Mymensingh
The old seat of the Acharya Chowdhury zamindars, with its palace ruins and temples — and the town where monda was born.
Muktagachha was the seat of the Acharya Chowdhury family, one of the richest zamindar houses of Mymensingh, who also built Shashi Lodge in the district town. Their compound here grew over generations into a cluster of palaces, courtyards and temples.
Local tradition says the town’s name comes from a gift: a man named Muktaram offered the zamindars a brass lamp stand, a gachha, and the place became Mukta-gachha.
Much of the zamindar bari is now in ruins or used by other institutions, but its gateways, carved walls and temples still give a sense of the old estate. Muktagachha is just as famous for its monda, a chhana sweet said to have been first made here in the early nineteenth century.
Take a bus, CNG or auto-rickshaw west to Muktagachha in the morning.
Walk through the old compound, its gateways and temples.
Taste monda at the old shop and buy a box to take home.
Return to Mymensingh for lunch and the riverside.
October to March, in the morning
About 16 km west of Mymensingh town, 30–45 minutes by local bus, CNG or auto-rickshaw.
