Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

Type: Palace

Contributed By: Nayeem

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

image of Boktnagar Zamindar Bari and Mosque

Brief

Beside the bank of the Ichhamoti river (ইছামতি নদী), you’ll find an old house that is currently abandoned. No inscription was found about the house. From the architecture of the old house, you can only guess that it was a house of a wealthy man who could have been a Zamindar (জমিদার) or a rich merchant. Boktnogor/Boktonogor(বকতনগর/বক্তনগর) is a place located near the Shikari Para(শিকারী পারা) after Bandura bazaar(বান্দুরা বাজার).

This well-built edifice has lot of rooms inside. Front side of the house is still firm, but damaged at the back sides. Still now a days the house has a lot of open spaces around including ponds. At the south-west corner of the mansion, another edifice is available. This one is an old mosque. Again it is unsure about the builder of the mosque.

If the owner of the mosque and the house is the same person, then the owner must be a Muslim. The village name is Boktnagar (বক্তনগর) which should came from Bokht Nogor (বখত নগর). Possibly someone lived there named Bokht (বখত) and sounds a Muslim name, but all are predictions.

The mosque is a small one having three domes at the top. Middle one is a bit larger compare to other twos. Just above the main gate, and inscription is found written in Arabic. The mosque has a pond at the southern side and a graveyard at the eastern side.

How to go

Take the bus of Bandura (বান্দুরা) from Fulbari, Gulistan(ফুলবাড়ি, গুলিস্তান). N Mallik(এন মল্লিক), Druto(দ্রুত), etc are the available services. Bus fare is 70 Taka per person.
After around 2 hours you’ll be at Bandura (বান্দুরা) Bazaar. GPS coordinate of Bandura (বান্দুরা) bazaar is (23°39’28.82″N, 90°6’31.76″E).
From Bandura bazar (বান্দুরা বাজার) you have to go to Baruakhali(বারুয়াখালী). Using a bus it will take 15-20 minutes. Using a Tomtom it will take 30+ minutes. Fare is 20 Taka.
Cross the river Ichhamoti(ইছামতি নদী) at Baruakhali(বারুয়াখালী বাজার) and you’ll find the Jomidar Bari(জমিদার বাড়ী) and the old mosque. GPS coordinate of the mosque and old mansion is (23°40’57.90″N, 90°4’7.85″E).

How To Reach: Dhaka District
Most popular transport system in Dhaka city is Rickshaw. You can find available buses (Local or direct service) in coming inside or move outside Dhaka city. There are other transport systems like Trains, Rivers and Air.

Where to Stay

There are more than 71 quality hotel in Dhaka. Some are listed below…

1. Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka
107 , Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Tel: +880 2 811 1005
Website : Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka

2. Ruposhi Bangla Hotel
1 Minto Road, Shahbagh, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
Phone : 88-02-8330001
Fax : 88-02-8312975
Email : sales@ruposhibanglahotel.com
Website : Ruposhi Bangla Hotel

3. Radisson Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka
Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment,
Dhaka 1206 Bangladesh.
Telephone: + 88 02 8754555
Fax: + 88 02 8754554 , + 88 02 8754504
Email : reservations.dhaka[at]radisson.com
Website : Radisson Water Garden Hotel
Dhaka Bangladesh

4. Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort
Airport Road, Nikunja 2
Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh.
Phone : +88-02-8913912, +880 2 8900250-9
Fax : +88-02-8911479
Email : info@dhakaregency.com
Website : www.dhakaregency.com

5. Best Western La Vinci Hotel, Dhaka
54, Kawran Bazar,
Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
Phone No : 880-2-9119352
Fax No : 880-2-9131218
E-mail : lavinci[at]bol-online.com ,
reservation[at]lavincihotel.com
Web : www.lavincihotel.com

Eating Facilities

Referred to where to eat in Dhaka District, click here

Map

Array ( [0] => Array ( [name] => Balia Zamindar House [post_id] => 17418 [post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/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] => Devi Chowdhurani Zamindar Bari [post_id] => 1895 [post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/devi-chowdhurani-zamindar-bari/ [thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Devi-Chowdhuranir-Zamider-Bari-300x190-300x190.jpg [post_content] =>

The lanlord of pirgacha sub district norendronarayan son of raghabendranarayan died in 1765 without any legacy. Then the wife landowner Joydurga manage the landlord for three decades. This Joydurga is popularly known as Devi Chowdhurani in history.In the time of Sonnasi Bidroho (Sannasi revolution) she keep peace with VobaniPathok and war against English. In this insurgency collector Richard Gudland and army commander lieutenantbrenan got feared and forfeit the landlord of DeviChowdhurani. This time Devi Chowdhurany Levant herself for some days. After that time she again came to manage the landlord and she manage it for 1791. Now all of the building of it damaged. Only the pond is also now there.

) [2] => Array ( [name] => Horipur Boro Bari [post_id] => 6569 [post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/horipur-boro-bari/ [thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Horipur-Boro-Bari-Brahmanbaria-011-300x225.jpg [post_content] =>

Horipur Boro Bari, also known as Horipur Zamindar Bari is a mammoth mansion that is located at the Horipur village of Nasirnagar Upazila of Brahmanbaria district. This is exactly adjacent to the bank of the river Titash. From outside it’s hard to get any essence of its antiquity and beauty. This is a capacious mansion having plenty of rooms at the both floor.

From the inscription from a Moth near the area it is found that the owner was Zamindar Krishna Prasad Ray Choudhury (জমিদার কৃষ্ণ প্রসাদ রায় চৌধুরী) who built that around 1343 of Bengali Calendar. At the front side it has a Ghat for taking bath (also may be for taking part in a family gossip during after noon).

Right now, the situation of the building is not good. This is now occupied by lot of poor families (Hindu people from their dress up and religious practice). Due to lack of care, most of the walls are decaying. It’s a two stored building and few portion of the second floor is risky. But still people are living at the ground floor.

The mammoth size, stylish architecture, etc simply implies that how sumptuous the owner was. Though most of the parts are diminished but still there is a portion of a Pasha Ghor exists at the second floor. Probably the owner used to play Pasha with his mates. May be it was a dance floor where the rich Baijee (Dictionary: Dancer) used to perform every night.

Since this is exactly beside the river Titash, lot of people use to visit here with a boat as a part of their picnic. As per the local, this type of picnic party uses to visit frequently during the weekends. And still people from Dhaka know very little about this place. You can explore the river after visiting this old Zamindar Bari. But you may not find any boat for hiring around there. Most of those are the private boats. May be you can request them to use for a while. Just about few hundreds meter apart from the building you'll find a cremation place which was built by the same owner.

) [3] => Array ( [name] => Betila House: The Forgotten Palace of Manikganj [post_id] => 17193 [post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/betila-house/ [thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Betila-House-2-300x163.jpg [post_content] =>

The Betila (বেতিলা) House in Manikganj was built about a century ago by Jyoti Babu (জ্যোতি বাবু) and Satya Babu (সত্য বাবু), a couple of affluent merchants involved in the trade of Jute, the golden fibre of Bangladesh. This palatial house is located in a remote area named Betila which is within the parameters of the modern day Manikganj proper. Explorers/travelers searching for heritage sites in Manikganj over the internet may come across several links of the famous Baliati Zamindar’s Palace but never find any links on Betila. This is primarily because the Betila House was not a Zamindar’s (Land Owner) palace, and secondly since it is located in such a remote area, people hardly know about it. Rich people of those era are known to build such palatial houses in remote areas and live lavish lives, even though they were not 'Zamindars' or royalty.

For someone looking for heritage sites, the Betila Mitra Union of Manikganj would be a fabulous one to come across. It’s situated in semi rural setting (being not too distant from urban areas) and doesn't seem particularly unique on first impression but once you begin to explore it's culture and heritage, beautiful places like the Betila House amongst several others begin to surface. The seemingly tame Betila Canal runs across the area, connecting two major rivers Kaliganga (কালিগঙ্গা) and Dhaleshwari (ধলেশ্বরী) but like most waterways of Bangladesh, one can anticipate its ferocity in full monsoon season when rising water levels which is also evident in the way it has eroded both its banks, specially at the lone bridge that was constructed some time back.

On both the banks one will come across a series of heritage buildings, the pinnacle being on the eastern bank, the Betila Palatial house surrounded by rich foliage. It’s a combined structure of two separate buildings both of which are two-storied, standing almost intact, side by side and with an expansive open field before them.

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Nawabganj: Boktnogor Jomidar Bari & Mosque(বক্তনগর জমিদার বাড়ী ও মসজিদ)

Boktnogor/Boktonogor(বকতনগর/বক্তনগর) is a place located near the Shikari Para(শিকারী পারা) after Bandura bazaar(বান্দুরা বাজার). Beside the bank of the Ichhamoti river(ইছামতি নদী), you'll find an old house that is currently abandoned. I don't know much about the house(no inscription found).

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