Rajshahi - City of Bangladesh
Rajshahi is a city in Rajshahi District in northwestern Bangladesh. The
river Padma, one of the major rivers of Indian subcontinent, runs along the
city.
History
Rajshahi
district was a part of Pundruvardhana of the ancient Vanga. The capital of
Vijoy Sen was located 9 miles on the west of Rajshahi town. indigo resistance
movement spread over Rajshahi during 1859-60. Seven communist activists were
killed at the Khapra ward of Rajshahi Jail when police fired indiscriminately on
24 April 1950. During the mass upsurge in 1969 Dr. Shamsuzzoha of Rajshahi
University was killed.
Rajshahi is the headquarter of Rajshahi Division, one of the six administrative
divisions in Bangladesh. Rajshahi Municipality was established in 1876, one of
the first in Bangladesh. Rajshahi is located near many ancient capitals of
Bengal, notably Lakhnoiti or Lokhonaboti and Pundra. Rajshahi is home to many
educational institutes, and is often referred to in Bangladesh as the education
city. It is famous for pure silk, mango and lichi. Attractive silk products are
cheaper in Rajshahi and it is often referred to as silk city. There are also a
number of ancient mosques, shrines and temples in and around Rajshahi.
Rajshahi district was a part of Pundru region of ancient Bengal. The capital of
Vijay Sen, the king who led military operations in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
was located 9 miles (14 km) to the west of Rajshahi town. In medieval ages, the
region came to be known as "Rampur Boalia". The administrative
district was established in 1772 and the municipal corporation in 1876. It was
made a city corporation in 1991.
The climate of Rajshahi is generally marked with a typically tropical monsoon
climate with high temperature, considerable humidity and moderate rainfall. The
hot season commences early in March and continues till the middle of July. The
maximum mean temperature observed is about 32 °C to 36 °C (90–98°F) during the
months of April, May, June and July and the minimum temperature recorded in January
is about 7 °C to 16 °C (45–61°F). The highest rainfall is observed during the
months of monsoon. The annual rainfall in the district is about 1,448
millimetres (57.0 in).
Rajshahi is famous for its characteristic sweetmeats, not to be found anywhere
else in the country. These special preparations include Roshkodom, Khaja,
Raghobshahi and Kachagolla. Along with neighboring Chapai Nababganj, Rajshahi
is the home of the regions best mangoes and lichis. Rajshahi is also the home
of Barendra Museum, one of the foremost museums in South Asia, and of Rajshahi
Silk, the finest silk produced in Bangladesh.
Places
to see
Two domed
Kismat Madia Mosque (eighteenth century), one domed Ruipara (Durgapur) Jami
Mosque (sixteenth century), Bagdhani Mosque at Paba upazila, three domed Bhagna
Jami Mosque at Tanore upazila (1223 AH), tomb of Hazrat Shah Makhdum (R), tomb
of Hazrat Shah Sultan at Godagari upazila (fourteenth century), Bara Kuthi
(eighteenth century), Talando Shiva Mandir (1860), Rajbari, Govinda Mandir, Shiva
Mandir, Gopal Mandir, and Dolmancha (Putia).
Newspapers
Dailies:
Dainik Barta, Dainik Sonali Sangbad, Dainik Sonar Desh, Dainik Prothom Probhat,
Dainik Lal Golap, Dainik Upachar, Dainik Padmar Bani, Daily Sun-Shin; weeklies:
Dunia, Rajshahi Barta, Ganakhabar, Dharani; Monthly Uttar Janapath; extinct:
Hindu Ranjik (1865), Rajshahi Sangbad (1870), Gayanangkur and Pratimva (1872),
Rajshahi Samachar, Udbhaban (1872), Chikitsha (1889), Utsaha (1897), Ayetihasik
Chitra (1898), Noor-al Iman (1900), Banga Mohila (1915), Palli Bahak (1925),
Markab Al Islam (1933), Palli Sakti (1934), Sammilayan (1934), Ektara (1943),
Nayajaman (1946); Monthly Shiksha Parichaya.
Riverspadma (Ganges), mahananda, baral and
Barnai.
Economy
Rajshahi has
been regarded as the bread-basket of Bangladesh. Recent agricultural modernizations
with the much-lauded Barendra project has increased crop-diversification,
allowed farmers to access better analysis of their farmland's chemical
composition, and generally allowed farmers to grow as many as three crops every
year instead of the usual one crop. Moreover, agro-processing is also thought
to have an extremely bright future in this region of the country; industry
experts predict that gas connection with the rest of the country will allow
Rajshahi to fulfill its true potential and generally emerge as one of the most
economically vibrant parts of Bangladesh.
Geography
Rivers
There are
ten rivers in this district, totaling 146 km in length. the main river is Padma River (Ganges). Some others are Mahananda, Baral and Barnai river.
Rajshahi is also an important educational center in Bangladesh. Major
educational institutes include:
Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology
Rajshahi University
Rajshahi College
Rajshahi Medical College
New Govt. Degree College, Rajshahi
Rajshahi Model School and college
Asian University, Rajshahi Campus
Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology,Rajshahi Campus
Northern University, Rajshahi Campus
Islami Bank Madical College
Rajshahi City College
Rajshahi Cadet College
Rajshahi Mohila polytechnique Institute
Rajshahi Polytechnique Institute
Teacher's Training College
Shiroil Govt. High School Rajshahi
Rajshahi Collegiate School (First Modern School in Bangladesh)
Government Laboratory High School Rajshahi
Agarani school & college
Paramount School and College (English-Medium)
P.N Govt. Girls School
Rajshahi Lokenath High School
Rajshahi Muslim High School
Masjid Mission Academy, Rajshahi
Rajshahi High Madrasa
Sarda Police Academy
Postal Academy of Bangladesh
International Hifjul Quraan Academy
BANGLADESH National Animal :
Tiger
BANGLADESH National Bird :
Doayle (Oriental Magpie Robin)
BANGLADESH National Flower :
Water Lily 'Shapla'
BANGLADESH National Game :
Kabaddi
History
Rajshahi district was a part of Pundru region of ancient
Bengal. The capital of Vijay Sen, the king who led military operations in Sri
Lanka and Southeast Asia was located 9 miles (14 km) to the west of Rajshahi
town. In medieval ages, the region came to be known as "Rampur
Boalia". The administrative district was established in 1772 and the municipal
corporation in 1876. It was made a city corporation in 1991. During the British
Raj, it was also known as "Beuleah" and was the administrative
headquarters of Rajshahi district in Eastern Bengal and Assam. It was
originally chosen as a commercial factory for the silk trade, which was being
officially encouraged by the agricultural department of that time. The town
contained a government college, and an industrial school for sericulture. Most
of the public buildings were severely damaged by the earthquake of the 12th of
June 1897. There was a daily steamer service on the Ganges. Along with all of
Bangladesh, Rajshahi witnessed both great atrocities by the Pakistan army and
heroic struggles by the freedom fighters during the liberation war in 1971. The
largest mass grave in Bangladesh is located in Rajshahi University, which was
used as an army camp during the war. On the other hand, one of the great
battles of the war took place near Rajshahi. Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir, who
died in battle, was awarded the highest honor (Bir Shrestho) by the Bangladesh
government after the war.
Rajshahi itself is an important tourist destination with
the beautiful river beaches of Padma and its vast mango orchards.
Other attractions in and near Rajshahi include:
Varendra Research Museum Shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum
Ruposh . It is located besides the river Padma, in the Dargah Para of the city.
The name Dargah Para is derived from the word Dargah which means shrine and
refers to the shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum Ruposh . Bara Kuthi (16th century
Dutch establishment) Temple of King Kangsa Narayan Shona Dighi (Golden Pond).
History
Rajshahi
district was a part of Pundruvardhana of the ancient Vanga. The capital of
Vijoy Sen was located 9 miles on the west of Rajshahi town. indigo resistance
movement spread over Rajshahi during 1859-60. Seven communist activists were
killed at the Khapra ward of Rajshahi Jail when police fired indiscriminately
on 24 April 1950. During the mass upsurge in 1969 Dr. Shamsuzzoha of Rajshahi University
was killed.
Places
to see
Two domed
Kismat Madia Mosque (eighteenth century), one domed Ruipara (Durgapur) Jami
Mosque (sixteenth century), Bagdhani Mosque at Paba upazila, three domed Bhagna
Jami Mosque at Tanore upazila (1223 AH), tomb of Hazrat Shah Makhdum (R), tomb
of Hazrat Shah Sultan at Godagari upazila (fourteenth century), Bara Kuthi
(eighteenth century), Talando Shiva Mandir (1860), Rajbari, Govinda Mandir,
Shiva Mandir, Gopal Mandir, and Dolmancha (Putia).
Newspapers
Dailies:
Dainik Barta, Dainik Sonali Sangbad, Dainik Sonar Desh, Dainik Prothom Probhat,
Dainik Lal Golap, Dainik Upachar, Dainik Padmar Bani, Daily Sun-Shin; weeklies:
Dunia, Rajshahi Barta, Ganakhabar, Dharani; Monthly Uttar Janapath; extinct:
Hindu Ranjik (1865), Rajshahi Sangbad (1870), Gayanangkur and Pratimva (1872),
Rajshahi Samachar, Udbhaban (1872), Chikitsha (1889), Utsaha (1897), Ayetihasik
Chitra (1898), Noor-al Iman (1900), Banga Mohila (1915), Palli Bahak (1925),
Markab Al Islam (1933), Palli Sakti (1934), Sammilayan (1934), Ektara (1943),
Nayajaman (1946); Monthly Shiksha Parichaya.
Riverspadma (Ganges), mahananda, baral and
Barnai.
The Division
of Rajshahi in the northwestern corner of Bangladesh is bordered on the
east by the mighty Jamuna River and the Padma/Ganges River on
the south, and shares a disputed border with India to the north and west,
making access to Gaud, one of the most interesting archaeological
sites in all of Bengal, almost impossible. During Partition, the ancient
capital of Gaur was split through the middle and now part of it lies in
Bangladesh and part in India.
![[Paharpur Museum]](file:///C:/Users/iTajbid/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif) Rajshahi Division has an
impressive collection of sites which are spread over a wide area and are
best reached by a private vehicle. Rajshahi is a University town, the
center of the silk Industry, as well as being an important cultural center.
Formerly it was also quite famous as a focal point for the Indigo trade
with the Baro Kuthi building witness to the countless atrocities
committed by the British related to this disreputable trade. The Varendra
Research Museum is an essential starting point as it contains a massive
collection of artifacts related to the area. The building itself is a blend
of Hindu and Buddhist styles of the eighth and ninth centuries with the
prevailing British influence of the 1920s. Inside is one of the finest
collections of black stone sculptures in the country.
Eighteen
miles (29 km) east of Rajshahi town, in the village of Puthia, is a
fascinating but little-known group of medieval Hindu temples. Besides the
imposing Maharani's Palace (Puthia was formerly a large estate)
there is an interesting variety of temples. At the entrance to the village
is a large white stucco temple dedicated to Shiva, following a typical
north Indian design and dating from 1823. To the left of the main facade of
the palace is the Govinda Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god
Krishna, which follows a typical Hindu temple shape prevalent in Bengal at
the time. It is decorated with delicate terra-cotta panels depicting scenes
from the Radha Krishna and other Hindu epics. At the back of the
palace is another delightful Bangla style miniature temple,
which is in the shape of a Bengali bamboo hut but built of brick and
adorned with some exquisite terra-cotta designs. Across a large tank to the
right of the palace are a further pair of temples exhibiting a variation of
styles. One, the Jagaddhatri Temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga,
is a combination of the Bangla style and the Chau-chala style, or
hut-shaped roof with four slopes. The other temple alongside is also of the
Chau-chala style. Both temples are liberally decorated with terra-cotta
designs.
 To continue the tour of Rajshahi,
it is best to drive via Bogra to visit the Mahasthan and Paharpur
sites. On the way, you will witness some fascinating local fishing methods
- fish being the staple diet of the Bangladeshi- whether by casting or
laying a net, by spear, or by trapping the unsuspecting fish in an upturned
basket. You will see large expanses of sugarcane or cotton, which are 'dry
crops' and of course an abundance of paddy fields as well as jute,
which is grown throughout Bangladesh. The archaeological site of Mahasthan,
dating from the third century B.C., which is about eight miles (13 km)
north of Bogra, represents the earliest city site in the whole of Bengal.
It is an impressive fortified city covering about 2.3 million square feet
(210,000 square meters), most of which is still buried beneath farmland.
The citadel is encircled on three sides by artificial moats and by the Karatoya
River on the fourth.
Other
ruins fan out within a semicircle radius of about five miles (eight km),
making it one of the most important of all ancient sites in the region. It
is worth walking up onto the platform of the citadel, which stands above
the surrounding countryside, to see the extent of the site and to take a
closer look at some of the recently exposed rampart walls. Outside and beyond
the citadel on the right of the road is another interesting site where the
remains of a brick Hindu temple, the Govinda Bhita, have been
exposed. They stand on the bend of the Karotoya, which was said to have
been the widest river in Bengal; today it is just a backwater. Opposite is
the fine Mahasthan Site Museum, filled with finds from local archaeological
excavations. About four miles (six km) west of Mahasthan are the ruins of Vasu
Bihar, an early Buddhist monastic site recorded by the famous Chinese
pilgrim Hiuen Tsang in the seventh century. Recent excavations have
shown several changes during its 500 year history.
By far the most spectacular
Buddhist site to be discovered is the gigantic temple and monastery of Paharpur,
dating from the eighth century A.D. Paharpur is about 35 miles (56 km)
northwest of Mahasthan via the busy market town of Jaipurhat. Access
from Jaipurhat is along a rutted cart track that is sometimes passable in
an ordinary car. Paharpur has been identified from a series of inscribed
clay seals as the Somapura Vihara from the great Pala Dynasty.
It is the biggest single vihara (image house) south of the Himalayas,
measuring approximately 900 feet (273 meters) along each side and enclosed
by an outer wall with 177 monastic cells built into it. In the center of
the 22-acre (nine-hectare) courtyard are the ruins of a mighty temple which
rises to a height of 72 feet (22 meters)- an unusual hillock giving the
local village of Paharpur its name (pahar meaning 'hill'). The temple is
cruciform in plan, built in high quality brick with thousands of
terra-cotta plaques depicting the art form of that period, whether it be
religious or secular, human or animal, mythological or purely an artist's
whim .
Following
the Buddhist creed and ritual, the monastery was built in the wilderness -
but not too far from a town to enable the inmates to beg from the nearby
town - alongside a river which ran along the southern side. Today, the
remains of the bathing and toilet facilities beyond the outside wall can
also be seen in the southeastern corner.
![[Buddhist Panel at Paharpur]](file:///C:/Users/iTajbid/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image004.gif) The temple was planned with two
circumambulatories, lined with the terra-cotta plaques, which were enclosed
walkways enabling the faithful to circumambulate in a clockwise direction and,
at the upper level, within the cruciform projections, pay homage to the
main Buddhist divinities.
Inside
the courtyard there are the remains of several ancillary buildings and it
is possible to make out the refectory, a miniature version of the main temple
and a large well which the locals believe provides waters with great
healing powers.
During
recent exploratory excavations, an important archaeological find of a large
bronze Buddha dating from the Gupta period was accidentally discovered in
one of the monks cells. It is considered to be one of the most splendid
specimens of mature Pala art of the ninth century, cast using the 'wax
loss' process.
Paharpur's
later history is uncertain but it seems to have been abandoned in the 12th
century A.D., probably due to flooding. Today the site is under water
during the monsoon.
In 1979,
the government joined forces with the United Nations and UNESCO to prepare
a conservation program to safeguard this priceless site. There is a small
site museum close to the monastic complex containing, amongst other finds,
some interesting stone images/scenes which are representative of over 55 in
situ pieces hidden below present ground level at the base of the temple.
A few
hundred yards from the monastery, on the eastern side, are the ruins of Satyapir
Bhita, a Buddhist temple complex apparently dedicated to Tara, the
female consort of the Dhyani Buddha.
 A long day's trip to the north
end of Bangladesh, about 12 miles (19 km) beyond Dinajpur, is the
beautiful Hindu temple of Kantanagar, which was built in 1752 by
Maharaja Pran Nath of Dinajpur. This temple, which is famed for its fine
terracotta work, was originally a nine-tower structure crowned with four
richly ornamental towers at two levels, with a central spire over the third.
It was badly damaged in an earthquake at the end of the 19th century, but
it is still possible to make out the bases of the towers. Nevertheless, the
temple rightly claims to be one of the best examples of its type in brick
and terra-cotta built by Bengali artisans. Dedicated to the Hindu divinity
Krishna, the structure stands on a stone plinth, in sharp contrast to the
warm red of the terracotta, which depicts in the spandrels over the archway
scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
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Geography
There are
ten rivers in this district, totaling 146 km in length. the main river is Padma River (Ganges). Some others are Mahananda, Baral and Barnai river.
Administrator
of Zila Porishod: Mahbub
Jamal Bhulu [1]
Deputy
Commissioner (DC): Md. Abdul
Hannan [2]
Sub-district
or upazillas of Rajshahi
Rajshai
district has well organized internal communication as well as connection to
other parts of the country. There are 96 metalled roads with a total length of
about 1270 km, 108 semi-metalled roads of about 546 km length, and
six railways of about 63 km total length.
Rajshahi has
been regarded as the bread-basket of Bangladesh. Recent agricultural modernizations
with the much-lauded Barendra project has increased crop-diversification,
allowed farmers to access better analysis of their farmland's chemical
composition, and generally allowed farmers to grow as many as three crops every
year instead of the usual one crop. Moreover, agro-processing is also thought
to have an extremely bright future in this region of the country; industry
experts predict that gas connection with the rest of the country will allow
Rajshahi to fulfill its true potential and generally emerge as one of the most
economically vibrant parts of Bangladesh.
[edit] Places of interest
- Puthia Temple Complex
- Tomb of Hazrat Shah Makhdum
- Kismat Madia Mosque
- Jami Mosque
- Bagha Mosque
- Bagdhani Mosque
- Tomb of Hazrat Shah Sultan
- Bara Kuthi
- Talando Shiva Mandir
- Total Land Area.......: 599405
- Cultivable Area.......: 376814
- Fallow Land...........: 11626
- Area Under Forest.....: 372
- Area Irrigated........: 219980
- Area Under River......: 24540
[edit] Social Information
Clubs:
|
387
|
Community
Centre:
|
178
|
Co-operative
Society:
|
2040
|
Professional
Society:
|
80
|
Post
Office:
|
121
|
Bank
Branches:
|
138
|
NGOs:
|
362
|
Mosques:
|
3718
|
Temples:
|
231
|
Churches:
|
36
|
Pagodas:
|
2
|
Marriage
Registers:
|
33
|
Livestock
Firms:
|
312
|
Poultry
Firms:
|
142
|
Hatchery:
|
16
|
Handloom:
|
691
|
Bamboo
& Cane:
|
343
|
Carpentry:
|
712
|
Jute/Cotton
Fibre:
|
144
|
Blacksmith:
|
368
|
Potter:
|
351
|
Gold
Smith:
|
275
|
Others:
|
1375
|
[edit] Educational Institution
Type
| Total No.| No. of Teachers | No. of Students
Kindergerten.........: 41 264 4095
Primary School.......: 911 3789 380891
Junior High School...: 30 175 6214
Secondary High School: 215 2367 169765
College..............: 63 1505 37652
University...........: 2 767 14422
Teachers training....: 1 17 330
Physical Training....: 1 11 225
Bangladesh Polytechnic Ins. 1 30 600
Polytechnical Inst...: 1 25 557
Vocational Institute.:
Rajshahi Locknath High School 1
25 1000
Blind/Disable School.: 1 7 56
Mass Education Centre: 36 82 1402
Ibtedaye Madrasa.....: 197 646 1818442
Dakhil Madrasa.......: 42 652 15273
Alia Madrasa.........: 14 198 4456
Fazil Madrasa........: 57 204 4718
Kamil Madrasa........: 8 51 911
Forquania Madrasa....: 139 359 9636
Hafizia Madrasa......: 29 44 1017
Qaumi Madrasa........: 3 11 107
Tol College..........: 3 90 2054
Pali College.........: - - -
Girls School/College.: 36 563
20651
Homeo
Medical College: 1 17 729
Items | Doctors
| Nurse/HA | No. of Beds
Hospitals.............: 393 294 1123
Clinics...............: 73 158 200
FWC...................: 35 22 13
Maternity Centre......: 34 22 13
Primary Healthcare....: 3 11 10
