যেশোরেশ্বরী কালীমন্দির

Lalmai Chandi Temple, also called Chandimata Mandir is an ancient Hindu temple located on the summit of the Lalmai hill in Barura Upazila of Comilla District, Bangladesh. The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Kali. There is a temple dedicated to the God Shiva nearby.

Most of the tourist spots are somewhere around the other side of Shalbon Bihar of Comilla but this small temple is quite separate from those places. This is at the southern end of the Lalmai Hill. That’s why mostly the devoted people go here & very few tourists visit it. This temple is located at the top of a hillock and you have to climb there by stairs. The stairs are covered with evergreen trees so at be careful when you are climbing up and down.

At any stage, you can have a break by SUPPORTING your body on the railing of the stairs. You can see a long distance from there as you have already climbed a few. The temple premise mainly has two temples. Each of those is having two small compartments which are joined together (considered as single one). Left side temple is the Shiv Mandir and the right side temple is Chondi Mandir.

Fegnasar Shiva Temple (ফেগুনসার শিব মন্দির) was built in the reign (1159-1185 AD) of great King Bollal Shena. Another conception said, it might be built between 1725-1758 AD during the reign of King Raj Bollov. In course of time, it was on the way to destruction. Then, Moharaja Raj Bollov took some initiative to reconstruct that. It can not be assured who particularly built that temple. King Ballav was a great devotee of Shiva.

This temple is in rectangular shape at base,measuring 15 feet length,10 feet width and about 25 feet high from the ground. Very common constructing material like bricks, cement and limes being used to build that temple. At the last day of full moon night in every Bengali month of Falgun, there is a large festival of worshiping being held here.

There are so many stories being populated among common people about the builder of that Temple. Inside the temple, there is a large "Shiva Lingha" (শিব লিঙ্গ) (Phallus) placed. According to the local people, this is the largest phallus brought from South India (not true at all,because largest one is located at Faridpur District). Just about 100 meter away, there is a branch of Dhaleswari river flowing.

This place is sometimes locally mentioned as Raypura Mondir

Ghoshal Bari Radha Krishna Temple, About 100 years old (now rebuilt) Radha-Krisna temple with its outstanding view standing at Atpara village. The temple is situated at Atpara under Vajrayoguni Union Parisad of Munshiganj district by the road side leading to Tangibari at a distance of 7.2 km from Munshiganj town. Adjacent to this temple there are two more temples which appear to have been erected recently. It is a ‘Pancha ratna’ temple resting on a square sanctum. Its south-east corner ratna along with large portion of the body is missing. The four turrets are set on the roof top corners while the large fifth central sikhara rises above them the wall of the temple is 63 cm thick. The temple has sharply curved cornices and an arched entrance on the south but its lower portion is in a dilapidated condition. The char Chala central ratna rests upon its rectangular base which has an arched entrance and panel decoration. The south and other sides are relieved with imitation doorway design and paneled bands. The central tapering tower rises above and terminates in an iron shike. The four miniature corner turrets are similar to the central one and have four openings each.This variety is the most popular type of temples that flourished in Bengal in the 19th century A.D.

Natore Rajbari (also known as Pagla Raja's Palace, Natore Palace) was a prominent royal palace in Natore, Bangladesh. It was the residence and seat of the Rajshahi Raj family of Zamindars. Famous queen Rani Bhabani lived here and after the death of her husband, expanded both the estate and the palace.

Natore Zamindars was one of the largest Zamindaris of Bengal. The originators of this Zamindari were Ramjivan and Raghunandan both sons of Kamdev. Ramjivan's daughter-in-law was Rani Bhabani (1716-1795), a legendary name in Bengal politics in the 18th century and an endearing personality in every home of the country due to her boundless generosity and public spirit. After becoming Zamindar Ramjivan built his Rajbari at Natore occupying a huge area of 50.42 acres of land and it is enclosed within two rings of defensive moats-one within the other. The moats are now dotted with large tanks, orchards and flower gardens surrounding the derelict ruins of the seven surviving detached palaces. Of these only four deserve description while the rest are in advanced stage of disintegration and are of no architectural significance.

After the death of the great queen, her adopted son Ramkrishna ruled the area. After his death, his two sons Sibnath and Vishwanath became the co-sharers of the Natore Zamindari in 1778. The whole Zamindari was divided between them, and the part of the eldest son was known as "Boro Taraf" and the part of the youngest son was known as "Chhoto Taraf". The Rajbari was protected on all sides by ditches. There were nine buildings in this Rajbari. They are the palace of Boro Taraf, The palace of Choto Taraf, Kachari Bhavan and Guard House of Boro taraf, Kachari Bhavan of Choto Taraf, Rani Bhavan, Guest House, Madhu Rani Bhavan etc.

The main palace block (Boro Torof), now housing the newly created deputy commissioner's office, faces a large open lawn to the south. Two other single-storied blocks, placed on the west and the south, look over the lawn and are laid out in the form of an English "U" with the open side on the east. The main northern block, facing south, has a frontage of about 100'-0" with a prominently projecting porch in the middle and two slightly projecting bays at either end, all carrying triangular pediments above. The elegant central porch is supported on a series of Corinthian columns and semi-circular arches in the typical classical Roman style and the veranda in front of the apartments are also similarly relieved. The whole facade is tastefully decorated with geometric and floral panels in plasterwork. This block contains twelve spacious apartments, disposed on either side of the large reception hall (7.47m × 16.01m) which is located in the middle. The access to the reception hall (60'-0"x 30'-0") is gained through another large hall and is backed by a 10'-0" wide veranda on the north.

The lofty ceiling of the central hall, rises to a height of 30'-0" and is lit by eighteen clerestory windows, originally fitted with colored glass panes, whilst the roof of the other rooms are considerably lower in height. The entire floor of this block is laid in black and white imported marble. The back veranda is supported on twenty pairs of Corinthian columns, the capitals of which contain within its acanthus leaves, some classical nude female figures. The western block, placed at right angles to the main block, has about a 200'-0" frontage and faces the lawn on the east. It is also a single-storied building with an arched projecting bay in the middle. A strip of veranda, supported on a series of paired Doric columns, runs the entire length of the block. Entering through the arched central bay there is access into an open of longed court, occupied by typical 'nat-mandap'. Beyond and further to the west, is a Krishna temple. This family shrine has a 50’-0” wide frontage, backed by a 10’-0” wide veranda which carried on a series of double Corinthian columns.

This ‘nat-mandap’ has a humped tin roof supported on a series of iron pillars. Placed at right angles to this block is another north facing single-storied building, which is about 150’-0” long and has central projecting porch. The porch entrance leads on to a long veranda running the entire length of the building behind which there are a series of apartments of varying sizes, somewhat similarly disposed as the former. A long veranda to the rear of this building overlooks a large tank. A series of Corinthian columns, which support veranda, projects as a semi-circle in the middle. The rear of this handsome block is tastefully decorated in plasterwork. The building at present is occupied by the office of the superintendent of police.

To the south-west rears of the second block a couple of very ruined single-storied residential buildings overlook a large tank from its northern bank. The smaller of these two structures presenting a 50’-0” frontage with a veranda, is relieved with a series of paired Doric columns while the larger adjacent block has a 100’-0” frontage with a veranda carried on a row of double Corinthian columns. Sadly both these ruins are now thickly covered with encroaching thickets and accumulating debris. However, the main palace block of the ‘Chhota-Taraf’, perched picturesquely on the western bank of this large tank and now occupied by the District Judge’s Court, is an imposing structure. The 70’-0” long façade has a prominently projecting central triple-arched portico.

The central part of the building, occupied by the reception hall projects above the flanking wings and is crowned by a pyramidal roof with clerestory windows. The parapet of the porch is decorated in plasterwork with two short projecting bays at either end of the building, each decorated with two pairs of Corinthian columns, which are topped by triangular pediments. Entering this palace block though the porch one encounters a long 10’-0” wide veranda with a black and white marble floor. Behind the veranda there is a row of apartments which lead on to the vast reception hall, measuring 7.32 meter x 15.55meter.

The lofty ceiling of reception hall is another hall measuring 50’-0”x20’-0” with a projecting balcony at the far end which overlooks the encircling moat. Although there are fifteen apartments including the central hall. The rear of the building also is tastefully relieved with Ionic capitals, floral motifs and bearded human heads in stucco. The two large halls of the palace, probably flagged in marble, are now devoid of their original floor, but the other apartments have white and black marble floors. Curiously the capitals most of the columns are of composite character with acanthus leaves intertwining Ionic roundels.

নাটোর রাজবাড়ি পাগলা রাজার প্রাসাদ বলেও বহুল পরিচিত যেটি রাজ জমিদার পরিবারের বাসস্থান হিসেবে ব্যাবহার করা হত। রানী ভবানী এখানে বাস করতেন এবং মৃত্যুর পর তাঁর স্বামী এখানকার চা বাগান ও প্রাসাদের উন্নয়ন করেন। সাতটি আলাদা প্রাসাদের পরিত্যাক্ত ধ্বংসাবশেষ ঘিরে থাকা পরিখাগুলোতে এখন দেখা যায় ট্যাংক, অর্কিড এবং ফুলের বাগান। এই প্রাসাদগুলোর মধ্যে মাত্র চারটি এখন টিকে আছে কিন্তু বাকিগুলো ধ্বংসের দ্বারপ্রান্তে। রানীর মৃত্যুর পর তাঁর দত্তক পুত্র রামকৃষ্ণ এই এলাকা শাসন করেন। রামকৃষ্ণের মৃত্যুর পর তাঁর দুই পুত্র শিবনাথ এবং বিশ্বনাথ নাটোর জমিদারবাড়ির যৌথ মালিক হন ১৭৭৮ সালে। পুরো জমিদার বাড়ি তাদের তাঁদের মধ্যে ভাগ করে দেওয়া হয়। এরপর রাজবাড়িতে বড় পুত্রের অংশকে বলা হত “বড় তরফ” এবং ছোট পুত্রের অংশকে বলা হত “ছোট তরফ”।

রানী ভবানীর বড় পুত্র বড় তরফ নামে এবং ছোট পুত্র ছোট তরফ নামে পরিচিত ছিলেন। রানীর মৃত্যুর পর তাঁর দুই পুত্রের মধ্যে জমিদারী ভাগ হয়ে যায়। এখানে অনেক স্মৃতি স্তম্ভ আছে।

বাংলার অন্যতম বৃহত্তম জমিদারী ছিল নাটোরের জমিদারী। এই জমিদারীর সূচনা করেছিলেন কামদেবের দুই পুত্র রামজীবন এবং রঘুনন্দন। রামজীবনের পুত্রবধু ছিলেন রানী ভবানী। ১৮শ শতকে বাংলার রাজনীতিতে রানী ভবানী ছিলেন এক কিংবদন্তি। তাঁর জনপ্রিয়তা ও উদারতার কারনে দেশের প্রতিটি ঘরে তিনি আকর্ষণীয় ব্যাক্তিত্তে পরিণত হয়েছিলেন। জমিদার হবার পর রামজীবন ৫০.৪২ একর জায়গার ওপর দুই স্তরের পরিখার মধ্যে এই রাজবাড়িটি নির্মাণ করেন।

রাজবাড়িটির চতুর্দিক পরিখার মাধ্যমে সুরক্ষিত ছিল। রাজবাড়িতে নয়টি ভবন ছিল যেমনঃ বড় তরফের প্রাসাদ, ছোট তরফের প্রাসাদ, বড় তরফের কাচারি ভবন ও প্রহরী কক্ষ, ছোট তরফের কাচারি ভবন, রানী ভবন, অতিথিশালা, মধু রানী ভবন ইত্যাদি। ছোট তরফের প্রাসাদটি ১৯৮৪ সালে নাটোরের জজ কোর্ট হিসেবে ব্যাবহার করা হয়েছে। এখানে বেশ কিছু পুকুর আছে যার মধ্যে একটি ছিল ছোট তরফের এবং আরেকটি বড় তরফের।এখানে রানীমহল নামে একটি পরিত্যাক্ত প্রাসাদ আছে যেখানে রানী বাস করতেন।