Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Alexander Castle
[post_id] => 21791
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/alexander-castle/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/P_20151013_170743_1_p-300x169.jpg
[post_content] =>
Alexander Castle is one of the most amazing and renowned structure in Mymensingh District. It was built by Maharaja Suryo Kanta Acharya Chowdhury(মহারাজ সুর্যকান্ত আচার্য চৌধুরী) in 1879 in the memory of the 1st zilla magistrate of Mymensingh Mr. N .S Alexander at the time of Jubili festival. It covers an area of 27.155 acres.
It is a nice small archaic building having two Greek statue at both sides of the front gate. Though the arms of those statues are currently broken, but still those looks great. The whole building is placed over a high plinth, probably to avoid the flood from the nearness river.
It cost 45000 taka at that time. Alexander Castle is a two storied building made by metals and woods in a high concrete base. This building was used as a rest house for the guests of Maharaja Maharaja Soshi Kanta Acharya Chowdhury. Many great personalities of the world stayed at this castle when visiting Mymensingh city. Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore arrived in Mymensingh around the midday of 15 February 1926. He stayed in the Alexander Castle as a guest for 4days. Mahatma Gandhi also stayed in this castle in 1926.
Lord carzon, Chittaranjan Das, Nawab Sir Salimullah, Kamal Pasha also visited Alexander Castle. This house was decorated by royal furnitures and items at that time. There is a big field in front of this house. You can see two fascinating silver statue which makes the place more beautiful. There is also a big garden and a pond still remains behind the castle. It is said that Maharaja used to keep big cats in his garden so he surrounded the garden with big still cages.At present this house is being used as library of teachers training college(male) in Mymensingh.
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => Jora Kali Temple of Muktagacha
[post_id] => 22247
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/jora-kali-temple-muktagacha/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/P_20151014_134059_1_p-169x300.jpg
[post_content] => Sri Sri Anondomoyi (শ্রী শ্রী আনন্দময়ী) Kali temple is located at the nucleus of Muktagacha Upazila. This temple is dedicated to Nirmola Debi (নির্মলা দেবী), Mother of Maharaja Shoshikanto Acharya (শশীকান্ত আচার্য). A traveler may get confused by the name of this temple as it comes with different words in websites and it's place. In websites, it is known as Sri Sri Anondomoyi (শ্রী শ্রী আনন্দময়ী) Kali temple where as in place, it’s named as Sri Sri Shiva Moheshwar (শ্রী শ্রী শিব মহেশ্বর) Temple and locally it is known as Jora kali Temple of Muktagacha.
Whatsoever the name is, ORB Team came to know from different places and later visited this attraction physically to reveal it's history. It was established in the year 1820 by the patronize of Shoshikanto Acharya (one of the great Zamindars of Muktagacha). Basically this two adjacent temple is a great example of mirror structure in Bengal. It has three arch shaped doorways at the front side. From the surface level, it is almost 1o meter high with so many decoration in its wall. The structural design of this temple is look like the other Moth (মঠ) structure in Bengal.
There is a large pond in the temple premises and it was dug at the time of establishment. Maharaja Shoshikanto Acharya donated his many assets for the daily expenses of worshipping in the temple. Among those lands significant areas are in Muktagacha Upazila, Gabtoli and Khamar Bazar area. Though none of those assets now owned by the temple.
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => Nateshwar Buddhist Temple
[post_id] => 8320
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/nateshwar-buddhist-temple/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NT-12-300x225.jpg
[post_content] =>
Nateshwar Buddhist temple is one of the ancient Buddha temple in Bangladesh. Very recent years, Archaeologist discovered it by conducting recurring excavations. Joint team of archaeologists from Bangladesh and China has unearthed this ancient Buddhist temple with unique architectural features at the village Nateshwar in Munshiganj.
It is believed that this discovery will offer interesting glimpses into the early life of Atish Dipankar. A renowned Buddhist saint and scholar in Asia, who was born in this area over a thousand years ago. In the year of 2015, A 50-day excavation has been conducted in Nateshwar, which was started in 2013 by Agrasar Vikrampur Foundation.
Important Findings: Recent excavation has unearthed several valuable features from this renowned archaeological site. A massive octagonal stupa and a pair of stupas with a four-meter wide wall which are the first of their kinds in the history of the country's archaeological excavations. Discoveries of two roads and a 2.75 meters wide wall to the site's southeast side speak of a rich urban area of a bygone era.
Besides, other important relics including ash pits and pottery items have also been recovered from the site, they added. Archaeologists from both the countries expressed hope that these finds would reveal many hitherto unrevealed sides of Atish Diponkor life as well as shedding light on the advent and decline of Buddhism in this region.
)
[3] => Array
(
[name] => Rupban Mura
[post_id] => 5535
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/rupban-mura/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/DSC096821-201x300.jpg
[post_content] =>
Locally this site is known as “Rupban Mura”. After excavation, the sign of a shrine, a monastery and an octagonal votive stupa were found. Among the antiquities, one Gupta imitation gold coin, 04 coins of debased metal, 3 silver coins and a bulky sand stone, Buddha image of post gupta period are mention worthy. On the basis of all the evidences found here, the original monastery and shrine may be dated prior to the 8th Century A.D.
Rupban Mura an important archaeological site of Mainamati lying on a hillock just between the modern BARD and BDR establishments in the Kotbari area on the south of the Comilla-Kalirbazar road. Excavations have revealed here the remains of a remarkable semi-cruciform shrine of medium size (28.2m east - west, 28m north - south), together with a number of subsidiary structures, including an octagonal stupa and another one on a square base. A boundary wall within the oblong stupa courtyard encloses all these. Its regular entrance is on the east, facing the monastery entrance. Deep diggings have revealed three main periods of building and repairs and rebuilding, the earliest corresponding to c.6th-7th centuries AD. Very few remains of the latest period (10th-11th century AD) survive now in this very heavily disturbed site.
The Cruciform Shrine Originally built as a solid stupa on a square base, it was subsequently converted into a semi-cruciform shrine in the second period (8th century AD). It has a peculiarity not noticed elsewhere. Instead of a single chapel built in each of the long arm of the cross, a group of three long narrow chapels was built in the eastern (front) side of the shrine.
In the middle chapel the colossal stone Buddha, now exhibited in Mainamati Museum, was discovered. The same peculiarity is noticed in the adjacent Itakhola Mura grand stupa, also on the eastern side facing the entrance. Fragments of bronze images found in other chapels suggest installation of such images there.
The Monastery The small 34.1m square monastery of the site was built separately, 31m.The South-east of the cruciform stupa. It has a prominent gateway complex (12.5m x 6.9m) projecting outwards in the middle of the northern wing. Built in the usual square plan, it originally had a total of 24 cells in four wings, subsequently reduced to 18 in the second period. The southern wing, occupying an area of 11.7m, was abandoned, due certainly too irreparable damages, and a row of new cells was built in its front, thus making the shape of the monastery oblong (34.1m x 24.8m). Corbelled niches and brick-built bedsteads can be noticed in the 2nd period cells. A broad corbelled drain was built in the courtyard to drain out rainwater. Significant discoveries from the site include, besides the colossal stone Buddha, five debased gold coins of Balabhatta, the Khadga ruler.
)
)
