Dinajpur offers several distinct themes for a trip: Buddhist archaeology at Sitakot Vihara, architectural and festival history at Kantajew Temple, and landscapes at Ramsagar and Dharmapur Forest.
Monastery, finds and historic sites
Sitakot Vihara is a Buddhist monastery in Nawabganj Upazila in Dinajpur District. Its layout is almost square: it measures 65.23 metres from east to west and 64.11 metres from north to south. The nearly equal sides give a clear sense of the site’s shape. Bronze depictions of the Bodhisattvas Padmapani and Manjushri were found at the Vihara. Based on their style, they are dated to the 7th or 8th century.
Sura Mosque is also among the district’s named historic sites. It is located in Sura in Ghoraghat Upazila. Kantajew Temple stands in the village of Kantanagar in Kaharol Upazila. For a cultural and historical focus, there are several different places and themes to choose from: the archaeological finds at Sitakot, the mosque’s location in Sura, and the temple’s architectural and festival history.
Kantajew Temple: construction history and Ras Mela
In Rangpur Division, Maharaja Zamindar Prannath Roy began construction of Kantajew Temple. After Prannath Roy’s death in 1722, his adopted son, Maharaja Ramnath Roy, completed the temple in 1752. The temple was formerly 70 feet high and was damaged in the 1897 earthquake; its current height is given as 50 feet.
The month-long Ras Mela at Kantajew Temple begins every year on the full moon day of the month of Kartik. It takes place during Raslila, Krishna’s divine love play. The festival therefore offers a different point of reference in time from the temple’s construction history: if you would like to plan your trip around Ras Mela, check the exact date in advance, as the calendar date varies.
Forest and Ramsagar
Dharmapur Forest lies south of Biral Upazila in Dinajpur District. Its vegetation includes sal trees and other plant species. Another landscape highlight is Ramsagar: this artificial lake lies in the village of Tejpur in Dinajpur District and was created by Raja Ram Nath in the mid-1750s. It is described as the largest lake of its kind in Bangladesh. Its area is approximately 437,492 square metres, and its average depth is about 10 metres.
Ramsagar National Park stretches around the lake and covers about 60 square kilometres. This figure refers to the national park, not the area of the lake. The Bangladesh Forest Department has planted various ornamental and fruit trees, which have given rise to wooded areas. Ramsagar therefore has two distinct landscape measurements: the area of the lake and the larger area of the national park.
The Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation has improved visitor facilities around Ramsagar Lake. These include toilets, picnic areas, refreshment kiosks and a children’s playground. If these facilities are important to your plans, check their current condition before your visit.
A regional look at produce
Lychees are also part of the region’s produce profile: various varieties are grown in Dinajpur District, including Madraji, Bombay, Bedana and China-3. Their names add an agricultural aspect to the cultural and landscape highlights, without implying any particular visitor offering.
The difference in timing can also help when choosing between these themes: archaeological finds, locations and landscape features are lasting points of reference, while Ras Mela takes place annually in the month of Kartik. When looking for accommodation in Dinajpur, you can therefore weigh up whether cultural history, a particular festival or the landscape is the deciding factor for your trip.
Discover more destinations: Dinajpur
For the main travel overview: Rangpur Division.
