls have been closed. The mosque is about 23.16 m long and 12.80 m wide and the roof was destroyed in the earthquake of 1897. The archeology department later reconstructed the roof with the dome. Inside and outside the mosque there are many burnt clay slabs. Inside the mosque, there is a special prayer room built a little higher in the north-west corner. There is disagreement about this. Many believe it was a place for women to pray.
According to many, the room was reserved only for the governor acting as the Sultan’s representative. There is a huge pond on the east side of the Bagha Mosque. There is a graveyard next to the mosque. Several elderly people are lying here.According to legend, in 1505 AD, Hazrat Shah Daulah Danesh Mand (RA) arrived in Bagha from Baghdad with five companions to spread Islam. Sultan Nasrat Shah is also believed to have been one of his devotees. The area is commonly referred to as Bagha, as it is said that Shah Daula used to ride on the back of a tiger in this region.
Alpana village tikil (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
Among the sightseeing places of Rajshahi division is Tikoil village of Nejampur union of Nachol upazila of Chapainbaganj. People know this village as ‘Alpana Gram’. The name of this village has spread in the country and outside the country only through the extraordinary artistic work of the people here. As soon as you enter this village, it will seem as if the surroundings have suddenly become colorful in red, blue, blue, green. And during Puja-Parban, there is nothing to say, like a colorful picture painted with paint!
The walls of every house in the village are like a canvas. All over the earthen walls always decorated with different crafts painted in different colors. In every house there is a mark of taste and thoughtfulness of the villagers. In any puja or festival, villagers welcome everyone on Pahela Boishakh with newly painted Alpanas. They don’t even forget to draw Alpana on the wall of the kitchen or the cowshed.
Who are the painters of Alpana village?
- Not art students or professional painters; Alpana village Alpana is mainly shaped by the women of this village. Although initially the work of painting Alpana was mainly done by them, day by day everyone in this village has become an artist.
- Both men and women, even children of the village enjoy the colors while playing. The people of this village do not get tired of drawing Alpana. Alpana blooms on the walls of the village in all seasons of storm, rain and sun.
- The body is burdened with age, but the mind is as colorful as that childhood. Many people tie polythene from the rice of the house so that the Alpana painted on the wall of the house does not get washed away by rain water. When it rains, they open it, and when it stops, they wrap it in polythene.
- Everyone in the village is an Alpana craftsman. They have brought the tradition of Alpana so far, sustained it. Brides, mothers have kept this tradition going for ages with the tender touch of their hands.
Mughal Tahakhana (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
Bengal Sultan Shah Shuja built this building as a temperature control building in Ferozepur for his Murshid Syed Neymatullah for winter buses. From time to time Shah Suja also came and lived here. It is known from various historical books that Shah Suja, the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, was the ruler of Bengal between 1639-1658 AD and 1639-1660 AD.
Legend has it that when Shah Shuja used to come to Ferozepur to meet Morshed Shah Niamatullah, he used to stay in the spacious room in the middle of the building. Many more unnamed tombs can see inside the Tohakhana complex. whose name is not yet known. However, they believed to be Khadem or companions of Hazrat Shah Syed Niamatullah.
architecture:
- Ancient architecture like Gaur is not seen anywhere else except Tahkhana. Its roof and walls made of cast concrete. Both the mosque and the Tahkhana are located next to a reservoir called ‘Dafe-ul-Balah’. Two barred stairs extend down to the water bottom of the reservoir. There are two other buildings on the northwest side of the main palace.
- The nearest of these is a three-domed mosque and the other is a domed mausoleum with a covered porch. The builders established these buildings around the same time with a specific goal in mind, and together they form a complex. The building primarily consists of brick, with black stone used for the door frames and wooden beams for the flat roof.
- The building may appear to be single-storied from the west, but appears to be two-storied from the east. Tunnels created from the houses extended and established direct communication with the reservoir. To the west of the building is a hammam (bath) with an octagonal well for water supply. There is a small family mosque to the north of the palace.
- An open house, which is attached to an octagonal bastion, is located behind it. This fort likely used for prayer. This octagonal minaret completes the Tahkhana complex. The palace is mainly plastered and beautified in the style of Mughal architectural craftsmanship.
How to go to Mughal Tahkhana?
To reach Mughal Tahkhana, you must first arrive at Shivganj. From here, reaching your destination is a breeze.
china dam, Sirajganj (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
- China dam is very popular among the bikers of Dhaka. Because this dam can easily reach from Dhaka.
- If you want to spend an afternoon in such a wonderful place, you can visit from China Dam in Sirajganj.
- Bangladesh Water Development Board has built this dam around the source of Jamuna river, 2 km away from the district town.
- The end of the dam is 2 km deep in the river from the main gate of the dam. From the main gate, you can easily reach the end of the embankment by a pitched road.
Mahasthangarh (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
Among the sightseeing places of Rajshahi division, this walled city has archeological monuments of different eras. For several centuries it was the provincial capital of the Maurya, Gupta, Pala and Sena rulers and later the capital of the Hindu feudal lords. Numerous Hindu kings and kings of other religions ruled from the third century BC to the fifteenth century AD.
Mahasthangarh is located in Shibganj upazila of Bogra district. About 13 km from Bogra city. The ruins of this city can be seen in the north on the west bank of the Karatoa River.
Mahasthangarh is one of the oldest monuments of Bangladesh. Earlier its name was Pundravardhan or Pundranagar. Once Mahasthangarh was the capital of Bengal. A lot of traces of Maurya, Gupta, Pala, Sena empires have been found here. It is situated in Shibganj Upazila of Bogra district.
Gokul Medh:
According to the Bangladesh Directorate of Archaeology, Gokul Medh built between approximately 7th century AD and 12th century AD. It knew from history that Behula lived here. Which happened long before the Sen period.
This monument believed to be a Buddhist monastery built by Devpal between 809 and 847 AD, according to current researchers. They found a gold leaf with the portrait of a bull and a small stone fragment with many holes at the site.
Famous travelers Ibn Battuta and Hiuen Tsang are known to have mentioned it as a Buddhist monastery in their travelogues. Some historical texts mention this medha as an observation post, built to protect Pundravardhan’s capital from outside enemies.
Hardinge Bridge (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
The then undivided Government of India proposed the construction of a bridge over the Padma River in 1889 to facilitate connectivity between Kolkata and Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, and North Bengal. Later, in 1908, British engineer Sir Robert Gales gave permission to construct the bridge and took responsibility for the same.
construction:
In 1909, the survey for the construction of the bridge started. In 1910-11 AD, dams constructed to protect bridges on both banks of the Padma. The construction of the guide bank of the bridge started in 1912 AD. Along with this, the construction of the bridge girder started. They dig wells for the construction of girders. 24 thousand workers worked tirelessly for 5 years and completed the construction of the bridge in 1915 AD. Lord Hardinge was the then Viceroy of undivided India.
The bridge named Hardinge Bridge after him. 3 crore 51 lakh 32 thousand 1 hundred and 64 rupees spent on the construction of the bridge.
The length of the bridge is 5 thousand 8 hundred feet. The bridge has 15 spans. During the liberation war in 1971 AD, the span number 12 damaged when a bomb dropped on the bridge. which have since repaired. Hardinge Bridge is located on the Padmani River in Ishwardi Bheramara border.
Only trains pass through the bridge. Bangladesh Railway is in charge of maintenance and safety of the bridge. The year 2015 marks the centenary of the construction of the Hardinge Bridge. It knew that it took 24 thousand workers 5 years to build this bridge.
located:
Hardinge Bridge is located on Padma River between Pakshi Union under Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna and Bheramara Upazila of Kushtia. Hardinge Bridge is a traditional structure of Bheramara and Ishwardi upazilas. The bridge is located on Padma river about 8.5 km north of Bheramara upazila headquarters and about 8 km south of Ishwardi upazila headquarters.
Tarash Rajbari (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
During the British rule, Taras Rajbari was built by Rai Bahadur Banmali Roy, the then zamindar of Taras. Architecturally, it resembles the European Renaissance style. On 8 January 1998, the Directorate of Archeology of the Government of Bangladesh listed it as a protected archaeological site. The building used as various government offices and Pabna Medical College building for some time before the Archeology Department declared it a protected area.
According to legend, the descendants of Rai Bahadur Zamindar also used this building as their shelter in 1942 during World War II. Tarash Bhawan or Tarash Rajbari is one of the archaeological sites of Bangladesh located in the Pabna district headquarters. The building built sometime in the 18th century.
Ghazna Bil (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
Among the sightseeing places of Rajshahi division, the most important and sightseeing place of Sujanagar upazila is Bil Ghazna. The bil situated in the center of Sujanagar Upazila. All settlements are located on the four sides of the bil. Ghazna Bil controls the economy of this area.. The bil treasury consists of 16 bils, major and minor.
The area of this bil is 07 acres. The bil connected to the Padma River through a sluice gate. The bil holds a unique beauty during monsoons. During the rainy season many visitors come to this place to enjoy the beauty of the bil.
A lot of native fish are available in the bil. The bil dries up during the dry season. At this time, Iri paddy and a lot of onions cultivated in this bil. Digging the canals of this bil will ensure water and mother fish throughout the year. It will increase the production of fish many times. All 10 unions of Sujanagar associated with this bil.
Paharpur Archaeological Site:
The Paharpur Archaeological Site is located in the Naogaon District. It considered one of the most important archaeological sites in South Asia. This UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to the 8th century and was once a major Buddhist monastery and university. Visitors can explore the ruins of the complex, including the temple and the monastic cells, and learn about the history of Buddhism in Bangladesh.
Shalbon Bihar:
- Shalbon Bihar is a monastery located in the Chapai Nawabganj District and is an important Buddhist site in Bangladesh.
- The monastery built in the 8th century and was a major center of learning for Buddhist monks.
- Visitors can explore the monastery and learn about the history of Buddhism in Bangladesh.
Jagaddal Vihar (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
- Jagaddal Vihar is a historic Buddhist monastery located in the Jagaddal area of Chandpur district in Bangladesh. It believed to have established during the 8th century AD and was an important center for Buddhist learning and meditation for centuries.
- The monastery complex includes several ancient stupas, shrines, and a large courtyard. Visitors can also see the remains of several monastic cells, meditation halls, and a library. The site has restored and preserved by the Department of Archaeology, and is now a popular tourist attraction, especially for those interested in Buddhist history and architecture.
- A visit to Jagaddal Vihar is a fascinating journey through time, and offers a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh.
Chalan Beel (Places to visit in Rajshahi):
This wetland area is located in the Natore and Pabna districts and is a popular destination for birdwatching and boating. It is an important source of fish for the local communities.