Puthia

Puthia (pronounced pou-tee-ah) is a village in the Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. It is known for its elaborate Hindu temple complex housing several temples complete with towering spires and intricate terracotta ornamentations. A moat surrounds the complex. The complex also has a pond in the middle. The complex also houses the colonial-styled mansion of the Puthia Zamindar (landlord) family.

Understand
The Puthia Raj family, of which the town is named, eventually came to own the area some time in the 16th century. The head of the family, Bhatsacharya, was given the title of a zamindar (wealthy Hindu land-owner) by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Their family built a number of temples and palaces on the site, surrounding the lake with a sprawling lawn. The Puthia estate flourished, and it went on to become the second-largest and wealthiest zamindary in all the Indian subcontinent. After the partition of India, the new Pakistan government revoked all zamindars of their titles and land, and the family fled to India soon after.

Today, the site has been fairly well-preserved. There are a number of Hindu temples in the area, as well as the imposing Puthia Palace, which also houses a museum. It is unlikely you'll come across any other Western tourists, but given its sheer magnificence and amazing history, the site is sure to become a traveller's wonderland as Bangladesh's tourist industry develops. Puthia is also located close to the district headquarters Rajshahi and can be explored on a day trip.

Get in
Puthia is located 23km east of the city of Rajshahi, and 16km west of Natore. The village itself is about 1km south of the Rajshahi - Natore highway. Several buses ply the 30 minute route between the two towns for Tk 20; it is possible to simply ask to get off at Puthia, and walk the short distance into town. Another option is to catch a CNG auto-rickshaw to Puthia from one of the major towns. Puthia can be explored in a day trip from Rajshai and hotels in Rajshahi can arrange for cars.

Get around
Puthia is a small place, so walking is a simple and enjoyable way of getting around. Otherwise, hail a passing rickshaw who will happily take you to the sites. It's possible to hire out the driver for a number of hours or even the entire day; if you're lucky, he might speak English and give you a nice little tour of the area, historical information included! The temples and the mansions of Puthia is surrounded by a moat. At the centre of the man-made island is a lake called The temples and mansions are all located round the Shyam Sagar and can we explored on foot.

Do
Apart from exploring the temples and mansions there is nothing much to do.

Buy
There are no opportunities for Puthia-themed souvenirs. Some interesting stores may exist in the village though.

Eat
There are a number of small establishments and street-food sellers in the centre of the village. Jhal Muri (spicy puffed rice) is a popular food. It comes in with crumbled vegetable fitters along with a dash of mustard oil and chili (extremely spicy).

Sleep
There are no accommodation options in Puthia. Although Puthia can easily be reached in a day-trip from Dhaka, if you wish to sleep nearby, the cities of Rajshahi and Natore are only kilometres away and have a wide variety of options.

Go next

 * Rajshahi
 * Natore