A. Haripur Rajbari

The palace, located in the center of Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon district, still stands as a witness of tomorrow. This palace building was built in 1793 AD. It was started by Raghabendra Roy Chowdhury, a descendant of Ghanshyam Kundu and completed by his son Jagendra Narayan Roy Chowdhury. During the Muslim rule, a trader named Ghanshyam Kundu came to Haripur around 1400 AD to trade in cloth. At that time a widowed Muslim woman named Meherunnesa was the zamindar of the area. His home is in Medinisagar village. The rent of the zamindari had to be paid to the faujdar of Tajpur Pargana. Ghanshyam bought Kundu when some part of Meherunnesa's zamindari was auctioned off due to non-payment of rent. Raghabendra Roy, one of the later descendants of Ghanshyam, started work on the Haripur palace during the British rule in the mid-nineteenth century. But the work of the palace was not finished in his time. Jagendra Narayan Roy, son of Raghabendra Roy, completed the construction of the palace at the end of the nineteenth century. During this time he was awarded the title of Rajarshi by the British government. The two-storied building of the palace, completed by Jagendra Narayan Roy, has a design of herbs and fourteen busts of Rajarshi Jagendra Narayan at the top of the eastern wall.

Although the nearly extinct artefacts of the more than a century-old building are not very valuable in terms of antiquity, they still attract people as one of the region's fascinating architectural masterpieces. Jagendra Narayan Roy Chowdhury was conferred the title of Rajarshi by the British Government. At that time the British government wanted to please the feudal lords by awarding them various titles to protect their interests. It is true that Jagendra Narayan Roy Chowdhury was awarded the title of Rajarshi for the same purpose. But perhaps one more thing worked in the case of the awarding of this title. And that is his passion for learning and practicing art culture. Just as Rajarshi Jagendranarayana built a palace of attractive architectural style, he also built a rich library. This passion of Rajarshi in the field of education and culture not only carries the identity of his personal prosperity, but also highlights the bright side of the mental richness of the entire Haripur people. The desire for enlightened life that was spread among the people in this style of education and culture is still flowing in Haripur. There is a Shiva temple on the east side of the building and a Nat temple in front of the temple. The palace had a large library which no longer exists. The lion gate of the palace has also been wiped out. When the descendants of Ghanshyam were divided around 1900, the Haripur palace was also divided into two parts. The palace built by Raghabendra-Jagendra Narayan Roy is known as the big side palace. To the west of this palace Nagendra Bihari Roy Chowdhury and Girija Vallabh Roy Chowdhury built another palace in 1903 called Chhota Taraf.

Location: Located in the center of Haripur upazila

B. Harinmari Shiva Temple

The Shiva Temple is located on Harinmari Hat, ten kilometers northwest of Baliadangi Upazila. The roof of this temple is built in Charchala method. It has sat quite a bit. The present height of the temple is about thirty feet and the area is 14 × 14 feet. There is a door on the south side. The terracotta plaque on the door had portraits of various statues with herb designs. At present they are broken. There is a large pond to the east of the temple. The temple may be about four hundred years old.

Location:

The Shiva Temple is located on Harinmari Hat, ten kilometers northwest of Baliadangi Upazila.

C. Goraksanath temple, wells and inscriptions

Another historical place in Thakurgaon, about five kilometers west of Nekmarad, is Gorakai or Gorkui. And here is the famous Goraksanath temple and Nath Ashram. Some historians consider Gorakhnath to be a disciple of Minnath, the religious leader of the Nathpanthis. According to the researchers, this Gorakhnath is not the name of any particular person, Gorakhnath is just the title of Guru or Yogi of the Nathpanthi community. Because Goraksanath's name is found at different times in different parts of India including North Bengal and West Kamrup. There is also a history of the existence of a Goraksanath as a Buddhist in Nepal.

In the book "History of Kochbihar, Volume I" compiled by Khan Chowdhury Amanatullah Ahmed with the permission of the Raj Government of Kochbihar, it is stated that "Goraksanath is more appropriate to be a title of a guru or a yogi of the Nathpanthi community than the name of any individual." But many scholars did not accept the argument that Gorakhnath was just a religious title. Nath may be a title, but the whole of Gorakhnath is not a title. There is probably no doubt that Gorakhnath is a person. The creation of this Nath Dharma is the result of the fusion of Hindu Yoga with the Sahajiya religion which emerged after the merger of ‘Mahayani’ Buddhism with the mythical Hindu religion. Abul Kalam Mohammad Zakaria says about Nathdharma in Gupi Chandra's Sannyasa; "The evolution of Buddhism in Bangladesh led to the emergence of a new religion, and that is the Nath religion introduced by Meenath." It is said that at present the Nathpanthi community does not exist separately. People with the title of Nath are somehow protecting their ancient memories by joining the Hindu society.

The Goraksanath temple and ashram, reminiscent of Gorakhnath, the guru of this Nathpanthi sect, is located on a high ground on the banks of a dead river at Gorakhui in Ranishankail. There are a total of 5 temples in the temple premises. Apart from 3 Shiva temples and 1 Kali temple, there is 1 main temple which is known as Nath temple. This Nathmandir is located in the middle of the south facing courtyard. Behind it, in the middle of a low place like a stone-paved cistern on the north side, there is a miraculous idara or well surrounded by large pieces of black stone. The lowest part of the well is paved with stone. But sometimes there is a hole through which water comes to the well from below. Standing around the well, many people take a holy bath together, but the water of the well does not decrease. There was an inscription or plaque on the door of the ashram with tin rice in the north courtyard of the temple. This inscription is now preserved in the Dinajpur Museum. Although it is not possible to decipher it completely, according to the eminent researcher Professor Abu Talib, this inscription is the oldest inscription ever discovered in Bengali script.

Location: Located in Nekmarad union of Ranishankail upazila

D. Rajvita
The existence of a palace at Hatpara in Jabarhat Union of Pirganj Upazila on the banks of the Tangan River in a beautiful natural environment is known to the present people as Rajvita. It is difficult to get an accurate history. However, it is believed that it was built during the reign of Sher Shah. Coins of the Sher Shah period are found here. An inscription has been found in which the letters are unfamiliar and the inscription has a portrait of a camel, a horse and a pig. Journalist Kazi Nurul Islam in his article 'Historical Rajvita of Pirganj' has given all this information and said-

There are no ruins of palaces standing in the palace - all in the womb of the earth. As soon as the soil is dug, bricks and stones come out. The existence of different buildings can be felt. And in the erosion of the river also a lot of bricks and stones of different shapes come out. There are many rocks and ancient bricks lying in the river valley. The royal family used the Tangan River as a waterway which is easy to understand. The Rajvita is about 500 meters long and 250 meters wide. Three kilometers south of Rajvita there are traces of the Purnia road of the Sher Shah period.

Location: Located at Hatpara in Jabarhat union of Pirganj upazila

E. Ranishankail (King Tankanath's) zamindar house

The royal house of Raja Tankanath, the zamindar of Maldua, on the banks of the river Kulik, on the eastern bank of the Ranishankail upazila. Tankanath's father's name was Budhinath Chowdhury. He was a Maithili Brahmin and served the Shyamrai temple of the Ghosh or Goyala zamindar in Katihar. When the childless old cowherd zamindar went to Kashibas, he left all the zamindari in the care of the zamindari and documented in copperplate that if he did not return from Kashi, the Shyamrai temple service would be the owner of the zamindari. Later, the old zamindar did not return and Budhinath Chowdhury got the zamindari. However, many think that this incident may have happened a couple of years before Budhinath.

Although Budhinath Chowdhury started the construction of the palace, Raja Tankanath completed it. Tankanath received the title of King from the British Government. The palace was built in the late nineteenth century. Many parts of the palace are now ruined. The gateway to the west of the palace. The S.N.E.W sign is inscribed on the iron bar as a guide to the top of the door. Kacharibari in the north-east corner adjacent to Rajbari. Two ponds to the east. About two hundred meters south of Rajbari is the Ramchandra (Joykali) temple on the east side of the road on the banks of the river Kulik. This temple is older than the palace. The temple was damaged by the Pak army during the war of independence in 1971. Now it has turned into a complete ruin.

Location: Ranishankail Upazila is 1 km away from Sadar

F. Jagdal Rajbari

There is a small palace at the confluence of the Nagar and Tiranai rivers at Jagdal, about eight kilometers west of Nekmarad in Ranishankail upazila. The palace was probably built in the mid-nineteenth century. At present the palace is almost in ruins. About a hundred meters west of the palace was the temple on the banks of the river Nagar, which today is nothing but a complete ruin. Shri Birendra Kumar was the prince of Jagdal. He was married to Smt. Ashalata Devi, the youngest daughter of Shri Nalini Ranjan, son of Roy Purnendu Narayan Singh, Zamindar of Bakipur. Shri Birendra Kumar was well educated. He had a strong passion for books. For this reason he built a rich library. The books of his library were donated to the then Surendranath College - now Dinajpur Government College in 1947, valued at fifty thousand rupees.

Location: Located at Jagdal, about 8 km west of Nekmarad in Ranishankail upazila.

G. Mahalbari Mosque

The Mahalbari Mosque is located at Maheshpur village, three kilometers east of Mirdangi, north of Ranishankail upazila in Thakurgaon district. It is known from the inscriptions found in the mosque that it was established in 1505 AD during the reign of Sultan Hussain Shah. The inscription was preserved in the Dinajpur Museum. According to inscriptions, the founder of the mosque was Mia Malik Ibn Juzmadar. It had three domes. The mosque was surrounded by a rock wall about four feet high from the ground. Design the rocks that are used as pillars. Brick walls are built on top of the rock-wall. Rocks were also used on the roof. Carved rocks can be used to draw water from the roof. The original mosque was demolished before 1971 and a new mosque was built there. The foundation and floor of the newly built mosque are covered with stones and bricks of the ancient mosque. However, there are a number of designed and unplanned rocks near the mosque. The designed stone of the old mosque is about 38 প্রাচীন 30 inches in size and is attached to the mihrab of the new mosque. In addition, the three-shelled rock pulpit of the old mosque still stands in front of the new mosque.

There is a small tank on the east side of the mosque. The ghats on the north bank of the lake are paved with stones from top to bottom. Two graves in the forest two hundred meters east of the mosque. The two graves are paved with bricks together. There is a stone pillar designed in the north-west corner of the tomb. Maybe there were such pillars in the four corners of the grave. One of the two graves is believed to be the shrine of 'Biswas Pir'. Perhaps the word faith has been gradually distorted from twenty-two to twenty-two words. As a result, the area is called Biswaish Mahal.

Location: It is located at Maheshpur village, 3 km north of Mirdangi, north of Ranishankail upazila of Thakurgaon district.

H. Mazar Sharif of Pir Nasiruddin Shah.

The original name of the place was Bhabanandapur, about ten kilometers north of Ranishankail upazila. He is known as Pir Shah Nekmarad and after his name Bhavanandapur later came to be known as Nekmarad. Shrine of Pir Sheikh Nasir-ud-Din Nekmarad to the east of Nekmarad Bazar. No accurate history can be found without rumors about him. However, it is assumed that the Sultan's arrival took place. There are many wonderful legends about Pir Shah Nekmarad. The Nekmarad area is rich in antiquities. Legend has it that the tomb of Pir Shah Nekmar was established among the archeological material, as the two brothers named Bhimraj and Pitraj ruled the region during the last period of Hindu rule. During their rule the common people were oppressed. People were restless in lawlessness, corruption and anarchy. At such a difficult time Sheikh Nasir Uddin Nekmarad entered this Raj. When Bhimraj and Pitraj's strategy hindered him, he broke the barrier saying it was a miraculous power. After the destruction of their capital, Pir Shah Nekmar's abode was destroyed and the journey of the new town started on the ruined capital. Pir Shah Nekmarad died on the first Baishakh. To commemorate his full memory, the holy Ursa celebrations and annual fairs are held on this date. This fair is the famous Nekmarad Mela. The tomb of Pir Shah Nekmarad was completely raw. The inlaid canopy of the shrine and the Jame Mosque were built about eighty years ago.

How to get there:

Nekmarad is 10 km north of Ranishankail Upazila. By bus from Ranishankail, you can go to Nekmarad by autorickshaw. The location of Mazar Sharif is before Nekmarad Crossroads.

Location: Location of Mazar Sharif on the east side of Nekmarad Crossroads.

I. Sangaon Shahi Mosque

The Sangaon Mosque is built in a village called Sangaon, two kilometers north of Kalmegh Hat in Baliadangi Upazila. The mosque is believed to have been built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. The mosque has three domes and three doors. There is a pucca well in the south. There is a terracotta Bangla inscription on the well. However, the script could not be deciphered as it was unclear. There are ancient tombs on the east side of the mosque. There is a saint named 'Sudhibad Pir' lying here.

Location:

It is located in a village called Sangaon, two kilometers north of Kalmegh Hat in Baliadangi upazila

J. Fatehpur Mosque

About seven km from Baliadangi upazila. To the west is the Fatehpur Mosque near Moralhat. It was built during the Mughal period. The mosque has three domes. The four corners have four semi-submerged angular pillars with a jug design at the bottom. There are also two or four pillars on the east and west walls. The mosque has a door six feet high. But there is no mihrab in the mosque but there is a frame of mihrab. Its outer volume is thirty feet six inches in length and six feet in width. The inner width is like praying in a row.

K. Jamalpur Zamindarbari Jame Mosque

On the way from Thakurgaon city to Pirganj, Shibganjhat crossed the airport. Jamalpur Zamindarbari Jame Mosque, three kilometers west of Hat. There is a large and beautiful archway at the entrance of the mosque. A man named Raushan Ali came to this area from Zamindarbari of Tajpur Pargana. His descendants later got zamindari here. The foundation of the zamindar house was laid in 182. The construction of the mosque started in 18 before the construction of the house was completed. As a result, even though the costly construction work of the mosque was completed, the construction of the zamindar's house remained unfinished.

The art of the mosque is spectacular, captivating and admirable. The mosque has three large domes. The top of the dome is made of glass stone. The minarets are the special feature of this mosque. There are twenty-eight minarets on the roof of the mosque. Each minaret is 35 feet high and each has a design. The combination of domes and minarets has created a wonderful beauty. So many minarets are not commonly seen in any mosque. The four parts of the mosque are the main room, the main room with a roofed verandah, the roofless verandah and the roofless verandah surrounded by a half-wall and the main door with a roof on four pillars in the middle of the east. On the wall of the open porch and on the roof of the main door are ornaments of small minarets. The exterior of the main room measures 29.46 feet and the roofless verandah measures 21.46 feet. The corners of the main room have three pillars. It has two windows, three doors and two niches. Inside the mosque there are beautiful designs of lots of herbs and flowers on the doors, verandas and outside walls. Hansraj of Uttar Pradesh, India and his son Ramhit are the main architects of the mosque. Craftsmen from Dwarbhanga area also took part in the construction work.

Location: Located 3 km west of Shibganj Hat, across the airport on the way to Pirganj from Thakurgaon city.

L. Shalbari Mosque and Imambara
The Shalbari Mosque is located in Shalban, near Bhaularhat, west of Thakurgaon Upazila. According to an inscription, the mosque was built in Bengal in 1215. The original design of the mosque has been ruined due to the renovation. There is a ruined Imambara near the Shalbari Mosque. It is also believed to be contemporary with the mosque. The east and west walls of the Imambara have four doors each and two doors each on the north and south. Its outer measurements are nineteen feet six inches in length and thirteen feet in width. Muharram ceremonies were held here.

Location: Located in Shalban near Bhaularhat in the west of Thakurgaon upazila

M. Small Balia Jame Mosque

The mosque is more than a hundred years old and is located in Chhota Balia village under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila. The aesthetics of Mughal architecture in the construction style of the mosque captivate the tourists as well as highlight the heritage of Thakurgaon. Only 16 km from Thakurgaon city. Located in the distance, this historic mosque is one of the tourist attractions for those who are thirsty for travel.