Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Idrakpur Fort
[post_id] => 7767
[post_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/places/idrakpur-fort-4/
[thumb_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Distant-view-of-fort1-300x188.jpg
[post_content] =>
Idrakpur Fort situated at Munshiganj proper, now on the west bank of the canal running through the town, and on the eastern vicinity of Deobhog village. This water fort was originally built at a strategic point on the junction of the river Ichhamati (now dried up) and the Meghna. The location of the fort had earlier been named as Idrakpur. The development of the township in the locality with the name Munshiganj is a later innovation. Still there is a village named Idrakpur in the suburb of the town. The surroundings of the fort are now filled with earth, and in some places the silt has risen up to the level of the parapet.
The erection of the fort was intended to check the advance of the Magh and Portuguese pirates proceeding towards the Mughal capital city of Dhaka. It was probably built by the Mughal subadar Mir Jumla in about 1660 A.D.
This brick built fort, quadrangular in size, runs from north to south measuring 86.87 meter in length and 59.60 meter in breadth. It consists of two main parts: i) the wider open area surrounded by curtain walls crowned by machicolated merlons, with engaged rounded corner bastions also crowned by merlons and pierced by musketry, and ii) the smaller area containing a round drum of huge dimension surrounded by another series of similar curtain walls. An approach to the drum is provided from the bigger court.
The most striking feature of the fort is the existence of an elevated rounded platform of 32.5 diameter and 9.14 meter high on the eastern part of the fort, which can be reached by a staircase. Another striking feature of the fort is the existence of a staircase leading to an underground room at the foot of the drum. Tradition goes that the staircase is a part of the provision for an underground tunnel meant for emergency exit of its occupants to some safe destination. But virtually the staircase simply leads to a secret underground chamber which was the magazine or storehouse for arms and explosives.
The main entrance gate of the fort is on the north with a high rectangular bastion crowned by machicolated merlons which served as a guard room.
Special features being discovered by recent renovation work:
12th of May 2015, A typical day for the workers who were employed for the renovation work of this Mughal fort. As the Dept. of Archaeology decided to make a museum & a cultural center inside the fort earlier.For the last 300 years there have been several renovations conducted there. But, this time something very interesting discovered while the workers were removing floor's plaster. All on a sudden they observed there have been a significant numbers of pitchers were placed in row & Column beneath the outer surface of floor. Initially, It's presumed that these pitchers is nearly 350 years old as this fort was built in 1660 AD.
Some of the researchers from Dept. of Archaeology interpreted that these vessels were used for keeping cool inside of the fort and some are opposing this interpretation. They said further investigation needs to be conducted to find out the reason of using these vessel. These kind of feature has been discovered very first time in Bangladesh. It's a unique Medieval architectural feature. After finding these pitcher, Dept. of Archaeology decided to hold on the renovation work as it might destroy very important spatial context.
)
[1] => Array
(
[name] => {:en}Lalbagh Fort{:}{:bn}লালবাগ কেল্লা {:}
[post_id] => 4454
[post_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/places/lalbagh-fort/
[thumb_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Lalbag-Fort281-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Lalbagh Fort (also Fort Aurangabad) is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex that stands proudly before the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The construction was started in 1678 AD by Mughal Subahdar Muhammad Azam Shah who was son of Emperor Aurangzeb and later emperor himself. His successor, Shaista Khan, did not continue the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688.
Mughal prince Muhammad Azam, third son of Aurangzeb started the work of the fort in 1678 during his vice-royalty in Bengal. He stayed in Bengal for 15 months. The fort remained incomplete when he was called away by his father Aurangzeb.
Shaista Khan was the new subahdar of Dhaka in that time, and he did not complete the fort. In 1684, the daughter of Shaista Khan named Iran Dukht Pari Bibi died there. After her death, he started to think the fort as unlucky, and left the structure incomplete. Among the three major parts of Lalbagh Fort, one is the tomb of Pari Bibi.
After Shaista Khan left Dhaka, it lost its popularity. The main cause was that the capital was moved from Dhaka to Murshidabad. After the end of the royal Mughal period, the fort became abandoned. In 1844, the area acquired its name as Lalbagh replacing Aurangabad, and the fort became Lalbagh Fort.
For long the fort was considered to be a combination of three buildings (the mosque, the tomb of Bibi Pari and the Diwan-i-Aam), with two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall. Recent excavations carried out by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh have revealed the existence of other structures.
The southern fortification wall has a huge bastion in the southwestern corner. On the north of the south fortification wall were the utility buildings, stable, administration block, and its western part accommodated a beautiful roof-garden with arrangements for fountains and a water reservoir. The residential part was located on the east of the west fortification wall, mainly to the south-west of the mosque.
The fortification wall on the south had five bastions at regular intervals two stories in height, and the western wall had two bastions; the biggest one is near the main southern gate. The bastions had an underground tunnel. The central area of the fort is occupied by three buildings - the Diwan-i-Aam and the hammam on its east, the Mosque on the west and the Tomb of Pari Bibi in between the two - in one line, but not at equal distance. A water channel with fountains at regular intervals connects the three buildings from east to west and north to south.
Diwani-i-Aam: Diwan-i-Aam is a two stored building. A single stored hammam is attached on its west. The hammam portion has an underground room for boiling water. A long partition wall runs along the western facade of the hammam.
A water tank: A square shaped water tank (71.63m on each side) is placed to the east of the Diwan-i-Aam. There are four corner stairs to descend into the tank.
Tomb of Bibi Pari: The tomb of Bibi Pari, the daughter of Shaista Khan, is in the middle of the complex. There is a central square room. It contains the remains of Bibi Pari covered by a false octagonal dome and wrapped by brass plate. The entire inner wall is covered with white marble. Eight rooms surround the central one. There is another small grave in the southeastern corner room.
Lalbagh Fort Mosque: The Lalbagh Fort Mosque is a three-domed mosque with a water tank on the eastern side.
No trip to Dhaka city is fulfilled without a trip to the Lalbagh Fort or also known as the fort of Auranagabad which was built in 1678 AD by Prince Mohammad Azam who was the Viceroy back then. The fort represents the dream of the Mughal Prince which stayed unfinished. So the whole fort has a sense of history and mystery entwined in the very bricks of the foundation. The Lalbagh fort falls under the Dhaka Division/subdivision and Lalbagh Thana.
{:}{:bn}
রাজধানী ঢাকার দক্ষিনপশ্চিম অংশে বুড়িগঙ্গা নদীর তীরে গর্বের সাথে দাড়িয়ে আছে ১৭শ শতকের অসমাপ্ত মুঘল দুর্গ লালবাগ কেল্লা (আওরঙ্গবাদ দুর্গ নামেও পরিচিত)। ১৬৭৮ সালে সম্রাট আওরঙ্গজেবের তৃতীয় পুত্র মুঘল সুবেদার মুহাম্মদ আজমশাহ কেল্লাটির নির্মাণকাজ আরম্ভ করেন। তিনি বাংলায় ১৫ মাস অবস্থান করেন। সম্রাট আওরঙ্গজেবের ডাকে বাংলা ত্যাগ করার সময় কেল্লার নির্মাণ সমাপ্ত হয়নি।
পরবর্তীতে আজমশাহর উত্তরসূরি শায়েস্তা খান ঢাকার নতুন সুবেদার নিযুক্ত হন। তবে তিনিও কেল্লাটির নির্মাণকাজ শেষ করতে পারেননি। ১৬৮৪ সালে শায়েস্তা খানের কন্যা ইরান দুখত পরীবিবি এখানেই মৃত্যুবরণ করেন। কন্যার মৃত্যুর পর শায়েস্তা খান কেল্লাটিকে অশুভ মনে করে এটির নির্মাণ অসমাপ্ত রাখেন। লালাবাগ কেল্লার তিনটি প্রধান স্থাপনার মধ্যে পরীবিবির মাজার অন্যতম।
শায়েস্তা খান ঢাকা ত্যাগের পর কেল্লাটির জনপ্রিয়তা কমে যায় কারন এসময় ঢাকা থেকে মুর্শিদাবাদে রাজধানী স্থানান্তর করা হয়। মুঘলদের রাজত্ব শেষ হলে কেল্লাটিকে পরিত্ত্যাক্ত করা হয়। ১৮৪৪ সালে আওরঙ্গবাদের বদলে এলাকাটির নামকরন করা হয় লালবাগ এবং সেই সাথে কেল্লাটির নামও হয়ে যায় লালবাগ কেল্লা।
দুটি ফটক এবং ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত প্রতিরক্ষা দেয়ালের অংশসহ দীর্ঘদিন ধরে মনে করা হত যে কেল্লাটিতে তিনটি ভবন (মসজিদ, পরীবিবির মাজার এবং দিওয়ান-ই-আম) রয়েছে। তবে বাংলাদেশের প্রত্নতাত্ত্বিক অধিদফতর সাম্প্রতিক সময়ে কেল্লায় খননকাজ করলে আরও নতুন স্থাপনার অস্তিত্ব সম্পর্কে জানা যায়।
কেল্লার দক্ষিনদিকের প্রতিরক্ষা দেয়ালের দক্ষিণপশ্চিম কোনায় একটি বিশাল বুরুজ রয়েছে। দক্ষিনদিকের প্রতিরক্ষা দেয়ালের উত্তরে কিছু ভবন ছিল এবং পশ্চিম অংশে ঝর্ণাসহ একটি চমৎকার বাগান ছিল। কেল্লার বাসিন্দাদের থাকার ব্যবস্থা ছিল পশ্চিমের প্রতিরক্ষা দেয়ালের পূর্বদিকে অর্থাৎ মসজিদের দক্ষিন-পশ্চিমে।
কেল্লার দক্ষিনের প্রতিরক্ষা দেয়ালে সমান দূরত্বে দোতলা উচ্চতার সমান পাঁচটি বুরুজ রয়েছে এবং পশ্চিমের প্রতিরক্ষা দেয়ালে দুটি বুরুজ রয়েছে। দক্ষিনদিকের মূল ফটকের কাছে সবচেয়ে বড় বুরুজটি অবস্থিত। প্রতিটি বুরুজের সাথে মাটির নীচে অবস্থিত সুরঙ্গের যোগাযোগ রয়েছে।
কেল্লার মাঝখানে অবস্থিত তিনটি ভবন হলঃ পূর্বে দিওয়ান-ই-আম এবং হাম্মাম, পশ্চিমে মসজিদ ও পরীবিবির মাজার। ঝর্ণাসমৃদ্ধ একটি পানির চ্যানেলের মাধ্যমে এই তিনটি ভবনকে পূর্ব থেকে পশ্চিমে এবং উত্তর থেকে দক্ষিনে সংযুক্ত করা হয়েছে।
দিওয়ান-ই-আমঃ দোতলা এই ভবনের নীচতলায় একটি হাম্মাম রয়েছে। হাম্মামের সাথে মাটির নীচে পানি গরম করার ব্যবস্থা রয়েছে। হাম্মামের পশ্চিমদিক একটি দেওয়াল দিয়ে ঘিরে দেওয়া হয়েছে।
পানির ট্যাংকঃ দিওান-ই-আমের পূর্বদিকে একটি বর্গক্ষেত্রাকার পানির ট্যাংক রয়েছে (যেটির প্রতিটি দিক ৭১.৬৩ মিটার দীর্ঘ। ট্যাংকের অভ্যন্তরে নামার জন্য এটির চারকোণায় চারটি সিঁড়ি রয়েছে।
পরীবিবির মাজারঃ শায়েস্তা খানের কন্যা পরীবিবির মাজারটি কেল্লার মধ্যবর্তী স্থানে একটি চারকোণা কক্ষে অবস্থিত। এই মাজারটি একটি অষ্টভুজ গম্বুজ এবং পিতলের আবরনে আবৃত করা আছে। মাজারের ভিতর দিকের দেয়াল সাদা মার্বেলে মোড়ানো। এই কক্ষটিকে ঘিরে আরও আটটি কক্ষ রয়েছে যেগুলোর মধ্যে দক্ষিন পূর্ব কোনায় অবস্থিত কক্ষটিতে একটি ছোট কবর রয়েছে।
লালবাগ কেল্লা মসজিদ: তিনগম্বুজ বিশিষ্ট এই মসজিদটি একটি পানির ট্যাংকসহ পূর্বদিকে অবস্থিত।
এই কেল্লার সাথে একদিকে যেমন জড়িয়ে আছে মুঘল যুবরাজ মোহাম্মদ আজমের স্বপ্ন যেটি শেষ পর্যন্ত আর পুরন হয়নি অপরদিকে এই কেল্লার প্রতিটি ইটের সাথে জড়িয়ে রয়েছে ইতিহাস এবং রহস্য। সুতরাং নির্দ্বিধায় বলা চলে, লালবাগ কেল্লা (আওরঙ্গবাদ কেল্লা) না দেখলে ঢাকায় আপনার আসা সার্থক হবে না।
{:}
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[2] => Array
(
[name] => Sonakanda Fort
[post_id] => 10801
[post_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/places/sonakanda-fort/
[thumb_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/17662494639_eac4172f39_b1-300x200.jpg
[post_content] =>
Sonakanda Fort (সোনাকান্দা দুর্গ) a Mughal river-fort located on the eastern bank of the Shitalakshya (শীতলক্ষ্যা) at port area. A group of river forts, constructed by the Mughals, guarded the water routes to Dhaka and other places of strategic importance and the Sonakanda Fort is one of them. The fort, under the protection of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, has been restored and repaired several times. The defensive walls and the massive artillery platform are still in existence. It is quadrangular in plan,measuring 86.56 m × 57.0 m and surrounded by a 1.06 m thick brick-wall, 3.05 meter in height, with inner and intermediate bastions.
The wall is built solid at the bottom. There is a circular artillery platform with a staircase on the west side, which leads up to the raised artillery platform to be entered by a five-foil arched gateway. The artillery platform, meant for a big calibre cannon aiming at the attackers coming up the river, is a new feature of the Mughal river forts in Bengal.
The platform has two circles of which the inner is 15.70m and the outer is 19.35m in diameter respectively. It is 6.09m in height and surrounded by walls. The corner bastions on both sides of the western wing are wider than those of the eastern wing, which are 4.26m, while the two on the western wing are 6.85m in diameter. The fort has two main parts; one is a fortified rampart wall of enormous dimension, which has numerous wide and narrow loopholes. And the other part, the most important one, is a raised outwork on the western face. Excepting the artillery platform, there is no trace of any permanent structure within the fortification walls. All round, the walls are crowned by machicolated merlons, which are on average one metre high.
The fort is provided with a single entrance gate on the north. The arched gateway is placed within a rectangular frame and both the sides are decorated with several plastered panels. The lofty arch of the entrance gateway is of the four-centred variety. There are four corner bastions. Unlike the bastions of the forts at Hajiganj and Idrakpur the bastions of this fort are octagonal in plan.
The fort is not dated by any inscription. Though the construction of this fort is attributed to Mir Jumla, there is no evidence for this. On stylistic similarities with other Mughal river-forts in and around Dhaka it is datable to the mid-17th century.
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[3] => Array
(
[name] => Bhitargarh
[post_id] => 2997
[post_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/places/bhitar-garh/
[thumb_link] => https://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Bhitargarh_2010_02_03_3_6_b1-300x207.jpg
[post_content] =>
Bhitargarh Fort was formed a part of the chain of early medieval mud-forts erected mostly by the Muslim rulers at different times to defend their territory against the incursion of their northern Hindu neighbors. The territory east of the Karatoya River was for some time a part of the Ahom kingdom. In the 15th century, this area was included in the Tibeto-Barman Khen dynasty's territory and served as a sort of buffer state between Assam and the Muslim Kingdom of Bengal.
"The existence of fifteen garhs (fortifications) has hitherto been traced of which the most noted are Bhitar Garh, Hosain Garh, Mir Garh, Rajan Garh and Deven Garh. Panchagram is named after these five garhs. Amongst these fortification Bhitargarh is still vigilant archeological site. Total Garh is bounded by both manmade and natural canal and fort like wall."-Banglapedia.
Bhitargarh fort city, established in the sixth or seventh century, had a sovereign administration. Built on important trade routes, the fort city had trade links with Tibet, Bhutan, and China as well as with West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim and Punhdrabardhan of India.
The entire fort city is bordered by two rectangular wall- inner and outer wall or fortifications. There are two villages inside the wall- Bhitargarh and Maharajar Hat, with village market (Bhitargarh bazar). Most interesting feature is the Maharajar Dighi is a large pond, the most attractive place inside the fortification. It is really beautiful during rain. Probably the Maharaja (king) of Bhitargarh, dug the canal for supplying sweet water inside the fort. The pond might be connected by drainage network.
The fortification is now the most important archeological site of the country. The place comes to spot light after a recent excavation program, which has been uncovered some 200 archeological site inside the fort city.
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