Sat Aug 27 2022 12:00 AM Last updated on: Sat Aug 27 2022 4:59 AM
Shyamsundar Temple
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Shyamsundar Temple
Buran Island!
Have you heard of this country? Does this seem unfamiliar to you?
For all the latest news, follow the Daily Star’s Google News channel. The old name of Satkhira region is Buran Dwip.
This is my second time visiting Satkhira, and after learning about its rich history, it felt different.
Before sharing my recent visit there, I am tempted to talk a bit about the rich past of the Satkhira district.
According to the Ramayana Mahabharata, human settlement in this region began three thousand five hundred years ago. Alexander the Great invaded India in 327 BC. During its invasion, an independent state called Gangarid was mentioned in the mouth of the Ganges. The current Satkhira district was under this state. After Alexander, in the Maurya and Gupta eras, the island of Buran was known as Kharimandal.
Eliza Binte Elahi has so far visited 50 countries around the world. Eliza, who teaches at the University of South Asia as an adjunct professor, considers herself a lover of history and heritage. She traveled to all 64 districts of Bangladesh to promote heritage tourism. Eliza’s Travel Diary and Eliza’s Travel Diary 2 are books based on her travel experiences in Asia.
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Eliza Binte Elahi has so far visited 50 countries around the world. Eliza, who teaches at the University of South Asia as an adjunct professor, considers herself a lover of history and heritage. She traveled to all 64 districts of Bangladesh to promote heritage tourism. Eliza’s Travel Diary and Eliza’s Travel Diary 2 are books based on her travel experiences in Asia.
King Chandravarman occupied this region in the 4th century, shortly before the rise of the Gupta Empire. Pala and Burmese kings ruled this region from the 8th to 11th centuries before the Sen kings. Muslim rule here began with the conquest of Bengal by Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji. Then came the rule of the Mughals and the Bara Bhuiyans.
During British rule, in 1852, this area was granted subdivision status. Then, in 1984, Satkhira was transformed into a district.
All these sovereigns, with distinct tastes and cultures, have enriched the district. There are many ancient settlements in the seven upazilas of Satkhira. However, very few survived.
According to the list of the Department of Archeology, there are 14 archaeological sites in Satkhira. Here are some historic sites that might make you want to visit the neighborhood.
All these sovereigns, with distinct tastes and cultures, have enriched the district. There are many ancient settlements in the seven upazilas of Satkhira. However, very few survived. According to the list of the Department of Archeology, there are 14 archaeological sites in Satkhira.
Jhurijhara mound
Mount Jhurijhara in Satkhira district is a Buddhist temple that is around one and a half thousand years old. There are many legends about the mound in Agailjhara village of Tala upazilla. In 2016, after 3 months of excavation, the archaeological department unearthed the remains of a brick Buddhist temple and unearthed pottery fragments, beads, glass beads, ornate bricks, earthen toys terracotta from medieval times as well as British and Pakistani artifacts. period.
Hammamkhanas
Hammams are toilets that the elites of the Mughal era used for bathing and entertainment. The idea of the hammam has been adopted by Muslims since the Romans. Different parts of a hammam were used for different purposes – bathing, drinking beverages, resting, defecating, praying, etc. Satkhira has two of the 7 existing Mughal Hammams in Bangladesh. Luckily, I had the opportunity to visit all seven of the Hammamkhanas of Satkhira are located in the upazilla of Shyamnagar – one at Jahazghata and the other at Ishwaripur. Shyamnagar is 75 km from the district headquarters of Satkhira.
Railing
Navaratna Temple
The ruin of the temple is located in Mostafapur of Kaliganj Upazila, a village on the border between Bangladesh and India. To reach this site, you need to take a bus or rent a car to Kaliganj, 35 kilometers from Satkhira town. However, you have to walk the last 2 kilometers because there is no road near the temple. Seen from afar, amid prawn ghars and salt flats, it looks like an isolated settlement in the middle of nowhere. According to historians, the temple was built in 1582 AD. The temple ruin is still standing, but without proper restoration and maintenance work, only time will tell how long it will survive.
Tetulia Jame Mosque
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Tetulia Jame Mosque
The twin Shiva temples built by Fakir Chand Ghosh are about 6 km from the district town of Satkhira. The walls of the temples are decorated with flowers, leaves, gods and goddesses. Fakir Chand Ghosh was the jatidar, a wealthy person subordinate to a zamindar, of Prannath Roy, the zamindar of Satkhira. Ongoing settlements and construction work threaten this site.
