Sonargaon has a folk art and craft museum for the visitors. This is just 15-20 Taka rickshaw fare distance from the Mograpara Corssing at Sonargaon. This museum is prosperous with several unique collections those you’d never find at any other places. Some are lost from our country, and only those are remains. Being near from Dhaka this place is an ideal one for the day trip with family. Lot of tourists use to visit this museum every day. It’s a vast area and would take a bit of time to circle the area. There is an art gallery of Zainul Abedin located inside the museum area which worths a visit.
The main building of Sonargaon museum is hosted at the Sardar Bari of Panam city. Sardar Bari was built by a Hindu Jamidar of Sonargaon in 1901. Alike the other Jamidar houses of that period this one also looks like Indian houses, but the shape of the house was looked like the European edifices. The baroque decoration and the elaborated painting on the plaster of the building are really eye catching.
There are two Exhibition galleries inside the Sonargaon museum. Both of them consist of some figures and dummies showing the local life of Bangladeshi people, for example farming, woman working etc. Also, you’d find the miniature version of the several boats from Bangladesh which are now a days vanished after competing with the mechanical water vehicles.
How to Go:
There are several bus services run between the Sonargaon and the Dhaka such as Sonargaon, Borak etc. All those services departs from the Gulistan of Dhaka. Leave the bus a Mograpara bus stoppage, which would be around 30-60 minutes depending upon of traffic condition. After that take a rickshaw drive for 15 minutes from there. Everyone knows where the Sonargaon museum is, so ask around if you are unsure. GPS coordinate is (23°38’55.9″N, 90°36’00.0″E). The distance between Sonargaon and Dhaka is approximately 30 kilometer.
Opening and closing time, ticket price
Sonargaon museum remains open from morning 9am to afternoon 5pm. Wednesday and the Thursday this museum remains closed as their weekend. Entry fee for the local tourists is 10 Taka. Foreigners might need to pay a bit higher (but should be around a dollar I guess).
Things to do around Sonargaon
The Museum area has several lakes, and you could take a boat ride (by spending almost nothing fare as it’s too cheap). Also you could do a fishing at the lakes by paying a required amount of fee. The museum area is a vast one where you could do a picnic with your family. When I was a kid we’ve been there as a picnic after the Eid with family and neighbors. From my observation it looked like people had much more interest in entertainment rather than the arts and history there.
Also, there is a small local market where you could buy crafts, and other stuffs like Jamdani Sarees.
What else is nearby:
Panam city is next to the Sonargaon museum where you could see plenty of old houses in a small village. It would take you several hundreds year back once you walk through it. People who visit this museum they also visit the Panam city too. Also there is an old mosque named Goaldi mosque which is nearby. Not lot of tourists visit this mosque, but it is a nice little old mosque and worths a visit.
Where to Stay:
It is better to stay in Dhaka during your visit. Dhaka has all quality of hotels (including the bests from the country). Check here for the list of hotels from Dhaka.
Folk art and craft museum,
Sonargaon,
District: Narayanganj,
Country: Bangladesh,
GPS coordinate (23°38’55.9″N, 90°36’00.0″E).
Written by Lonely Traveler,
For blog alonelytraveler.com
Saturday, 01st May 2010
