Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Alexander Castle
[post_id] => 21791
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/alexander-castle/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/P_20151013_170743_1_p-300x169.jpg
[post_content] =>
Alexander Castle is one of the most amazing and renowned structure in Mymensingh District. It was built by Maharaja Suryo Kanta Acharya Chowdhury(মহারাজ সুর্যকান্ত আচার্য চৌধুরী) in 1879 in the memory of the 1st zilla magistrate of Mymensingh Mr. N .S Alexander at the time of Jubili festival. It covers an area of 27.155 acres.
It is a nice small archaic building having two Greek statue at both sides of the front gate. Though the arms of those statues are currently broken, but still those looks great. The whole building is placed over a high plinth, probably to avoid the flood from the nearness river.
It cost 45000 taka at that time. Alexander Castle is a two storied building made by metals and woods in a high concrete base. This building was used as a rest house for the guests of Maharaja Maharaja Soshi Kanta Acharya Chowdhury. Many great personalities of the world stayed at this castle when visiting Mymensingh city. Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore arrived in Mymensingh around the midday of 15 February 1926. He stayed in the Alexander Castle as a guest for 4days. Mahatma Gandhi also stayed in this castle in 1926.
Lord carzon, Chittaranjan Das, Nawab Sir Salimullah, Kamal Pasha also visited Alexander Castle. This house was decorated by royal furnitures and items at that time. There is a big field in front of this house. You can see two fascinating silver statue which makes the place more beautiful. There is also a big garden and a pond still remains behind the castle. It is said that Maharaja used to keep big cats in his garden so he surrounded the garden with big still cages.At present this house is being used as library of teachers training college(male) in Mymensingh.
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[1] => Array
(
[name] => Jora Kali Temple of Muktagacha
[post_id] => 22247
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/jora-kali-temple-muktagacha/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/P_20151014_134059_1_p-169x300.jpg
[post_content] => Sri Sri Anondomoyi (শ্রী শ্রী আনন্দময়ী) Kali temple is located at the nucleus of Muktagacha Upazila. This temple is dedicated to Nirmola Debi (নির্মলা দেবী), Mother of Maharaja Shoshikanto Acharya (শশীকান্ত আচার্য). A traveler may get confused by the name of this temple as it comes with different words in websites and it's place. In websites, it is known as Sri Sri Anondomoyi (শ্রী শ্রী আনন্দময়ী) Kali temple where as in place, it’s named as Sri Sri Shiva Moheshwar (শ্রী শ্রী শিব মহেশ্বর) Temple and locally it is known as Jora kali Temple of Muktagacha.
Whatsoever the name is, ORB Team came to know from different places and later visited this attraction physically to reveal it's history. It was established in the year 1820 by the patronize of Shoshikanto Acharya (one of the great Zamindars of Muktagacha). Basically this two adjacent temple is a great example of mirror structure in Bengal. It has three arch shaped doorways at the front side. From the surface level, it is almost 1o meter high with so many decoration in its wall. The structural design of this temple is look like the other Moth (মঠ) structure in Bengal.
There is a large pond in the temple premises and it was dug at the time of establishment. Maharaja Shoshikanto Acharya donated his many assets for the daily expenses of worshipping in the temple. Among those lands significant areas are in Muktagacha Upazila, Gabtoli and Khamar Bazar area. Though none of those assets now owned by the temple.
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[2] => Array
(
[name] => Ghoshal Bari Zamindar Palace
[post_id] => 11775
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/ghoshal-bari-zamindar-palace/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_20150527_135541718-300x169.jpg
[post_content] =>
Ghoshal Bari Zamindar Palace, About 150 years old (now rebuilt) zamindar bari is located just nearby the Radha-Krisna temple with its outstanding view at Khilpara, South Betka village, Tongibari Upazila, Munshiganj District.
[This spot needs more information. If you have information, please be advised to add in our website. Your name will be published as a Content Contributor]
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[3] => Array
(
[name] => Mahasthangarh
[post_id] => 1387
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/mahasthangarh/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Mahasthangarh1-1024x768-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => Mahasthangarh (Bengali:
মহাস্থানগড় Môhasthangôṛ) is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj thana of Bogra District contains the remains of an ancient city which was called Pundranagara or Paundravardhanapura in the territory of Pundravardhana. A limestone slab bearing six lines inPrakrit in Brahmi script, discovered in 1931, dates Mahasthangarh to at least the 3rd century BC. The fortified area was in use till the 18th century AD.
Together with the ancient and medieval ruins, the mazhar (holy tomb) of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar built at the site of a Hindu temple is located at Mahasthangarh. He was a dervish (holy person devoted to Islam) of royal lineage who came to the Mahasthangarh area, with the objective of spreading Islam among non-Muslims. He converted the people of the area to Islam and settled there.
Mahasthan means a place that has excellent sanctity and
garh means fort. Mahasthan was first mentioned in a Sanskrit text of the 13th century entitled
Vallalcharita. It is also mentioned in an anonymous text
Karatoya mahatmya, circumstantially placed in 12th–13th century. The same text also mentions two more names to mean the same place – Pundrakshetra, land of the Pundras, and Pundranagara, city of the Pundras. In 1685, an administrative decree mentioned the place as Mastangarh, a mixture of Sanskrit and Persian meaning fortified place of an auspicious personage. Subsequent discoveries have confirmed that the earlier name was Pundranagara or Paundravardhanapura, and that the present name of Mahasthangarh is of later origin.
Mahasthangarh, the ancient capital of Pundravardhana is located 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Bogra on the Bogra-Rangpur highway, with a feeder road (running along the eastern side of the ramparts of the citadel for 1.5 km) leading to Jahajghata and site museum. Buses are available for Bogra from Dhaka and take 4½ hours for the journey via Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge across the Jamuna River. Buses are available from Bogra to Mahasthangarh. Rickshaws are available for local movement. Hired transport is available at Dhaka/ Bogra. Accommodation is available at Bogra. When travelling in a hired car, one can return to Dhaka the same day, unless somebody has a plan to visit Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur in the district of Naogaon and other places, or engage in a detailed study.
It is believed that the location for the city in the area was decided upon because it is one of the highest areas in Bangladesh. The land in the region is almost 36 metres (118 ft) above sea level, whereas Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is around 6 metres (20 ft) above sea level. Another reason for choosing this place was the position and size of the Karatoya, which as recently as in the 13th century was three times wider than Ganges.
Mahasthangarh stands on the red soil of the Barind Tract which is slightly elevated within the largely alluvium area. The elevation of 15 to 25 metres above the surrounding areas makes it a relatively flood free physiographic unit.
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