How to go
You may stop at Kachhi Kata (কাছিকাটা) on the Natore-Dhaka highway. From there, you have to reach Chhaikula (ছাইকুলা) Ghat using van. It is 40 Taka ride for 4 people. From the boat ghat, you can hire an engine boat for the whole day. Using that long boat you can reach to the Handial village to visit the temple.
But there are other ways by which you can reach near the temple. You can come from the Chatmohor Upazila using CNG auto vehicle. But that will be a long way. Another way is from Mohishluti (মহিষলুটি) which is located at the Dhaka-Natore highway. From there you can reach to the temple using CNG auto vehicle or using a van.
How To Reach: পাবনা জেলা
It is approximately 219 km away from Dhaka. You can reach by using both road and rail transports.
Dhaka is about five hours by road, through the Jamuna Bridge. Cities and towns of Dhaka Division, Chittagong Division and Sylhet Division are also connected though it. Kushtia District and other parts of Khulna Division and Barisal Division is connected through Lalon Shah Bridge. River crossing (ferry ghat) at Nogorbari on the Jamuna River is the old route to Dhaka and the eastern part of Bangladesh.
It requies three to four hours to cross only the Jamuna from Nogobari to Aaricha river port in Manikgonj District. Najirgonj river crossing on the Padma River connects Pabna town with neighbouring Rajbari District as well as Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Gopalganj Districts, and Barisal Division. Pabna is also well connected to all the districts and towns of Rajshahi Division by road.
Pabna town has no rail network. Nearby railway stations are situated at Iswardi and Chatmohar Upazila. Nearby airport is at Ishwardi Upazila. Biman Bangladesh Airlines used to operate twice- weekly services to Ishwardi from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka. However, no airlines is operating to and from Ishwardi at the moment.
Several Dhaka bound private bus services are available such as Pabna Express, Shyamoli, Shorkar Travels, Raja Badsha, Badol, Mohanagar, Shorkar Travels, Ishurdi Express, Night Star, Kings, Esha, Capital Service, etc. Government owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) provides bus services to Rajshahi and Bogra cities. Water transport is important as the Padma and other rivers, and Chalan Beel are situated in Pabna. In Pabna district ride by Nosimon, rickshawvan and Korimon are pleasure worthy.
Dhaka is about five hours by road, through the Jamuna Bridge. Pabna is also well connected to all the districts and towns of Rajshahi Division by road.
1. Pabna Express:
Kollyanpur Counter: BRTC Market,
Mobile: 01750-143095, 01193-086077
2. Shyamoli Paribahan:
12, South Kollyanpur, Mirpur Road, Dhaka.
Tel: 02-900331, 02-8034275.
3. Green Line:
Address: 9/2, Outer Circular Road,
Momen Bagh, Rajarbagh, Dhaka – 1217
Phone: 8331302-4, 8353004-5, 9339623, 9342580
Email: greenline@greenlineparibahan.com
Web: www.greenlineparibahan.com
Other bus services are- Shorkar Travels, Raja Badsha, Badol, Mohanagar, Shorkar Travels, Ishurdi Express, Night Star, Kings, Esha, Capital Service, etc.
Pabna town has no rail network. Nearby railway stations are situated in Iswardi and Chatmohar Upazila.
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Balia Zamindar House
[post_id] => 17418
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/balia-zamindar-house/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Balia-Zamindar-House-5-300x200.jpg
[post_content] =>
Balia Zamindar House or Palace is once known as a symbol of dignity in this region. Still some of the ancestors of this zamindari estate living in Kolkata. Interviewing local folks ORB team came to about its identity and partial history, which could be possibly will help to rebuild its actual history in near future.
So far we came to know from different sources that, this zamindari was founded by man named Zamindar Malik Muhammad Box (জমিদার মালিক মুহাম্মদ বক্স) who came to this region from Multan. His son Hazi Malik Karim Box (হাজি মালিক করিম বক্স) was chronologically the second successful famous zamindar of this estate who donated a big amount of money from ‘Kashmir & Kyed-E-Azam relief fund’.
According to the old people of Balia this building is more than 400 Years old. There is a little difference between this Zamindar house with others. It’s one of the few Zamindari estate in Bangladesh which was being founded by Muslim zamindars where as rest of others being established by Hindu zamindars.
This old house is on the way to ruin, most of its building material is being removed. Except its tall dome and a triangular pediment rest others element is lost in course of time.There is a three domed Mosque in front this old House which could be possibly built in some later time.
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => Sonakanda Fort
[post_id] => 10801
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/sonakanda-fort/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/17662494639_eac4172f39_b1-300x200.jpg
[post_content] =>
Sonakanda Fort (সোনাকান্দা দুর্গ) a Mughal river-fort located on the eastern bank of the Shitalakshya (শীতলক্ষ্যা) at port area. A group of river forts, constructed by the Mughals, guarded the water routes to Dhaka and other places of strategic importance and the Sonakanda Fort is one of them. The fort, under the protection of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, has been restored and repaired several times. The defensive walls and the massive artillery platform are still in existence. It is quadrangular in plan,measuring 86.56 m × 57.0 m and surrounded by a 1.06 m thick brick-wall, 3.05 meter in height, with inner and intermediate bastions.
The wall is built solid at the bottom. There is a circular artillery platform with a staircase on the west side, which leads up to the raised artillery platform to be entered by a five-foil arched gateway. The artillery platform, meant for a big calibre cannon aiming at the attackers coming up the river, is a new feature of the Mughal river forts in Bengal.
The platform has two circles of which the inner is 15.70m and the outer is 19.35m in diameter respectively. It is 6.09m in height and surrounded by walls. The corner bastions on both sides of the western wing are wider than those of the eastern wing, which are 4.26m, while the two on the western wing are 6.85m in diameter. The fort has two main parts; one is a fortified rampart wall of enormous dimension, which has numerous wide and narrow loopholes. And the other part, the most important one, is a raised outwork on the western face. Excepting the artillery platform, there is no trace of any permanent structure within the fortification walls. All round, the walls are crowned by machicolated merlons, which are on average one metre high.
The fort is provided with a single entrance gate on the north. The arched gateway is placed within a rectangular frame and both the sides are decorated with several plastered panels. The lofty arch of the entrance gateway is of the four-centred variety. There are four corner bastions. Unlike the bastions of the forts at Hajiganj and Idrakpur the bastions of this fort are octagonal in plan.
The fort is not dated by any inscription. Though the construction of this fort is attributed to Mir Jumla, there is no evidence for this. On stylistic similarities with other Mughal river-forts in and around Dhaka it is datable to the mid-17th century.
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => Balapur Zamindar House
[post_id] => 17404
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/balapur-zamindar-house/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Balapur-Zamindar-House-2-200x300.jpg
[post_content] =>
In different location of Narsingdi district there are a number of Archaeological sites which attract traveler and explorer to visit these places recurrently. Balapur Zamindar House (বালাপুর জমিদার বাড়ি) is one of the old palatial buildings in this district. If someone interested to visit the oldest buried civilization area in Bangladesh named as Wari-Bateshwar, then it would be better to take a glance at Balapur Zamindar House while moving there. It’s situated at Balapur village, Madhabdi Upazila of Narsingdi district.
This Zamindar House was built by local Zamindar named 'Nobin Chandra Saha' in 1906. It is also known as Zamindar Kali Babur Bari (কালী বাবুর বাড়ি). It’s a complex of buildings scattered in a particular zone. Basically, most of the buildings are three storied and some are one or two storied. Dept. of Archaeology in Bangladesh doesn’t announced it as a protected site yet. So like many others old houses in Bangladesh it is on the way of ruining.
No matter how decorative and ornamented this house is, it’s almost abandoned and some people who living in this house are so called ancestor of Zamindari estate at Balapur. Some local people are selling all the floor tiles made by white stone desperately.
But, Still today this beautiful palace standing with its own identity and spreading the essence of colonial palatial architecture in Bengal. If proper steps being taken this structure can be preserved & conserved for the future exhibiotion.
)
[3] => Array
(
[name] => Mahajampur Ahamad Shah Mosque
[post_id] => 11558
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/mahajampur-ahamad-shah-mosque/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DSC067441-300x169.jpg
[post_content] =>
Mahajampur was an ancient Muslim ruled region. This region is situated few miles north to Sonargaon town area. There is a Mosque found here, named Mahajampur Ahamad Shah Mosque, which was built around in 16th C.E. The style of bricks engraving and placement of dome charms the visitors. There are so many Scholars who had described the location and beauty of this mosque at different time in various writing. Among them, ‘Parvin Hasan & A.K.M. Zakaria’ described its beauty in their writing.
Many ancient evidences of human settlement has been found along with this Mosque & Mazar structure. Archaeologist found a big quantity of ancient bricks wherever they conducted excavation in that region. Two inscriptions being discovered from this Mosque. From one of those inscriptions we came to know about Sultan Shams Uddin Ahmad Shah (1432-1436 AD), which make it named after by his name. But, it has been said that someone named Firoz khan built that Mosque.
This is a six domed Mosque, which is built following the stylistic beauty of Baba Adam Shahid Mosque. Domes over the roof are bearing the evidences of Sultani Architecture of Bengal. It contains various design and decorations which is certainly something needs to be observed meticulously.
)
)