Known for
- 1
The finest terracotta in Bangladesh.
Kantajew temple, finished in 1752 by the Dinajpur maharajas, is covered from plinth to cornice in baked-clay panels of the epics and village life. Its nine spires fell in the 1897 earthquake; the walls are why people come. Nayabad mosque, built for the temple's builders, stands a short ride away.
- 2
The maharajas' water and palace.
Ramsagar, the great tank dug by Raja Ramnath, is now a national park of lawns and shady banks south of the town; the ruined Rajbari to the north was their seat. North again lies the sal forest of Singra, and in the south-east the excavated Buddhist monastery of Sitakot.
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Litchi country.
In late May and June Dinajpur's orchards turn red: the district's litchis, Bombai and the rest, are sold by the bundle on every road and sent across the country.
Best season
GoodFairNov–Feb
- Rash mela, Kantajew Early winter, about a month on the temple grounds
November to February: dry, clear and cold, with foggy mornings in the north; pack a warm layer. The Rash mela fills the Kantajew grounds for a month at the start of winter. Come in late May or June for litchis, though it is hot.
Getting there
Train
Dhaka
About 9 h
Intercity trains to the north-west stop at Dinajpur
Bus
Dhaka
8–9 h
Day and overnight coaches from Gabtoli and Kallyanpur
Air
Dhaka
1 h, then 1 h by road
Fly to Saidpur and take a car or bus on
Getting around
Dinajpur town
Buses north to Kantajew and Birganj; CNG or auto to Ramsagar and the Rajbari
By train from Dhaka (Kamalapur or Biman Bandar) on the intercity trains to the north-west, or by overnight bus. The nearest airport is Saidpur in Nilphamari, about an hour by road. In the district, buses and CNGs run from the town to Kantajew, Ramsagar and Birganj.
Local food
Dinajpur litchiMust try
Late May to June, bought by the bundle
Kataribhog rice
Fragrant fine rice, also as chira
Litchis in season, the fragrant small-grained Kataribhog rice the district is known for, and its chira and khoi. Winter brings date-juice pitha in the villages.
Places to see
Fort and palaceNasir Khan Saikat · CC BY-SA 3.0Dinajpur Rajbari
The ruined palace of the Dinajpur rajas on the north-east edge of the town: gateways, crumbling mahals and temples of the family that built Kantajew and Ramsagar.
Hindu templeThe original uploader was Wiki naogaon at Bangla Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0Kantajew Temple
An 18th-century Krishna temple at Kantanagar whose every outer wall is carved in terracotta: the best surviving work of its kind in Bangladesh.
Mosque and shrineKhalidrahman · CC BY-SA 4.0Nayabad Mosque
A small terracotta-decorated mosque of 1793 by the Dhepa river, said to have been built by the Muslim craftsmen who came to work on Kantajew temple.
River, lake and haorsushmita roy · CC BY-SA 3.0Ramsagar National Park
The largest man-made tank in Bangladesh, about a kilometre long, dug by Raja Ramnath in the 18th century and now the centre of a small national park.
Park, eco park and picnic spotReaid Hossain · CC BY-SA 4.0Shopnopuri
A large private amusement park at Aftabganj in Nawabganj upazila, the north's best-known picnic ground for school trips and families.
Forest and mangrovePearlya · CC BY-SA 4.0Singra National Park
A patch of sal forest near Birganj, about 300 hectares protected as a national park: quiet trails under tall straight trees.
Buddhist vihara and pagodaVubon · CC BY-SA 4.0Sitakot Vihara
The excavated brick foundations of an early Buddhist monastery in Nawabganj upazila, a square of cells round a courtyard.
Sources 1
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