Pandua (North Bengal)

Pandua, also known as Adina, is a medieval citadel in the Northern Plains‎ of West Bengal, India. It is known for its massive Adina Masjid along with the ruins of a couple of mosques, tombs and darghas. A trip to Pandua can be combined with a trip to the nearby citadel of Gour with Malda as the base.

Understand
Pandua was the first capital city of the Bengal Sultanate for 114 years, from 1339 to 1453. The capital later shifted to Gour. During the 13th-14th century, Bengal's rulers maintained a certain independence from the Sultans in Delhi. It was also the period of the founding of the Bengali language and the Bengali identity. The Iliyas Shah dynasty ruling from Pandua played a big role in that development. The rulers had built palaces, forts, bridges, mosques, and mausoleums, many of which are now in ruins or have disappeared completely. Whatever has survived is still enough to turn Pandua, alongside Gour into a leading tourism destination, but sadly the place lacks proper tourist infrastructure. Still, Gour-Pandua along with Bishnupur and Murshidabad are the three important historic tourist destinations of West Bengal.

By plane
The nearest airports are Siliguri and Durgapur.

By car
Pandua is north of Malda. The normal route is to take NH 12, which links Dalkhola with Kolkata, but the longer route via Durgapur Expressway (part of NH 19) from Dankuni, NH 19 from Palsit to Panagarh bypassing Bardhaman city, and then taking the Panagarh-Morgram Highway up to Morgram and on to NH 12 is a more comfortable and enjoyable option.

Get around
Since Pandua has no accommodation it is best explored from Malda. Hired cars are the best option to explore Pandua. The hotels in Malda can arrange for cars. A half-day tour is enough to explore Pandua. The tour can be clubbed with a visit to the nearby twin citadel of Gour, but covering Pandua and Gour in a single day may become hectic. Tourists looking out for more details need to stay at least two days in Malda, this will provide the opportunity to explore other places like Nandadirghi Vihar in Jagjibanpur, Nimasarai Minar and Old Malda Jami Masjid.

See and do
Covering Pandua along with Gour in a single day can be very hectic. People who are on a single-day trip to both can skip the deer park and environs. Pandua is a relatively much smaller site than Gour and can easily be covered in half a day.



Eat and drink
There are no proper eateries in Pandua. During the tourist season, makeshift stalls sell tea and snacks along with soft drinks. Vendors also sell freshly cut seasonal fruits and ice cream. For lunch, there are a few dhabas along the highway connecting Pandua with Malda.

Sleep
There are no accommodations in Pandua, the nearest options are in Malda and Gazole. Broadly speaking, there are several lodges around Tourist lodge, some around the NBSTC terminus and the private bus stand near it, and some on ABA Gani Khan Choudhury Sarani.

Go next

 * Gour - The twin citadel of Pandua known for its medieval ruins
 * Malda – virtually all the amenities for travellers visiting this area can be found in Malda
 * Murshidabad – about 140 km from Pandua
 * Siliguri – about 250 km from Pandua
 * Kolkata – about 347 km from Pandua