Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Panga Zamindar Bari
[post_id] => 6442
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/panga-zamindar-bari/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Court-house-of-Panga-Zamindar-Bari-300x2001-300x200.jpg
[post_content] =>
Ruins of Panga Zamindar Bari located at Chinai Union of Rajarhata sub-district about 5 km far away from Kurigram district. After the death of Landlord Rani Lokhipriea her adopted son Debendra Narayana conduct estate during British period. "Konara" or "kongor" was his Designation. From his time Retrogression in the position of his estate, time to time it has been lost. Now you found some broken bricks here and there and a decorated pond. Also there has a court house without any damage.
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[1] => Array
(
[name] => Bikrampur Museum
[post_id] => 9568
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/bikrampur-museum/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Bikrampur-Museum-11-300x169.jpg
[post_content] =>
After the migration of Jogunath Babu, a piece of land of his belonging was taken by the government and then a Museum was built in here. It is now open 6 days a weak except its weekly holiday, Thursday. It was inaugurated in 2013 by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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[2] => Array
(
[name] => Dhamrai Rath Yatra
[post_id] => 9846
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/dhamrai-rath-yatra/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_20150610_115326162_HDR3-300x169.jpg
[post_content] =>
Dhamrai Jagannath Roth ( ধামরাই জগন্নাথ রথ) is a chariot temple, Dhamrai Rath Yatra is dedicated to the Hindu God Jagannath located in Dhamrai Upazila of Dhaka District. The annual Jagannath Roth Jatra is a famous Hindu festival attracting thousands of people. Dhamrai Rath Yatra is one of the most important event for the Hindu community of Bangladesh. Sri Jagannath (Lord of the World) is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, one among the Holy Hindu Trinity of Gods (Brahma-The Creator, Vishnu-The Preserver, and Shiva-The Destroyer). Lord Jagannath is also believed to be the deity form of Lord Krishna.
For the thousands of Hindu devotees, it is considered a pious deed and the huge processions accompanying the chariots play devotional songs with drums, tambourines, trumpets etc. A glimpse of Lord Jagannath on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious and saints, poets and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival. The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages.
History:
According to the unpublished documents, Oral history and records it seems that the Dhamrai Roth is about 400 years old tradition living among the Local Hindus. By studying those records, it can be assumed that from 1179 to 1204 (Bangla Year) (corresponding to 1672 to 1697 AD), the Roth that was in existence, made with bamboos. It is, however, not known that how this Bamboo-made Roth was replaced by the one that of wood. The unpublished sources mentioned that, in between 1204 to 1340 (Bangla Year), the Zamindars (Feudal Land lords) of Baliati (now located in Saturia Upazila) had four ‘Roth’s made and they provided all the expenses for its construction.
The carpenters of Dhamrai, Kaliakoir, Saturia and Singair jointly worked to make a Roth which was 60 feet in height and 45 feet wide which was completed in 1340 BS, corresponding to 1933 AD. The newly constructed Roth was 3-storied. Each of the first and second floors had four chambers at the four corners and one chamber on the top floor. These chambers or rooms were called ‘Noborotno’s. The Roth had 32 giant wooden wheels and was adorned with two wooden horses in front as well as carvings and paintings of Hindu deities. Thick ropes made with about 1000 kilograms of jute fiber were used to pull the Roth along.
As it was being pulled people lining up the street and on roof-tops would shower bananas and sugar on the Roth amidst cheers and chanting. After the abolition of ‘jamindari’ system in 1950, Ray Bahadur Ranada Prosad Shaha of Mirzapur, Tangail extended extensive support and financial assistance for the upkeep, maintenance of the Roth, and for hosting of the event with pomp and grandeur. This support continued until 1970 under the auspices of Kumudini Welfare Trust which was formed by Mr. R. P. Saha.
Current Roth (Chariot):
In the year 2006 Mrs. Bina Sikri, the then Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh pledged to provide financial assistance in building a new Roth. Consequently, a 3-storied Roth was built in 2010. The new Roth is 27 feet long and of the same width; it has 15 wheels and is adorned with statues of different gods and goddesses. A Roth Committee of local people of Dhamrai with Mr. Rajib Saha, the son of Mr. R.P. Saha, as the chief Patron, have been organizing and holding this yearly gala event.
The journey of the Roth begins from the Madhabbari Temple to the Gope Nagar Temple, regarded to be the In-Laws house, a distance of about half a kilometer away. During the festival, devotees help pull the Roth with ropes and brought to the Gope Nagar temple. After one week the Chariot is pulled back to Madhab Mandir again which is termed as “Ulto Roth” (উলটো রথ) - Return Journey.
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[3] => Array
(
[name] => Mahasthangarh
[post_id] => 1387
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/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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