It was a rainy day outside the Dhaka. I have started from the Mohakhali(মহাখালী) bus terminal at 9:00 at morning. It was slightly late, also I had to face a slight traffic jam while leaving the Dhaka behind. It was around a three hours of bus journey through a narrow road which comprises of village houses at both sides, thick bamboo gardens, and sometimes dense forest created by the department of Bangladesh Forest. Along with those amenities, it was raining in various paces. I was feeling dizzy for lack of sleep at last night. But still I was enjoying my ride at rain. It was an alone traveling after a long time.
It was a bus of Kishoreganj(কিশোরগঞ্জ) named Anonna Super(অনন্যা সুপার). It dropped me at the Bypass road of Tok Bazar(টোক বাজার) and the rain was slight mild before my arrival, but interestingly it gained some energy and started to show it’s might on me suddenly. Under that heavy rain, I have reached to the Hotel Niribili(নিরিবিলি হোটেল) using a rickshaw. The condition of that rickshaw was very terrible or horrible. Thousands of holes on it’s hood. The plastic paper to cover my body was having lot of holes either. Even a slight wind can blowup the shaky hood of the rickshaw too.
I have reached near the hotel at 12:45 at noon. I was almost drenched for the rain, sandal was slightly muddy, jeans was folded up near my toe to avoid stains. The proprietor Tota Miya(তোতা মিয়া) welcomed me to his hotel. It was nicely decorated inside and very much neat and clean. I didn’t expect that much neaty-fitty there. I have finished my lunch with their set piece menu which only comprising of Bhorta(ভর্তা), the local Bengali cuisines. They have lot of other dishes apart from Bhorta(ভর্তা), but I didn’t show any interest on those.
About the Hotel Niribili(নিরিবিলি হোটেল):
The name of the hotel’s owner is Tota Mia(তোতা মিয়া) who started this hotel at the Tok bazaar of Kapashia of Gazipur district. This hotel is slightly away from the Tok bazaar(টোক বাজার) which gives a chaos less environment for the connoisseur locals or tourists. Tota Miya(তোতা মিয়া) uses to serve around 70 traditional Bengali dishes(40 of those are Bhorta(ভর্তা), and other 30 are Bhaji(ভাজি) and others) in his hotel everyday. Mainly the lunch time starts after the 12:00 at noon. Foods are not that much costly here. Hotel Niribili(নিরিবিলি) uses to be crowded more or less every hours of a day. The earnestness of the boys from the Hotel and the owner is simply awesome.
How to Go:
Most of the buses from Kishoreganj district(কিশোরগঞ্জ জেলা) uses to pass through the Tok Bazaar(টোক বাজার). You can take any of those. Such buses are Ononna Super(অনন্যা সুপার), Ononna Classic(অনন্যা ক্লাসিক), Jolshiri(জলসিড়ি), etc. Also you can use the bus Bonna(বন্যা) of Nandail Upozila(নান্দাইল উপজেলা) of Mymensingh district(ময়মনসিংহ জেলা) as well. Those buses leave the Dhaka(ঢাকা) at every half an hour of the day from Mohakhali(মহাখালী) Bus Terminal. From Dhaka to Tok Bazaar(টোক বাজার) bus fair is around 130 taka. Its around a 3 hours of bus journey.
While returning, you may not get a seat on the bus as those use to start from Kishoreganj(কিশোরগঞ্জ) district. That case you can use the Dhaka Poribohon(ঢাকা পরিবহন) that starts from the Tok Bazaar(টোক বাজার).
Everyone knows about this hotel at Tok bazaar(টোক বাজার). You can have a walk towards the Niribili(নিরিবিলি) Hotel by asking direction from the local, or use rickshaw. GPS coordinate of the Niribili(নিরিবিলি) Hotel is (24°15’35.93″N, 90°38’40.83″E).
Things to ponder:
There are several places can be visited apart from your lunch. The mighty Brahmaputra river is flowing beside the Tok Bazaar(টোক বাজার). Actually at Tok Bazar(টোক বাজার), the river produces a branch that is named as Shitalakkha(শীতলক্ষা) River. You can pass few moment around the river bank.
Also, You can visit few historical mosques from the Pakundia Upozila(পাকুন্দিয়া উপজেলা) of Kishoreganj(কিশোরগঞ্জ). Those mosques are very near from Tok Bazar(টোক বাজার). Such mosques are Sadi Mosque and Shah Mahmud Mosque.
Hotel Niribili/Tota Miyar Hotel,
Tok Bazar, Kapashia,
Gazipur, Bangladesh
just now read the article,feel impressed and of course its a blessed myself to born there ,
although it is a category of food but the way makes it famous and well known neither at own
country only ,including overseas as well who else staying abroad .Myself staying just next to
NIRIBILI but i dont have much opportunity to get the taste of food often unless visit my hometown from overseas. Thanks to writer who wrote it here and thanks for appreciation .
Thank you very much for such beautiful pictures!!
tok bazar is also a historical place, all mughal subadar like shahbaz khan and islam khan like to stay here to observe agarasindur durga which was owned by isha khan! and the river passes besides tok is "banaR" river! sitalokkha started from barmi bazar as far as i know! there was also a ancient mosque in toka bazar, people knows it as "gayebi mosque" !