Bogura, Rajshahi
The ruins of Pundranagara, one of the oldest cities in Bangladesh.
The shrine of Shah Sultan Balkhi draws pilgrims through the year. The Behula–Lakhindar story of the Manasa legend is attached to Gokul Medh and is still told across north Bengal.
Mahasthangarh is the site of ancient Pundranagara, capital of the Pundra region and among the oldest urban sites in Bangladesh. A fortified city on the bank of the Karatoya river, it was occupied for well over a thousand years, under the Mauryas, the Guptas, the Palas and later rulers.
The most famous find is the Mahasthan Brahmi inscription, a short text on stone generally dated to around the 3rd century BCE, one of the oldest written records found in Bangladesh. Today the brick ramparts of the citadel still rise above the surrounding fields, and excavated mounds with temple, monastery and palace remains are scattered for miles around.
On the citadel stands the shrine of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar, a saint remembered in local tradition for bringing Islam to the area. Nearby are the Gokul Medh mound — popularly called Behular Basor Ghor after the heroine of the Manasa legend — and a site museum displaying coins, terracotta and sculpture from the excavations.
Arrive in the morning and walk along the brick ramparts above the Karatoya.
Visit the shrine on the citadel, dressed modestly.
See coins, terracotta and sculpture from the excavations.
Take a van out to the Behular Basor Ghor mound, a few kilometres away.
Buy kotkoti at the bazar, then end the day in Bogura town with a pot of doi.
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November to February; start in the morning to see the citadel, museum and outlying mounds
About 13 km north of Bogura town. Rajshahi to Bogura takes around 2.5 hours by bus; then a CNG or local bus.
