Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Sat Masjid
[post_id] => 7883
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/satmosjid-mohammadpur/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sat-Masjid2-300x225.jpg
[post_content] =>
Sat Masjid is located in the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka city, the building exhibits seven domes- three over the prayer chamber and four over the corner towers. Hence it is known as Sat Gombuz (seven domed) Mosque. The mosque occupies the western end of a slightly raised masonry plinth 26.82m by 25.60m, which is enclosed by a low wall with a gateway in the middle of the eastern side. This arched gateway with flanking ornamental turrets is exactly in alignment with the central doorway of the mosque proper. The top of the gateway could be approached from either the north or the south by an ascending flight of steps.
The mosque proper forms a large rectangle 14.33m by 4.88m on the inside and is emphasised with massive hollow domed towers of octagonal design on the exterior angles. The prayer chamber is entered through arched doorways - three in the east and one each on the north and south sides.
Corresponding to the three eastern archways there are three semi-octagonal mihrabs inside the western wall. Beside the central mihrab there is a three-stepped masonry pulpit. The central archway and the central mihrab, including two other archways on the north and south walls, have outwardly projected frontons depicting ornamental turrets on either flank.
The interior of the mosque is divided by two wide arches into three conventional divisions - a large central square bay and a smaller rectangular bay on either side. The roof is covered with three slightly bulbous domes on octagonal drums, the central one being bigger than its flanking counterparts. The large central dome is supported by the wide arches together with the two blocked arches over the central mihrab and central archway and the triangular pendentives on the upper angles. But in covering the side rectangles with domes a clever method has been adopted. In order to make a circular base for the dome, the rectangular space has first been made square above by creating half-domed vaults on the east and west walls. These half-domed vaults together with a further series of pendentives on the corners directly support the small domes.
The corner towers have flanking turrets like those in Khwaja Shahbaz’s Mosque and musa khan mosque, both in Dhaka city. Each of these consists of two storeys and is a monument by itself. The lower storey is pierced with four cardinally set arched openings in the north-south and east-west axis. Internally the roof of the lower storey is domical, but its reverse side is flat and forms the floor of the upper storey.
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => Bhai Girish Chandra Sen's Old House
[post_id] => 23726
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/bhai-girish-chandra-sens-old-house/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Old-House-of-Bhai-Girish-Chandra-Sen-9-200x300.jpg
[post_content] => Girish Chandra Sen also known as Bhai Girish Chandra Sen ( ভাই গিরিশ চন্দ্র সেন), a Brahmo Samaj missionary, was the first person to complete the translation of the Qur'an into Bengali in 1886. It was his finest contribution to Bengali literature. Born in the village of Panchdona of Narsingdi in 1835 in the famed Dewan Baidya clan, he learnt Persian and Sanskrit in early life and started working as a copywriter in the court of the deputy magistrate in Mymensingh. He also taught for a short while at the Mymensingh Zilla School before engaging wholeheartedly in journalism and literary activities. He was attracted to the Brahmo Samaj under the influence of Keshub Chunder Sen and Bijoy Krishna Goswami and joined it as a missionary in 1871. He traveled through India and Burma to propagate his new faith.
The plasters on the walls of this two floor house have almost completely fallen off, baring the brick work, which is covered in a thick moss. The ceilings on both the floors have entirely caved in. Trees have grown all over the walls, thereby creating large cracks. The wood work from doors and windows is completely stolen. To overcome those destruction and deterioration of this old House owned by this famous Scholar, Government has taken necessary steps to renovate the building immediately.
In the year of 1869, Keshub Sen chose four persons amongst his missionaries and ordained them as professors of four old religions of the world. Girish Chandra was selected to study Islam. The others selected to study different religions were Gour Govinda Ray for Hinduism, Protap Chandra Mazoomdar for Christianity, and Aghore Nath Gupta for Buddhism.
This was a time, when even translating religious scripts from Islam was considered as desecration of the sanctity of the scripts. The Holy Qur’an was considered too sacred for translation, as such most of the Muslim scholars refrained from even trying.
A firm believer in the basic unity of all religions, Girish immersed himself in his studies and later went to Lucknow in 1876 to study Arabic, Islamic literature and the Islamic religious texts. He was involved in intense studies for about five years. His keen interest in different religions and his liberal outlook earned him the respect of followers of other religions.
On completion of his studies, he returned to Kolkata and engaged in translation of Islamic scriptures. After hard labor of six years from 1881-1886, he produced an annotated Bengali version of the Qur’an via Persian.
Girish Chandra wrote and published a total of 42 books in Bengali. His books were greatly appreciated by the Muslim community which referred to him as 'Bhai Girish Chandra'. The Muslim society, in his days, respected him enormously and gave him the title of a Maulavi.
Girish Chandra Sen spoke fluently in Bengali, Urdu & Persian. A simple soft-spoken person, he endeared himself to all those who came in contact with him. His autobiography, 'Atmajivani' (আত্মজীবনী), was published in 1906. He passed away in 1910.
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => Charpatra Mura
[post_id] => 5158
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/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
)
[3] => Array
(
[name] => {:en}Pailgaon Zamindar Bari{:}{:bn}পাইলগাঁও জমিদারবাড়ী{:}
[post_id] => 22961
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/pailgaon-zamindar-bari/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/P_20151014_130750_1_p-300x169.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Pailgaon Zamindar Bari is one of the remarkable old structures of Jagannathpur in Sunamganj. This 300 years old palace was established on 5.5 acres of land.
The last person of this Zamindar family was Brajendra Narayan Chowdhury. He was a famous politician at that time and a member of the congress of Sylhet too at that time.
The place is situated near the bank of Kushiara river in Sunamganj District. It is at Pailgaon Union under Jagannathpur Upazila.
History of this place: Thousand years ago, decedents of Pal Dynasty lived here. As time goes, "Das" family took their place. Pir Mohammad Badsha (Muslim Rulers) gave them the title - "Chowdhury". Ram and Sreeram were two descendants of this bloodline. One of their descendants Madhab Ram gained much popularity in his locality at that time. He did a lot of social welfare.
Their descendants Brojnath had two sons. Their named were Roshomoy Chowdhury and Sukhumoy Chowdhury. The place is locally known by the name after of Zamindar Roshomoy Chowdhury. The last ruler of the family was famous Brajendra Narayan Chowdhury.
{:}{:bn}প্রাচীন পুরাকীর্তির অন্যতম নিদর্শন সুনামগঞ্জের জগন্নাথপুর উপজেলার পাইলগাঁও জমিদারবাড়ী। প্রায় সাড়ে ৫ একর ভূমির ওপর প্রতিষ্ঠিত তিন শত বছরেরও বেশী পুরানো এ জমিদার বাড়ীটি এ অঞ্চলের ইতিহাস-ঐতিহ্যের নিদর্শন ।এ জমিদার পরিবারের শেষ জমিদার ব্রজেন্দ্র নারায়ণ চৌধু রী ছিলেন প্র খ্যাত শিক্ষাবিদ ও রাজনীতিবিদ। তিনি ছিলেন সিলেট বিভাগের কংগ্রেস সভাপতি এবং আসাম আইন পরিষদের সদস্য। সিলেট বিভাগের সুনামগঞ্জ জেলায় জগন্নাথপুর উপজেলার অধীন ৯ নম্বার পাইলগাও ইউনিয়নের পাইলগাও গ্রামে ঐতিহ্যবাহি এ জমিদারীর অবস্থান। জমিদার বাড়ী দক্ষিণ দিকে সিলেটের কুশিয়ারা নদী বহমান। প্রখ্যাত ঐতিহাসিক অচ্যূতচরণ চৌধুরী পাইলগাও জমিদার বংশের রসময় বা রাসমোহন চৌধুরী হতে প্রাপ্ত সূত্রেলিখেছেন যে; পাইলগাওয়ে বহুপূর্বকালে পাল বংশীয় লোক বসবাস করত। এ গোষ্টিয় পদ্মলোচন নামক ব্যক্তির এক কন্যার নাম ছিল রোহিণী। কোন এক কারণে রাঢ দেশের মঙ্গলকোট হতে আগত গৌতম গোত্রীয় কানাইলাল ধর রোহিণীকে বিবাহ করত গৃহ-জামাতা হয়ে এখানেই বসবাস শুরুকরেন। কানাইলাল ধরের আট পুরুষ পরে বালক দাস নামের এক ব্যক্তির উদ্ভব হয়। এ বালক দাস থেকে এ বংশ বিস্তৃত হয়। বালক দাসের কয়েক পুরুষ পর উমানন্দ ধর ওরফে বিনোদ রায় দিল-ীর মোহাম্মদ শাহ বাদশা কর্তৃ ক চৌধুরী সনদ প্রাপ্তহন। বিনোদ রায়ের মাধব রাম ও শ্রীরাম নামে দুই পুত্রের জন্মহয়। তার মধ্যেমাধব রামজনহিতকর কর্মপালনে নিজ গ্রাম পাইলগাঁও এ এক বিরাট দীঘি খনন করে সুনাম অর্জন করেন। তার দেয়া উক্তদীঘি আজও ঐ অঞ্চলে মাধব রামের তালাব হিসেবে পরিচিতহচ্ছে। মাধব রামের দুই পুত্র মদনরাম ও মোহনরাম । উক্ত মোহনরামের ঘরে দুর্লভরাম, রামজীবন, হুলাসরাম ও যোগজীবন নামে চার পুত্রের জন্ম হয়। এই চার ভাই দশসনা বন্দোবস্তের সময় কিসমত আতুয়াজানের ১থেকে ৪ নং তালুকের যতাক্রমে বন্দোবস্তগ্রহন করে তালুকদার নাম ধারণ করে। এদের মধ্যে হুলাসরাম বানিয়াচং রাজ্যের দেওয়ানি কার্যালয়ে উচ্চ পদের কর্মচারীনিযুক্ত হন। হুলাসরাম চৌধুরী বানিয়াচং রাজ্যের রাজা দেওযান উমেদ রাজারঅনুগ্রহে আতুয়াজান পরগণায় কিছু ভূমি দান প্রাপ্তহন। হুলাসরামের প্রাপ্তভূমির কিছু কিছু চাষযোগ্যও কিছু ভূমি চাষ অযোগ্যছিল। পরবর্তিতে হুলাসরাম চাষ অযোগ্য ভূমিগুলোকে চাষযোগ্যকরে তুললে এগুলোই এক বিরাট জমিদারীতে পরিণত হয়ে উঠে। হুলাস রামের ভাতুষ্পুত্রবিজয়নারায়ণের একমাত্রপুত্রব্র জনাথ চৌধুরীজমিদারি বর্ধিত করে এক প্রভাবশালী জমিদারে পরিণত হন। ব্রজনাথ চৌধুরীর দুইপুত্ররসময় ও সুখময় চৌধুরী। রসময় চৌধুরীর পুত্র ব্রজেন্দ্রনারায়নই ছিলেন এবংশের শেষ জমিদার।{:}
)
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