Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Murapara Zamindar Palace
[post_id] => 11665
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/murapara-zamindar-palace/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/657103711-300x227.jpg
[post_content] =>
Murapara Zamindar Palace was built during 1890 by Ramratan Banarjee. He was a trusted person of a British Indigo Planter during the British Colonial period. At that time when the indigo planter left the country after the death of his daughter, he gifted plenty of gold and money to Ramratan. Using those, he built this mammoth palace. During the war 1971, many ornate portion of the palace was plundered by people. We came to know that there were two statues of lions at the gate of the palace boundary, and both of them stolen that time. After the war, this palace was used as a refuge camp for the non-bengali people & local people established a college using the building.
This building was renovated several times, and now a days, it just lost all it's heritage. But still you can visit the palace for your weekend or any other holidays. There are two large ponds loacted at the palace premise. One at the front side and another one at the back side. You can take your sit at the bench made from stone (once upon a time, now no stone existing, only brick) to get some fresh air. In addition there is an old temple available inside the palace premise. It’s just in front of the pond . This palace is just beside the highway, and after that you can easily see the river Shitalakkhya (শীতলক্ষ্যা).
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => Charpatra Mura
[post_id] => 5158
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/charpatra-mura/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Charpatar-Mura-Source-Heritage-Bangladesh1-300x200.jpg
[post_content] =>
Charpatra Mura is a small but interesting archaeological site in Mainamati. It is situated in the northern part of the Lalmai ridge at about the center of the Comilla Cantonment area. A small Hindu shrine, 45.7m × 16.8m, was uncovered here. The shape and architectural design and decoration are unique; differing basically both from the Buddhist architecture of Mainamati and the traditional Hindu temple architecture of the Gupta or other Indian types. It appears to represent a synthetic Bengal type that has evolved gradually by assimilating certain elements and features of local Buddhist architecture.
The temple has two distinct parts, an open pillared hall in the badly damaged front part and a cell at the back in the west. The latter part was found less damaged and decayed, that is to say, better preserved and undisturbed. It could therefore be properly excavated and uncovered. The exterior of this cella or temple proper at the back shows a fantastically complex and variegated shape produced by a multiplicity of angles and corners resulting from a combination of symmetrical projections and offsets at lateral and vertical planes, maintaining, nevertheless, a delicate balance between exotic growth and basic strength and proportions of the original form and the traditional plan. The overall effect is highly pleasing.
A few very significant objects were discovered in this monument. These are a bronze relic casket and four copperplate grants - three of them issued by the last two kings of the chandra dynasty and the fourth by a Later-Deva king, all in favor of a Ladaha Madhava (Visnu) temple situated in devaparvata. One record identifies the locality as Pattikeraka. On the basis of our present knowledge and information, it may be stated with absolute certainty that this new settlement was definitely located in the Lalmai -Mainamati area, and occupied a part or the whole of the old city of Devaparvata, and that the Ladaha Madhava temple of the inscriptions may reasonably be identified with the excavated Charpatra Mura temple.
The temple was probably reconstructed, if not originally built, by the Chandra King Shri-Ladahachandra (c 1000-1020 AD) who derived his name from that of the consecrated deity. Alternatively, the deity derived its name from that of the builder king who appears to have been especially devoted to him. This king issued two of the four grants found here. The appellation, Charpatra Mura, is related to the discovery of four copperplates.
Written by: M Harunur Rashid
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => Lakshindarer Gokul Medh
[post_id] => 1378
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/lakshindarer-medh-gokul/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Lakshindarer-Medh-Gokul-rakib-bd21-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => The name
Lakshindarer Gokul Medh is taken from famous folk tale Laksinder and Behula. It was excavated in 1934-1936 and it exposed the antique of a temple. It has a high podium and it can hold 172 rectangular blind cell of different types. Terracotta plaques and other objects were found while digging during the Pala period (6
th-7
th) century.
The mound derived its name from the popular romantic folk tale entitled Behula and Lakshindar. Connected with the same story is found another smaller mound, locally known as ‘Netai Dhopanir Pat’, situated to the close east of the Medh.
The mound is situated on the west of village Gokul which is about 2km to the southwest of Mahasthangarh. It was excavated in 1934-36 and has revealed the derelict relics of a temple. The remarkable feature of this temple is its high plinth accommodating 172 rectangular blind cells of various dimensions. They rise in tiers and packed solidly with earth, so as to form a lofty massive podium, crowned originally either by a shrine or a stupa, now lost.
This novel device, functionally comparable to our modern piling system, liberally used in Bengal during five centuries preceding the Muslim conquest, was found particularly suitable for the alluvial soil of Bengal by the builders to erect their sacred buildings to an imposing height much above the flood level. However, the cellular construction is not confined to Bengal only but parallel examples occur far to the west at Ahichhatra in the Bereilly district of U.P.
Terracotta plaques and other associated objects unearthed during the excavation, which are ascribed to the late Gupta period (6th-7th century A.D.), indicate that originally this stupendous ruin at the Medh constituted an imposing terraced sub-structure of a roughly cruciform plan surmounted with a central shrine of complex outline, dedicated probably to the Buddhist Faith. Over the sub-structure is an octagonal plinth which, as mentioned, may originally have carried a stupa, but now completely gone. This stupa was replaced by a square shrine ( 8.17m square outside) and porch during the Sena period (11th-12th century A.D.).
A grand staircase on the west gave access to the shrine, but the doorway of the shrine and porch was later blocked and the floor level raised to an unknown height. The excavation inside the shrine revealed a small intrusive cell containing human skeleton-probably of an anchorite-and underlying that was found a circular brick-paved pit of 3.86m in diameter. A stone-slab of 51.2cm × 46.1cm was discovered at the center of the shrine which bore 12 shallow holes with a larger hole in the center containing a tiny gold left, about an inch square. However, nothing note worthy was discovered underneath the stone-slab.
)
[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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