Dinajpur Rajbari
The ruined palace of the Dinajpur Raj.
Dinajpur Sadar, Dinajpur district, Rangpur Division
The palace of the Dinajpur Raj, the family that built the Kantajew Temple and dug Ramsagar, once held the Aina Mahal, Rani Mahal and Kumar Mahal, with temples and ponds around them. The 1897 earthquake and long neglect brought most of it down. Come expecting ruins, not a restored palace: what is left is the gateway, a temple still in use, and broken walls with trees growing through them.
What to see
The gateway
The tall arched gate is the best-kept part and the way in.
The Krishna temple
Inside the gate, and still in worship. The images from the Kantajew Temple are brought here each year before the Rash Mela.
The ruined mahals
Roofless halls, columns and stairways of the old palace blocks. Look from the ground; do not climb.
How to go round
Go in through the gateway, see the temple first, then walk on to the ruined blocks behind. Forty-five minutes to an hour covers it.
What it costs
Free
Getting there
On the north-east edge of Dinajpur town; a rickshaw or auto-rickshaw from the centre.
How to get to Dinajpur from Dhaka
- By bus
- From Gabtoli or Kallyanpur
- By train
- Ekota, Drutojan or Panchagarh Express from Kamalapur
- By air
- Fly to Saidpur and go on by road
Where to stay
Parjatan Motel, Dinajpur