Top 6 places to visit in Rajshahi city
One of the oldest cities of Bangladesh and seeped in history, Rajshahi is a metropolis known for its unbearable heat during summer, and the abundance of mangoes during the full season. However, Rajshahi can also be a treat for all you travel aficionados out there. The best thing about Rajshahi is that the city itself is calm, and most of the points of interest are in such spots that you can probably fit most of them in a day's itinerary if you plan your timetable carefully.
Here are the top 6 places in Rajshahi city that you should not miss.
The Varendra Museum
Officially known as Varendra Research Museum, this is the oldest museum in Bangladesh. It is managed by Rajshahi University and will be a trip down memory lane (or as more elegantly said — history). The museum is barely a kilometre away from Rajshahi Zero Point. Whether you want to walk or hire a rickshaw, we leave that up to you.
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If you are on your way to Varendra Museum from Zero Point, Rajshahi college will be on your left, a few hundred metres before you reach the museum. With its green campus, huge pond, and combination of modern and ancient buildings, it's worth a visit.
Shah Makhdum Majar
Less than a kilometre away from Zero Point, this majar stands on the bank of the Padma. One can actually see the Padma if they step out of the mosque. There are multiple stories about Hazrat Shah Makhdum and you can listen to them from the locals. There's also a human sacrificial altar (from the Gour era) inside the majar that you should not miss. It will only make the stories more eerie and interesting.
Dhopkols
Visiting the dhopkols will be a bit different from your usual visit to other paces. Why? For one thing, there are quite a number of them and for another, they are scattered all across the city.
The dhopkols are essentially water tanks made to supply pure drinking water. Built in the early 1900s, these dhopkols used to be life-saving elements as they supplied pure drinking water all over the city, but now most of them are nothing more than relics, a testament to a time long gone.
A number of these are still functional and continue to supply water. Beldarpara Temple, Hetem Khan Medical Road, Betpotti, Raninagar More, Kumarpara, and a few other places still have dhopkols.
The Padma River
The river Padma is beautiful wherever you visit it. You may visit the mighty Padma by going to the T Dam or the I Dam. Both of these places offer a spectacular view of the river. A few kilometres to the west from the heart of the city, you can go to these places by rickshaw or an auto-rickshaw. If you wish, you can even go to one of the chars by hiring a boat or trawler that is waiting. A walk in on one of the chars will be a memory to cherish for a long time.
Rajshahi University campus
Like most public university campuses in Bangladesh, Rajshahi University is a place that should be on your itinerary. Less than five kilometres to the east of the heart of the city, the campus offers you a sight of a different life; a beautiful life. From Paris Road to Charukala Road, the placid campus offers a place to be. Just walk around, sit on the grass, and you will feel like you are recharging with the spirit of fresh air. That being said, remember that this is the campus of an educational institution and not a regular tourist spot. Do not be a mindless tourist; show respect to the campus.
If you are on a tight schedule and can only spend a day or two on vacation, visiting Rajshahi is not such a bad idea. The city itself is calm and less noisy than you would expect. As long as you are not here in the summer, you should have a pleasant time. Still, pack your bags carefully. Do not forget your sunscreen and water bottle!
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