Naogaon District



Naogaon District is within the Rajshahi Division in northeastern Bangladesh. The district is perhaps most well known for being home to the world heritage listed Paharpur Vihar.

Understand
Naogaon is an important farming region, with extremely fertile soil and one of the highest cultivation rates of rice than any other district. 90% of the population is Muslim and the majority live a simple, farming lifestyle.

As historical data and establishment in the town, the district was most famous for marijuana. Naogaon district had a very big marijuana warehouse since British rule in the subcontinent.

Get in
Three major highways lead into the Naogaon District, from Bogra, Natore and Rajshahi.

By bus
It takes about 5½ hours by road to reach Naogaon from the capital, Dhaka. A number of bus services are available from Dhaka via Bogra, some with air-conditioning. Bus services to other major districts are also available from the Gabtali & Mohakhali bus terminal.

Some bus services for Dhaka to Naogaon are: There are plenty more services almost similar, but air conditioned services give a little deluxe flavour.
 * Shayamoli Paribahan - Tk350-450
 * Hanif Enterprise - Tk350-450
 * Ekota Paribahan - Tk350-450
 * S R Travels - Tk350-450. Air conditioned: Tk650 (varies)

By train
There are a number of intercity services between Dhaka and Naogaon each day. Main railway station in Naogoan is "Santahar Junction", which is situated at the end of Bogra. However it costs just TK 15–20 to reach Naogaon by rickshaw or CNG-powered auto rickshaw.

From Dhaka to Santahar, Naogaon Intercity trains from BimanBandar: Except "Nilsagar" all the train can be embarked on from "Kamlapur Junction Station, Dhaka" as well. Just add around 35-40 mins prior to the time given for Bimanbandor (Bengali of Airport) time.
 * Train No	Name	      Off Day	    From	Departure	To	                        Arrival
 * 772	   Rangpur Express	Monday	   BimanBandar	05:58	Dhaka	                        ₩6:35
 * 771	   Rangpur Express	Sunday	   BimanBandar	09:33	Banga Bondhu setu (East)	11:32
 * 705	   Ekota Express	Tuesday	   BimanBandar	10:22	Dinajpur	                19:10
 * 706	   Ekota Express	Monday	   BimanBandar	06:43	Dhaka	                        07:40
 * 751	   Lalmani Express	Friday	   BimanBandar	22:42	Lalmonirhat	                08:20
 * 752	   Lalmani Express	Friday	   BimanBandar	20:28	Dhaka	                        21:05
 * 757	   Drutajan Express	Wednesday  BimanBandar	20:12	Dinajpur	                05:00
 * 758	   Drutajan Express	Wednesday  BimanBandar	17:10	Dhaka	                        17:55
 * 765	   Nilsagar	        Monday	   BimanBandar	08:36	Nilphamari	                17:30
 * 766	   Nilsagar	        Sunday	   BimanBandar	07:35	Dhaka Cantt	                07:45
 * Indented line

Note: All the train above touches "Santahar", destination above are end destination of the train.


 * From Santhar, Naogaon to Dhaka


 * Train No	Name	       Off Day	    From	Departure	To	      Arrival
 * 772	   Rangpur Express	Sunday	    Santahar	23:55   Dhaka	     06:35
 * 706	   Ekota Express	Monday	    Santahar	00:45	Dhaka	     07:40
 * 748	   Simanta Express	No	    Santahar	21:45	Khulna	     04:30
 * 752	   Lalmoni Express	Friday	    Santahar	14:30	Dhaka	     21:05
 * 758	   Drutajan Express	Wednesday   Santahar	11:15	Dhaka	     17:55
 * 766	   Nilshagar	        Sunday	    Santahar	01:50	Dhaka Cantt  07:45



By car


The journey from Dhaka is around 240 km, taking approximately 5 hours, depending on traffic. One must cross the famous Jamuna Bridge to reach the city.

The ruins at Paharpur are situated just off the Naogaon-Jaipurhat Road. There are regular buses from Jaipurhat between 07:00 and 16:00 to Paharpur for Tk10. The journey is 9 km, taking about 25 minutes.

Another option is to catch a train to Jamalganj Railway Station, located only 4.5 km down the road (about 10 minutes). A rickshaw can be waved down for the short trip from the station to the Paharpur ruins.

Get around
Buses can be used to get between major towns, or else rickshaws for small distances. There are two major bus stands/stops in Naogaon District. The first but small one is Dhaka Bus Stand, where usually you will get buses to go to Dhaka, Bogra, Sylhet & Chittagong mainly. The other one is Baludangga Bus Stand almost at the end of the Naogaon Municipality. At Baludangga Bus Stand you get buses to travel to Paharpur, and other Sub-division of Naogaon District, such Sapahar, Nazipur, badalgachi etc.

The other most convenient options is the Bangladesh Railway, from Santahar Railway Station. You can find numerous trains from Santahar to various district in Northern & Southern Bangladesh. Using First class ticket is a very convenient way for foreign tourists, to be safe and pleasant journey, and price is also very reasonable in fact Bangladesh Railway is cheap.

Paharpur


Probably the most renowned monument in the region is the ruins of a major Buddhist vihara: Somapura Mahavihara. Also known as Paharpur Vihar, it is located in the tiny town of Paharpur, 5km west of Jamalganj. The shrine is estimated to have been built sometime during the 7th or 8th century. It formed part of a network of five major monasteries across the Indian subcontinent, and scholars would regularly travel between the sites as part of their lifelong learning. The monastery was destroyed by fire during a conquest, but rebuilt about a century later. When the area came under Muslim occupation in the 13th century, Paharpur went into decline until it was finally abandoned in the 13th century when the Buddhist population fled the region. Its ruins today are not the result of any conquest, but of centuries without maintenance or use.

The architecture is not particularly Indian, but influenced by similar sites in Myanmar and Java. To the north is an elaborate gateway complex, with other sites surrounding the temple. The temple is raised upon a pyramid structure, which is all that really remains of the original building. On the walls, various pictures and script can be observed.

A site museum is located right near the structure. It houses a collection of interesting objects collected from excavations in the area. Some valuable artefacts are housed at the Varendra Museum in Rajshahi, while others are on what seems like a permanent world tour. Artefacts on display include terracotta plaques, images of various gods and goddesses, Buddha heads, pottery, coins, ornamental bricks and other clay items. Admission to the museum is Tk50. Opening hours from April to September are: M 14:30-18:00, Tu-Th Sa 10:00-13:00 & 13:30-18:00, F 10:00-12:30 & 14:30-18:00. From October to March: M 13:30-17:00, Tu-Th Sa 09:00-13:00 & 1:30-17:00, F 09:00-12:30 & 14:00-17:00.

Getting there: Paharpur is a good day trip from Bogra. From Charmatha Bus Terminal, ask around for a bus to Joypurhat. You will not have to wait long and the bus will take approximately two hours. From Joypurhat, either wait for a bus (infrequent) or take an auto-rickshaw. The auto-rickshaw should take you through scenic backroads, while the bus will be a slow and bumpy ride.



Eat
There are not so much famous restaurant in Naogaon. Good Hotels are in "Churi patti, Islampur " Area, middle of the Naogaon Bazaar. But they are mostly famous for their sweets and yogurt. Most of the hotels are good with Bangladeshi foods, and a good place for snacks in "Bridg er More", adjacent to Naogaon Bridge.

Go next

 * Bogra District - Borders the district in the east, just beside Naogaon City.
 * India - The West Bengal region borders the district in the north and the west, although there are no significant land border crossings.
 * Jaipurhat District - Located to the north-east, only a few kilometres from the Paharpur site.
 * Natore District - Borders in the south-east.
 * Nawabganj District - Borders the district to the south-west.
 * Rajshahi - The division capital within Rajshahi District, which makes a good base to explore the surrounding districts and regions.