Sherpur, Mymensingh
Sherpur
A quiet district on the edge of the Garo Hills, with forested hills, lakes and eco-parks at Gajni and Madhutila, Garo and Hajong villages, and fragrant Tulsimala rice.
Local food to try
Where to eat
Where to stay
Culture
The hills of Sherpur are home to the Garo (Mandi), Hajong and Koch peoples, alongside the Bangali majority of the plains. Many Garo villages are Christian, with churches and mission schools.
- Wangala, the Garo harvest festival, and Christmas are the big celebrations in the hill villages.
- Sherpur shares the folk-song traditions of greater Mymensingh, including the ballads of the Mymensingh Gitika.
History
Sherpur lies north of the Old Brahmaputra, where the plains of Mymensingh meet the foothills of the Garo Hills. Its northern upazilas — Jhenaigati, Sreebardi and Nalitabari — are a band of low, forested hills running along the border with Meghalaya.
Once part of greater Mymensingh, Sherpur became a district of its own in 1984. The hills are home to Garo (Mandi), Hajong, Koch and other communities, and the town still has old zamindar-era buildings from the days when it was a seat of local landlords.
For travellers, Sherpur is about the hills: the eco-parks at Gajni and Madhutila, forest trails and lakes, and a slower pace than the rest of the division.
Plan your visit
Best time to visit
November to February, when the hills are green, the air is cool and the trails are dry
How to get there
- By bus: buses from Dhaka’s Mohakhali terminal reach Sherpur town in about 4–5 hours. Some go on to Jhenaigati and Nalitabari, closer to the hills.
- By train: there is no railway to Sherpur town; you can take a train to Mymensingh or Jamalpur and continue by bus or CNG.
- From Mymensingh, buses take about 1.5–2 hours.
Getting around
- In Sherpur town, rickshaws and auto-rickshaws.
- For Gajni, go via Jhenaigati; for Madhutila, via Nalitabari — by local bus, CNG or a hired car.
- Hiring a CNG or car for the day is the easiest way to see both parks.