Four-country trip to the Philippines, Brunei, Bangladesh and Myanmar (11) Mymensingh, Bogra and Nodor

Mymensingh is a northern city in Bangladesh, located on the right bank of the old route of the Brahmaputra River. It is the capital of Mymensingh District and was originally named Mahirabad. It started in 1787 during the East India Company era. There are linen spinning, cotton spinning, sugar and other factories. The craftsmanship is famous for its glass jewelry. It has the only agricultural university in the country. Railways and roads lead to Tangail, Dhaka and other places.

I came here for no special purpose, just to change cars. The photos below were taken walking from the hotel to the bus station.

street

mosque

riverside

people

bus station

I took a bus to Bogra and then changed buses to Mohasthan.

Rice fields along the road

small town

railway

The car passed through the Brahmaputra River (lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River) bridge, which is the only bridge on the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh. The haze was severe and nothing could be seen.

Mohasthan is located 20 kilometers north of Bogra. It was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Pundravardhana. Mohasthan Garh is an abandoned castle. It is the ruins of a Buddhist monastery left over from the ancient kingdom of Pundravardhana. Xuanzang visited here in the 7th century.

There is a museum built next to the ruins.

pool

villager

Back in the town of Mahastan, there is a cattle trading market.

I'll also lead a cow

Vegetable stall next to the market

blacksmith shop

Here, you can't experience the rhythm of modern life at all. It feels like you have returned to China in the 1970s.

Keep getting on the bus, the scenery along the way

brick kiln

I arrived in Joiburhad in the evening and stayed here for one night.

The next morning I took a bus to Somapuri Temple.

Somapuri Vihara, also known as the "Pyramid of Bengal", was built in the 7th century. It was once the center for the dissemination of knowledge of Dharmic Traditions, including Buddha dharma, Jaina dharma and Sanatana dharma. Outside the building today The coats of arms of these three religions can still be seen on the walls. It is the most famous university in ancient India and has great representation in religion and art. Tang Sanzang once came here to study and learn Buddhist scriptures. In 1985 it was included in the World Heritage List.

Schematic diagram of Somapuri Temple (from the Internet)

park gate

Somapuri Temple has a courtyard structure, with a main temple in the center and 177 rooms around it for monks to stay and meditate. The main temple is in the shape of a cross, with a height of 3 floors and a height of 21.34 meters. It was built by Dharmapala VII/ikramshila, king of Varendri-Magadha.

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surrounding pools

The design of this temple meets the needs of religious ceremonies and reflects unique artistic achievements. The temple's simple harmonious lines and many sculptural decorations had a profound influence on the development of Buddhist architecture, an influence that can be found as far away as Cambodia. Characterized by its rich sculptural decoration, stunning pottery plates, pottery, coins, decorative bricks and other small pottery, the entire monastery is a unique artistic achievement and a heavenly historical attraction for those interested in archeology .

After visiting the Somapuri Temple, I walked around. There are many villages here, and each village has a small temple.

The most factories here are brick factories.

Then I took a bus to Naogang and then took a train to Natore

Nodor is a city in northern Bangladesh. Like other cities in Bangladesh, it is dirty and lively. But there is Natore Rajbari outside the small town, which is like a paradise. There are several Western-style buildings inside. The entire building complex was built around 1700 and is surrounded by a pond, moat and hundreds of years of tree shade.

Nordor street scene

Natore Rajbari Gate

The main neighborhood in the park is called the Boro Taraf Palace. The houses here are crumbling and some have become ruins. They were the residences of wealthy businessmen and administrators at that time.

At the far end of the complex stands the small palace Chhoto Taraf, whose main building faces a pond. The western Corinthian columns are still intact, making it one of the most beautiful buildings in Bangladesh.

pond

Palm tree

Other buildings

Of course, the most photogenic thing here is still the people. They were very willing to be my models and made me feel like I was back in India.

Of course, I also became a prop for them to take photos with.

After the trip to Nodor, I took a car that night and rushed to Rajshahi, a city on the edge of the Ganges River. This is also a geographical landmark in Bangladesh.

Two days driving route map