| DHAKA
DHAKA, the Capital of Bangladesh, founded
in 1608 has an exciting history and rich cultural heritage.
Built on the bank of the river Buriganga, and it is
now a sprawling modern city. The total area of the city
is approximately 1550 sq. km., with a population of
13 million. It was adorned with the glory of being the
capital of the region when it was successively under
the Mughal and the British rule. It used to be known
as the city of mosques and is called the city of rickshaws.
These days it looks chaotic with more vehicles on the
roads and streets and building coming up, but the "chaos"
is not a decadent one, it is rather solely positive.
Paintings on buses and rickshaws are of people's dream,
and the city is really bustling. Some of the outstanding
attractions of the city are:
It is situated on the bank of the river Buriganga. For
a visitor, there awaits an amazing scene with different
types of boats - uncovered and covered boats, cargo
boats, speed boats, tugs and motor launches going in
every direction. Regular services by motor launches
including passenger and cargo to Southern towns leave
every day in the afternoon. Paddle Steamer service introduced
during the colonial period is still in service to most
of the towns on its route up to Khulna, is also operated
from this river port. Paddle system steamer service
for passenger service is obsolete now-a-days in other
countries. A trip by Paddle Steamer will enable a guest
to enjoy the riverine beauty including the countryside
of Bangladesh.
Ahsan Manjil
Khwaja Alimullah bought some properties including
this building from the French traders in 1835, which
was originally owned by Zaminder Seikh Enayetullah.
Nawab Abdul Ghani named Ahsan Manzil after his son Nawab
Ahsanullah. It is a magnificent pink-coloured building
with an imposing staircase leading to the upper floor,
and it is topped by a lofty dome. In each of the 23
grand rooms there is a photograph of the room dating
back from around 1902, and these photos allowed the
accurate restoration of the furnishings and draperies.
Ancestors of the Khwaja Alimullah came from Kashmir
in search of fortune. The Nawabs played a significant
role during their regime around 100 year, uplifting
the life style of the people as they were the pioneer
to provide the following services : Electricity, Health
care system, Sanitation, School and colleges, Parks,
River-reforms, Banking, etc. It has been turned to a
museum which will give a good insight into the life
of the ruling classes of Bengal during the British Raj.
It can be visited Saturday-Wednesday from 10:30am to
5:30pm and Friday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. closed on Thursdays.
Star Mosque
Zaminder Mirza Ghulam Pir
built this mosque in the early 18th century. Later a
local businessman , Ali Jan Bepary renovated this mosque
, a glittering star pattern mosaic with Japanese and
English china clay tiles during 1926. This is the most
beautifully decorated mosque in Bangladesh. It is distinctive
for its low-slung style and the absence of minaret.
Originally it was built with four corner towers in Mughal
style. During the renovation and redecoration, the building
was substantially altered. A close look will reveal
that the tiles illustrated with pictures of Mt. Fuji.
Armenian Church
Armenians came to Dhaka
in the 17th century and they were concentrated in the
old part of the city, which was later named Armanitola
after the colony of Armenian families. This church was
built in 1781 on the ruins of an earlier chapel. It
has a balcony and wooden pews seat for 100 people. In
1837 a steeple serving as a clock tower was added, which
collapsed during the earthquake of 1897. The church
is in a reasonably good shape. It is open everyday,
except when the caretaker leaves the premises.
Dhakeshwari MAndir
It is the oldest Hindu temple in Dhaka and was established
in the 11th century. By some accounts it is said that
Dhaka city originates its name from the Dhakeswari temple.
The temple is visited every day by number of devotees
to make offering to the goddess. It can be visited any
day.
Lalbagh Fort
Prince Mohammed Azam, 3rd son of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb,
started building the Fort Aurangabad in 1678. As he
left Dhaka, he handed it over to Nawab Shaista Khan,
the next governor, for completion. He continued the
work, but due to premature death of his beloved daughter
Bibi Pari, all building activities were suspended ,
considering it as inauspicious to continue the work.
Outstanding among the monuments of the Lalbagh fort
are a small three-domed elegant mosque , the mausoleum
of Bibi Pari, and the Audience Hall and Hammam complex
is now housing a museum. When the fort was built, the
river Buriganga used to flow very close to the Lalbagh
Fort to the South. It can be visited from Sunday to
Thursday from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Friday from 2:30pm
to 5:30pm, during the winter (closed on Saturday &
other national holidays). From April to October, opening
and closing times are half an hour later.
Bakharkhani
It is a crispy bread very
popular with the people of old part of Dhaka city. It
is said that the name Bakharkhani is after name of Mr.
Bakhar, who first introduced it. Mr. Aga Bakhar or Aga
Bakhir khan was a zaminder in the Bakherganj ( also
named after him) and it is said that he introduced this
special bread probably during the mid-1800.
Now-a-days, this bread is also popular with the people
of other districts as a snack.
Shakhari Bazar
In the early 17th century
, ancestors of the present dwellers started coming to
this locality. They were mostly the follower of Bishnu
or Krishna. These people were very expert for making
"SHAKA" ( Bangles from Conch Shell) and the
artisans were known as SHAKHARI. The technique used
by them was very traditional and unique and is now replaced
by modern technique. To the Hindus, conch shells are
symbol of good fortune and purity. As per the Hindu
religion, married woman are to wear conch shell bangles
on both wrists and to break them when the husband dies.
The craft faces an uncertain future. Shells used to
come from India and Sri Lanka are not always available
and more and more Hindu women are unable to afford these
bangles, opting to buy the much cheaper plastic lookalikes.
New MArket
The New Market was established during 1950's as the
oldest complete shopping complex housing Jewellery,
Book shop, Ready made garments, household items, fresh
fish, meat and vegetables including fruits. The fresh
fish, meat and vegetable section is very popular to
the affluent society as one of the best sources. Customers
visiting the New Market have declined on the advent
of modern markets and shopping complexes in other parts
of the city.
Dhaka University
Dhaka University started in 1921 with three faculties,
twelve departments, sixty teachers, eight hundred and
seventy seven students. Initially there were three residential
halls of the university. It grew over the years against
lot of hindrances and gained a very prestigious position
in the Indian sub-continent within few years.
History of Bangladesh is very closely related to the
history of the Dhaka university. Since, 1952-1990, all
the mass movements originated from and lead by the students
of Dhaka University.
Dhaka University has now 7 Faculties, 46 departments
with total number of approximately 30,000 students and
1200 teachers. And there are 18 residential halls.
Dhaka Museum
Dhaka Museum established in 1913, was renamed as the
National Museum and shifted to its new building at Shahbag
in 1983. It has forty galleries under four departments,
namely, (1) Natural history (2) History & Classical
Art (3) Ethnography and Decorative art and (4) Contemporary
art and world civilization. The museum contains a large
number of interesting collection of Bangladesh's Hindu,
Buddhist and Mughal past. Remarkable among the exhibits
are: a mat made from Ivory, beautiful and fine embroideries
(Nakshikantha), piece of muslin clothes, a huge number
of black stone images, coins of 2nd & 3rd century
B.C and " Liberation gallery ". It is open
Saturday-Wednesday from 10:00am to 4:30pm, Friday from
3:00pm to 7:00pm and is closed on Thursdays.
Parliament Building
National Parliament House is situated at Sher-e-Bangla
Nagar. During the Pakistan regime, considering Dhaka
as the second capital , it was approved in 1963 to establish
a parliament house. Accordingly it was designed by world
famous American architect Mr. Louis I. Kahn and the
construction started in 1965 but could not be completed
due to liberation movement and the ensuing war of liberation.
Later, the remaining construction was completed by the
government of Bangladesh.
This distinctive architecture is one of the few renowned
architectures in the world.
Rickshaw
During 1870's , the first hand-pulled rickshaws were
introduced in Japan. By 1890 Japan registered a peak
number of 200,000. Japan was also the leading manufacturers
and exporter of rickshaws. After 1900, rickshaw numbers
started to decline in Japan, though they did not disappear
there until after the second world war. But in other
Asian countries they continued to increase until 1920's,
which was to be their golden age.
Singapore was the first city to use Cycle-rickshaw on
a large scale during 1929. Kolkata's First cycle-rickshaws
appeared around 1930's and they soon spread to other
towns. They reached Bangladesh in mid-1930's and Dhaka
by 1938. In 40-50 years , cycle rickshaws reached all
the districts and towns including villages in Bangladesh.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh attracted the people
from the rural areas for work and they started pulling
cycle-rickshaw as an easy means for their living. Number
of rickshaws increased like anything in Dhaka as there
was no proper control over it by the Government, ultimately
making Dhaka a city of Rickshaws. But presently, the
Government has imposed a lot of restriction on rickshaws
using the roads/streets and trying to restrict rickshaws
to lanes and by lanes only.
Mainamoti
An isolated eleven mile-long spur of dimpled hills known
as the Mainamati-Lalmai range, 8 km west of Comilla
and 114 km south east of Dhaka. It was named after the
Chandra dynasty King Govinda Chandra's mother. Exploration
on this range has revealed over 50 ancient sites dotting
the hills, mostly containing various types of Buddhist
remains of the 8th to 12th centuries AD. Excavations
revealed interesting and informative finds at a number
of sites, locally known as Salban vihara, Itakhula Mura,
Rupban Mura, Kutila Mura, Ananda Rajar Badi, Charpatra
Mura and Mainamati Ranir Badi. Amongst the sites, visitors
take interest mostly on Salban vihara, Itakhula Mura,
and Rupban Mura.
A site museum just beyond Salban Vihara houses the excavated
finds and it is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm daily from
Sunday-Thursday and Friday from 2:30pm to 5:30pm and
during October to March, 10:30am to 5:30pm from Sunday
to Thursday and Friday from 3:00pm to 6:00pm during
April to September. It is closed on Saturdays.
Sonargaon
Sonargaon ( means golden city), 27 km. east of Dhaka
city, was the capital of Bengal from 13th to early 17th
century during the Chandra and Deva dynasty. The Panam
was a flourished city in those days. In 1611 the Mughals
considered the location too exposed to the Portuguese
and the Mogh pirates and established Dhaka as their
capital. It was a very flourished centre both for weaving
of the muslin and export to different parts of the world.
But nothing of muslin can be found now. Folklore Museum
at Sonargaon open from 9:00am to 5:00pm everyday except
Wednesday from 10:00am to 2:00pm and closed on Thursdays.
Jamdhani
Ruposhi village on the bank of the river Sitalakhya
is popularly known as Jamdani village, for, you will
find most of the houses are engaged in weaving of Jamdani
Saree and Scarf. The weaving of Jamdani is a handloom
industry, and it is done in the similar style of weaving
muslin. It is known as the legacy of muslin as it requires
fine yarn for weaving and various beautiful design by
colored yarn. These expert weavers can create the design
mentally during the weaving of the Sarees. There is
no mechanical technique involved.
Srity Shoudho
About 35km from Dhaka is the National Martyr's Monument
at Savar, built in memory of the millions who died in
the liberation war during 1971. This 50M high and beautifully
maintained structure was designed by the famous architect
Mr. Moinul Hossain.
Pottery & Metal Works
Adjacent to Savar lies , two traditional Craftsman village,
Dhamrai and Kakran. Dhamrai was famous for metalworks
with brass and people of Kakran used to be potters.
But the introduction of durable and in some cases low
cost substitutes for such metal and pot utensils have
monopolised the whole market, pushing away the artisans
to change their profession. Only a handful of families
are still trying to stick to their old profession and
mainly depending on the overseas orders.
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