Dinajpur, Rangpur
The weathered palace of the Dinajpur rajas, builders of Kantajew and Ramsagar, on the north-eastern edge of the town.
For centuries the Dinajpur Raj was one of the largest zamindari estates in Bengal, and its rajas ruled from this palace complex. Built and rebuilt over generations, it once held mahals for the family, temples, ponds and gardens, all inside an outer wall.
The great earthquake of 1897 badly damaged the buildings, and after the end of zamindari they fell further into ruin. Parts of the old palace, gateways and a temple courtyard still stand, and the shrine within is still used for worship. It is a melancholy but evocative place to understand the family that built Kantajew and Ramsagar.
Walk through the gateways and the temple courtyard in the morning.
Take an auto-rickshaw through the centre and south to Ramsagar.
Walk the banks of the great tank the same raja family dug.
October to February, in daylight
On the north-eastern edge of Dinajpur town: a short rickshaw or auto-rickshaw ride from the centre.
