Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => {:en}Raja Shitaram Palace{:}{:bn}রাজা সীতারামের প্রাসাদ{:}
[post_id] => 1904
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/raja-shitaram-palace/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Broken-pillers-of-Raja-Sitaram-Roy-Palace1-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Raja Sitaram Ray (1658–1714) was a sovereign king. Raja Shitaram Palace has now almost been destroyed, but holds the history of many years in every corner of its building. He rebelled against the Mughal Empire and established a short-lived sovereign Hindu dominion in Bengal. In his early life he initiated Shaktism as he came from a Shakta family. He set up capital in Mohammadpur where the palace is located and established a Dashabhuja Temple there.
In course of time he became attracted to Vaishnavism and became a disciple of Krishna Vallabh Goswami of Murshidabad, who initiated belief in him. Sitaram established a pancharatna temple devoted to Hare Krishna in the village of Kanainagar to the west of the fort at Mohammadpur.
{:}{:bn}রাজা সীতারাম রায় ছিলেন একজন স্বাধীন রাজা। তিনি মুঘল রাজত্বের বিরুদ্ধে বিদ্রোহ করেন এবং বাংলায় একটি স্বল্পস্থায়ী হিন্দু অঞ্চল প্রতিষ্ঠা করেন। শাক্তা পরিবার থেকে আসায় তিনি জীবনের শুরুতে শক্তিবাদের প্রবর্তন করেন। মোহাম্মাদপুরে রাজধানী স্থাপন করে রাজা সীতারাম সেখানে দাশাভুজা মন্দির স্থাপন করেন। সময়ের সাথে সাথে রাজা সীতারাম বিষ্ণুবাদের প্রতি আকর্ষিত হন এবং মুর্শিদাবাদের কৃষ্ণ বল্লভ গোস্বামীর ভক্ত বনে যান যিনি রাজা সীতারামের মধ্যে বিশ্বাস স্থাপন করেন। মোহাম্মাদপুর দুর্গের পশ্চিমে কানাইনগর গ্রামে রাজা সীতারাম হরি কৃষ্ণকে উৎসর্গ করে একটি পঞ্চরত্ন মন্দির স্থাপন করেন।{:}
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => Kusumba Mosque
[post_id] => 3656
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/kusumba-mosque/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/84463426-300x199.jpg
[post_content] => Kusumba Mosque is named after the village of Kusumba, under the Manda upazila of Naogaon district, on the west bank of the Atrai River. It is inside a walled enclosure with a monumental gateway that has standing spaces for guards. It was built during the period of Afghan rule in Bengal under one of the last Suri rulers Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah, by one Suleiman who was probably a high ranking official. The inscription tablet in Arabic (only the word ‘built by’ is in Persian) dating the building to 966 AH (1558-59 AD) is fixed over its eastern central entrance.
Although built during Suri rule, it is not influenced at all by the earlier Suri architecture of North India, and is well grounded in the Bengal style. The brick building, gently curved cornice, and the engaged octagonal corner towers are typical features. The mosque, presently protected by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh, was badly damaged during the earthquake of 1897. Although the main fabric of the building is of brick the entire exterior walls, and the interior up to the arches of the pendentives have stone facing. The columns, platform, floor, and perforated side screens are of stone. The mosque has a rectangular plan with three bays and two aisles, three entrances on the east and two each on the north and south sides.
The central mihrab is projected in the west. The interior west (qibla) wall has two mihrabs on the floor level opposite the central and southeastern entrances, but the one in the northwestern bay is above a raised platform ascended by a staircase on the east. The presence of such a platform in a non-imperial mosque indicates that not only royalty, but nobility and high-ranking officials were also separated from the general public during prayers. The mihrabs have elaborate stone carving. They have cusped arches crowned with kalasa (water pot) motifs, supported on intricately carved stone pillars which have projections and tasseled decorations hanging from chains. Bunches of grapes and vines curve in an almost serpentine manner on the mihrab frames, and kalasas, tendrils and rosettes are reduced to dots.
The platform edge has grape vine decoration, and there are rosettes on the spandrels of the arches supporting the platform, as well as on the mihrab wall. The stone used in the exterior facing is of a coarse quality and carved in shallow relief. Mouldings are most prominent decorative feature on the outside. They divide the walls into upper and lower sections, run all along the curved cornice, around the corner towers, in a straight line below the cornice, and frame the rectangular panels in the east, south and north walls. The spandrels of the central entrance arch are filled with small kalasa and rosette motifs. The north and south sides have screened windows.
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => Nagar Kasba
[post_id] => 8573
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/nagar-kasba/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Nogor-Kosba-2-300x169.jpg
[post_content] => Kasba (কসবা) is an administrative unit of the Sultani rulers (1342-1576). The administrative units, such as Iqta(ইকতা), Erta (ইরতা), Iqlim (ইখলিম), and Kasba (কসবা) have been mentioned in the contemporary texts.
So far 37 Kasbas could be traced in the region of Bangladesh, most of which had been within or near about the present district towns. The distance between one Kasba from another varied. It is noticed that official titles were associated with some of the kasbas. We can exemplify Kazir Kasba (কাজীর কসবা), Kotowaler Kasba(কোতওয়ালির কসবা), Nagar Kasba(নগর কসবা) etc. Considering the location, distance of one from another, communication system with the central or Provincial Capital, attachment of official titles etc it is assumed that Kasba were administrative units and were equivalent to districts. An administrative officer, a Quazi (কাজী) and a Kotwal(কোতওয়াল) were in charge of a Kasba.
In this complex of many buildings we can detect several names of businessman who built those in different period of time in 19th Century.
While most of the Kasbas lost their former importance during the Mughal period, Munshiganj, or Bikrampur, as it was known earlier, flourished as an important district through a rich combination of education, economy, literary & cultural pursuits. Therefore, the Nagar Kasba of Munshiganj stood with its importance through the course of time. It is believed that during the British rule, especially during the later part of the 19th century, Nagar Kasba was rebuilt as a residential area of wealthy predominantly Hindu business people, who mostly traded through the river port of Mirkadim.
After the Partition of India (1947), it is believed that most of the Hindu wealthy families migrated to Kolkata. Those who decided to stay back, to tend to their established businesses soon began to find it difficult. As sporadic communal riots continued, the exodus continued till the late 1950s. Families often left silently at night, leaving behind all their belongings. Those who still chose to stay, almost completely left for India during our Liberation War in 1971.
During these dire times, most of these full-furnished wealthy houses fell vacant and remained untended for a long time. Gradually, over time, these empty houses began to be taken over by influential locals. The descendents of these grabbers now own these properties, and live in the dilapidated buildings. It therefore is not surprising that a house that looks like it was purposely built for Hindu owners now adorns the names of Muslim people.
Even in its latest hay days in the later part of the 19th century, Nagar Kasba was a row of magnificent houses, mostly of two floors, though not too large, but built in British colonial styles. The intricate designs and motifs that remain on the walls and pillars are testament to the wealth and taste of the owners. Unfortunately, almost all are now in ruins, where some have even been demolished by present day owners.
)
[3] => Array
(
[name] => {:en}Chondro Mohol{:}{:bn}চন্দ্রমহল{:}
[post_id] => 6479
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/chondro-mohol/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Chondro-Mohol-Bagerhat-031-300x214.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
There is a picnic spot located at the village near Ronojitpur (রণজিতপুর). It is based on a house named Chondro Mohol. It was probably built by someone named Saiyad Amanul Huda Selim, who was a naval officer. Chondra (চন্দ্রা) is the name of his wife and the name of the house is given after her. Lot of local visitors use to come here every day. It was free once upon a time, but now a days they have put an entry fee to enter. Its 20 Taka these days. Apart from the house, the area is nicely decorated with flowers. Also it has symbolic sculptures to depict the lost culture of our Bangladesh. It has a mini zoo at one corner, and has several ponds around.
The house Chondro Mohol (চন্দ্র মহল) is surrounded by water and to reach there you have to go through an underpass that goes under the water. Inside the house, they have placed few stuffs which probably are the collected things from several part of the world (as a hobby, or during their traveling).
{:}{:bn}
চন্দ্রমহল নামে একটি ভবনকে কেন্দ্র করে রঞ্জিতপুরের কাছে একটি পিকনিক স্পট রয়েছে। সম্ভবত সৈয়দ আমানুল হুদা সেলিম নামক এক ব্যাক্তি এই ভবনটি নির্মাণ করেন এবং তাঁর স্ত্রী চন্দ্রের নামে ভবনটির নামকরণ করেন। তিনি ছিলেন নৌ বাহিনীর একজন কর্মকর্তা। প্রতিদিন অসংখ্য স্থানীয় পর্যটক এখানে আসেন। পূর্বে এখানে ঢুকতে কোন প্রবেশ মূল্য না দিতে হলেও বর্তমানে ২০/- টাকা প্রবেশ মূল্য দিয়ে প্রবেশ করতে হয়। চন্দ্র মহল ছাড়াও পুরো এলাকাটি ফুল দিয়ে চমৎকারভাবে সাজানো হয়েছে। এদেশের হারিয়ে যাওয়া সংস্কৃতিকে এখানে ভাস্কর্যের মাধ্যমে তুলে ধরা হয়েছে। একটি মিনি চিড়িয়াখানা ছাড়াও এখানে বেশ কয়েকটি পুকুরও আছে।
পানি উপর স্থাপিত চন্দ্রমহলে আপনাকে পানির নীচে নির্মিত একটি আন্ডারপাস দিয়ে আসতে হবে। ভবনটির অভ্যন্তরে পৃথিবীর বিভিন্ন অংশে বেড়ানোর সময় সেখান থেকে শখের বশে সংগ্রহ করা বিভিন্ন জিনিসপত্র প্রদর্শিত হচ্ছে।
{:}
)
)
