Dinajpur is a district from Northern part of Bangladesh. This district is not that much popular amongst the local or foreign tourists despite having many popular attractions. Dinajpur is famous for producing large quantities of rice and wheat every year. Lichu (or Lychee) from Dinajpur district is the best in the country. Dinajpur also has a goodwill to produce quality mangos. So depending upon the visiting season you could see how the farmers are doing activity to produce those. River Dhepa, Attrai, and Punornova are the major rivers from Dinajpur. Kantajew is an ancient temple from Dinajpur. And Nayabad is a mosque from the same era. This district also has several archeological sites around Ghoraghat. Below are the few popular tourist attractions from Dinajpur based on my visit to the district.
#1 Kantajew Temple
Kantajew temple is located in Kantanagar of Dinajpur district. This is a Navaratna temple. But its most attractive feature is that the terracotta works in every inch of the wall. This temple is the finest example of Terracotta from Bangladesh. This unique temple was built in 1704-1722. If you return back from Dinajpur without visiting this temple, that means your tour hasn’t finished yet. Lot of international tourists visit this archaeological attraction every year.
#2 Dinajpur Rajbari
Dinajpur Rajbari is another attraction from the district that is located in the north-east part of the town. The name of the location is Raj Batika, just near to the village Rajarampur. Although it is called Rajbari, basically it is a Jomidar Bari. Also the current condition of this house is in very poor condition. Only a few are in good shape along with the temple. If you are a history lover then this attraction is a must for you.
#3 Nayabad mosque
Nayabad mosque is another archaeological gem from Dinajpur district. This old mosque is a contemporary to the Kantajew temple. It is believed that the workers of the temple were muslim that time and they built this mosque for their prayer. It is approximately a half an hour walking distance from the temple. That’s why you must not miss this attraction while you are visiting the temple.
#4 Lichu tour in Dinajpur
Dinajpur is famous for many things, the delicious Lichu (which is known as Lychee) is one of those. If you want to taste the fresh Lichu from the tree then this option is for you. You can go to a farmer’s garden and buy Lichu directly from them. During the process you’d learn how they collect Lichu from trees, select and pack. The window for the ripe Lichu is very short. Last two weeks of May are the best time to do it. So plan accordingly for your Lichu trip.
#5 Shopnopuri Amusement Park
Shopnopuri amusement park is located in Aftabganj of Fulbari upazlia of Dinajpur district. This is approximately a 2-2.5 hours of bus journey from the main town. That’s why it needs a whole day for this trip. This amusement park is nicely decorated and has the option to do several activities. This place is very popular for picnic groups and study tours.
#6 Twin temple from Gopalganj
This is known as the twin temple because the two temples have a distance approximately 100 meter. It is locally known as Gopalganj Jora Mondir (Moth). Current situation of the temples are very poor. The surrounding area of the temples are occupied by local people. This is not that much of a popular attraction. Only rare enthusiastic tourists visit here. You could put your name on that list.
#7 Rosemary Church in Rajarampur
Rosemary church is located in Rajarampur village of Dinajpur district. This is not a tourist spot but you could still visit this as Bangladesh doesn’t have too many churches. Most of the people who go there for prayer are the christian from Shaotal people (Santal).
#8 Ramsagar Dighi
Ramsagar Dighi is located in Tejpur village of Dinajpur district. This is a manmade pond or lake that is locally known as Dighi. This is approximately a kilometer in length and 200 meter in width. It would be a nice place for your afternoon walk. Also you could have a swim in the pond before returning.
#9 River Dhepa
If you are a river lover then you could have a walk around the river Dhepa. During the dry season this is a very shallow river. Any adult could easily walk and cross the river during the dry season. There is another famous river from Dinajpur which is Punornova. Although I didn’t visit that due to lack of time, you could go there.
#10 Mata Sagar and Shukh Sagar
Mata Sagar and Shukh Sagar are two ponds located near the main town. These are not any tourist spots. Since the ponds are quite large that’s why I decided to visit these. The rickshaw ride from one pond to another was very exciting.
Other places to explore
You could walk around the Dinajpur town to see the regular life of local people. Chakbazar is a nice place to do so. There is a musical school which has a nice old building. You could go there. You could also have a walk around the Dinajpur railway station if you have spare time in hand. Boro-math is another option for afternoon chill out.
How to Go to Dinajpur
There are two train services available between Dhaka and Dinajpur district. One is the Ekota express, and the other one is the Drutojan express. The buses for Dinajpur leave from the Kalyanpur bus terminal of Dhaka. Nabil, Hanif are a few names from many. It takes around 10 hours overnight to go there. The distance between Dhaka and Dinajpur is more than 350 kilometer. Bus leaves the terminal on time but traffic conditions could be an issue. The trains have a reputation for making delays but after that they always reach the destination in a fixed time. So the choice is yours.
Where to stay in Dinajpur
During your visit it would be wise if you stay in Dinajpur town as other parts of the district are not sufficient for a tourist’s need. There are quite a few options available for night staying. It would be best if you could stay in the Parjatan Hotel. Otherwise you could look for your option from here.
Where to Eat
Dinajpur has very few good quality restaurants around. But it has several medium quality restaurants which I used. The food quality is more or less similar to other parts of Bangladesh.
Written by Lonely Traveler,
For blog alonelytraveler.com
