Botanical Garden, Mirpur 1

Natore DC Park is located near Natore Children Park in the Rajshahi-Bogra Highway, inaugurated in 1^st January 2006. The inaugurator of this aesthetic concept was Mr. Mohammad Ilias Hossain, the Collector, District Magistrate and District Commissioner of Natore. The main intention behind building this park was to beautify and redecorate the District Commissioner’s Office, but it has been a tourist attraction these days. Apart from that attractive park, there is a lake and fountain yard in between the park and main road. This lake was inaugurated in 16^th September, 2013 by Mr. Zafar Ullah, The Deputy Commissioner of Natore District.

Each day, many of the inhabitants come to this lovely environment to enjoy their leisure time with family and friends in the yard. The Antarctic natural air frost may amaze you by bringing tranquility into your mind.

Kaptai National Park is near about 5464 hectares. The park is adjacent to Kaptai Bazar in the north-eastern corner of the Kaptai Upazila in Rangamati District. It is an attractive travel destination to all kind of traveler of the country. Every single year more then 50000 peoples visit this green heaven. Wild lives in the Kaptai National Park include Deer, Elephant, Jungle Cat, Monkey etc. Adventures are including Boating, Picnic spots, Speed boat cruising, Water skiing and Hiking.

Rangamati Hill District is one of the major tourist place in Bangladesh. The green hills, vast Kaptai lake, numerous springs as well as the unique life style of tribal people attract tourist. Besides, there are many other fascinating things or places where the tourists visit such as, Rajbon Bihar, Tribal Cultural Museum, Bungalow of Deputy Commissioner, Bain Textile, Hanging Bridge adjacent of Tourism complex, Soubolng, Kaptai Hydro-Electric Project etc.

Kaptai National Park is unique for its monumental plantations of 1873, 1878 and 1879, the starting point of modern forest management in this sub-continent. The tropical rain forest on the banks of river Karnaphuly is amazing in the Kaptai National Park. There are a number of wildlife like Deer, Elephent, Jungle cat, Monkey etc. in the park. The Kaptai Forest Rest house and Kaptai Mukh Forest Rest House, Picnic spots are other attraction to enjoy the scenic natural beauty of the National Park.

Despite the fact that the Kaptai National Park was only established in 1999, it already has a great legacy of rebirth and ancient history. As early as 1873, massive plantations of forest trees were started by local forest management, which has resulted in much of the beautiful growth that is now seen today. The nearby Rajbon Bihar, Tribal Cultural Museum, Bain Textile, Soubolng and Hanging Bridge situated adjacent to the Tourism complex provide plenty of fascinating insight into the past and present community projects that have been attempted in the area. The Kaptai Hydro-Electric Project gives back to the community by providing a clean source of electricity for the people. Picnic spots for public enjoyment are everywhere, while the Kaptai Forest Rest House and the Kaptai Mukh Forest Rest House provide the perfect place to relax and unwind after a stressful week in the city.

Little wonder then that the Kaptai National Park is already incredibly popular with the locals. Some 50 000 people visit the park each year, paying an entrance fee of Tk10.00 per a person in support of this enjoyable wilderness. While most spend their time picnicking, others may go boating or speed boat cruising, water skiing or hiking. Great food can be found at a number of nearby restaurants for those looking for something a bit more substantial after a day spent in the great outdoors. The Kaptai National Park is relatively easy to reach: visitors can travel to Chittagong by way of rail, air or road and from there can make the short trip to the park via road. So make sure you include this great spot in your Bangladesh travel plans!

Shopnopuri is a great Amusement Park which is situated at Aftabganj of Nababganj in the district of Dinajpur. This a theme park which covers an area of 920 acre. You will need to buy ticket to enter inside the park. Dhaka (Capital of Bangladesh) to Dinajpur by bus will take about 9-11 hours.

Shopnopuri is one of the most beautiful artificial picnic spot in Bangladesh especially in North Bangle. You can go there either from Hill or from Dinajpur. There you can enjoy here by watching artificial beauty. One can spend night also In Shoponopuri rest house but for that he/ she will have to book in advance. Here lots of picnic parties come every day.

The entry fee of Shaopnopuri theme park is 20 taka per person. At the gate, two statue of angels are waiting to welcome you. This park is divided into some parts.

After entering Shopnopuri, you can go to “Fish World”. Its ticket fee is only 5 taka per person. Inside the “Fish World”, you can see artificial water plants, fished and various water animals.

After visiting fish world, you can go to “Animal Kingdom”. Entry fee 5 taka per person. Here you can see artificial statue of some animals like Amu, Flamingo, Dinosaur, Pegasus etc. This part is great for kids. “Rongdhony Art Gallery” is another beautiful part of Shorpopuri. You can see here, many different kinds of sculptures and paintings. Entry fee 5 taka per person.

“Moha Maya Indrojal” is another part of Shopnopuri. Here you can enjoy magic. Entry fee 5 taka per person.

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।