Fort and palace, Mymensingh
Alexandra Castleআলেকজান্ডার ক্যাসল
- Time needed
- About 30 minutes.
- best months
- Nov–Feb
The maharaja's iron-framed garden house, called Lohar Kuthi, where Tagore stayed four days in 1926.
At a glance
- Built
- 1889 by most accounts, for the district centenary
- Cost
- 45,000 rupees at the time
- Tagore stayed
- 15–19 February 1926
- Today
- Library of the Teachers' Training College
About
Maharaja Suryakanta Acharya Chowdhury built this garden house for the centenary of Mymensingh district, founded in 1787, at a cost of 45,000 rupees, and named it after Alexandra, wife of Edward VII. So much iron went into it that the town has always called it Lohar Kuthi, the iron house. It had a white marble floor and royal furniture, with a pond and gardens in its grounds.
Its guest list is the reason to come. Rabindranath Tagore stayed here from 15 to 19 February 1926 with his son Rathindranath and his daughter-in-law Pratima Devi, and Gandhi came the same year. Lord Curzon, Chittaranjan Das, Nawab Salimullah and Subhas Chandra Bose are all said to have stayed as well.
Since 1948 it has stood inside the grounds of the Teachers' Training College, which uses it as its library.
Getting there: Near the courts (Court-Kachari) in the town centre, inside the Teachers' Training College.
Things to do
- See the house from its garden, where Tagore spent four days in 1926.
- Pair it with [Shashi Lodge](place:Q1429976-shashi-lodge) on the same walk.
Good to know
- It stands inside a working college; ask at the college gate before you go in.
