Faridpur, Dhaka
A tall, many-sided brick tower temple with terracotta decoration, rising alone over the fields of Madhukhali and protected as an archaeological monument.
The Mathurapur Deul is a tall, many-sided brick tower temple, its walls cut into deep vertical ribs and decorated with terracotta panels. It is believed to date from around the seventeenth century, though who built it and why is uncertain, and local stories attach it to different figures.
The deul rises over the flat fields and is visible from a distance. The terracotta panels show figures and patterns, though many have worn away.
It is protected by the Department of Archaeology and is one of the most striking old buildings in the Faridpur region.
Take a morning bus from Faridpur town.
Continue by battery auto-rickshaw or van through the fields.
Walk around the tower and look at the terracotta work.
Eat in Madhukhali bazar and return to Faridpur.
November to March, in the morning or late afternoon light.
In Mathurapur village, Madhukhali upazila. Take a bus from Faridpur town towards Madhukhali (on the road to Magura), then a battery auto-rickshaw or van to Mathurapur; allow 1–1.5 hours.
