Known for
- 1
Nilsagar.
A huge old tank north-west of the town, its banks planted and its water full of migratory ducks every winter: the place people from all over the north come to on a day out.
- 2
Saidpur, the railway town.
The country's largest railway workshop grew a town of its own in British times; its Chini mosque, covered in broken china, is the best-known building in the district.
- 3
Old mounds in Jaldhaka.
Dharmapal's garh and Harishchandra's path are quiet earthworks among fields, tied to Pala-era kings and the local folk songs about them.
Best season
GoodFairNov–Feb
November to February: dry roads, cool days, and the winter ducks on Nilsagar. The monsoon (June to September) floods the low ground near the Teesta.
Getting there
Air
Dhaka
1 h
To Saidpur airport, then road to the sights
Train
Dhaka
Nilsagar Express and others to Saidpur, Nilphamari and Chilahati
Bus
Dhaka
Overnight from Gabtoli to Saidpur or Nilphamari
Saidpur has the district's airport, with daily flights from Dhaka. Trains from Dhaka (the Nilsagar Express among them) run to Saidpur, Nilphamari and Chilahati. Buses from Dhaka's Gabtoli reach Saidpur and Nilphamari overnight. Around the district, autos and easy-bikes.
Local food
Saidpur kebab and parathaMust try
From the Bihari food stalls of the railway town
Northern home cooking: river fish, shutki bhorta, and in winter pitha and date-palm molasses. Saidpur's Bihari quarter is known for its kebabs, parathas and biryani.
Places to see
Mosque and shrineJyotrirmoy Bishnu · CC BY-SA 4.0Chini Mosque, Saidpur
A mosque in Saidpur covered inside and out with pieces of broken china, begun as a thatched prayer house in 1863 and rebuilt in brick in the twentieth century.
Archaeological siteMd. Sarwar Ul Islam Fakir · CC BY-SA 4.0Dharmapal's Garh
The earthen ramparts of an old fort on the east bank of the Deonai river in Jaldhaka, linked by tradition to the Pala king Dharmapal and excavated in 2016.
Harishchandra's Path
Ruins in Khutamara union of Jaldhaka named after King Harishchandra, a generous ruler of local legend whose story is still sung in palagan and jatra.
River, lake and haorMrinal.eee · CC BY-SA 3.0Nilsagar
A large old tank about 14 km north-west of Nilphamari town, also called Birat or Binna dighi, with tree-lined banks and crowds of migratory birds in winter.
Sources 2
Times, fares and opening hours change. Check before you go.
Take this guide offline.
The same guide, every place and photo, on your phone without a connection. Mark the district when you get there.
