The travel interests featured here in Rangpur Division range from temple history to a landscaped waterscape and archaeological and traditional artefacts. Kantajew Temple and Ramsagar are in Dinajpur District; the Rocks Museum collection comes from Panchagarh. If you are looking for accommodation, this distinction can help you decide on the main focus of your trip first.

Building history at Kantajew Temple

Maharaja Zamindar Prannath Roy began construction of Kantajew Temple. After Prannath Roy's death in 1722, his adopted son Maharaja Ramnath Roy completed the temple in 1752. This sequence links the start of construction to two rulers and a clearly dated completion. The temple was once 70 feet high and was damaged in the 1897 earthquake. Its current height is given as 50 feet. Those interested in historic buildings will find a specific timeline here: the start of construction, completion, earthquake damage and the reported current height.

Ramsagar: lake and national park

Ramsagar is an artificial lake in the village of Tejpur in Dinajpur District. Raja Ram Nath created it in the mid-1750s. The lake is described as the largest of its kind in Bangladesh. It covers approximately 437,492 square metres and has an average depth of about 10 metres. Ramsagar National Park stretches around the lake. This brings together an artificial body of water, its size figures and its connection to the surrounding national park as a single landscape highlight. Unlike Kantajew Temple, the emphasis here is not on building history but on a lake surrounded by a national park.

Artefacts from Panchagarh

The Rocks Museum is located on the grounds of Panchagarh Government Women's College. Its collection includes around 1,000 or more artefacts, including archaeological and traditional pieces from Panchagarh. This adds a different perspective to the buildings and waterscape: the focus is on objects from the region. The collection adds a distinct cultural highlight to the travel options, without equating it with the places in Dinajpur District.

Bangladesh in the wider travel picture

For context within the wider destination of Bangladesh, the Sundarbans Reserve in the southwest of the country offers a different type of landscape. It is considered the world's largest contiguous mangrove forest, lying between the Baleswar River to the east and the Harinbanga River to the west, and bordering the Bay of Bengal. The forest reserve is a mosaic of islands, brackish water and a labyrinthine network of waterways. Its habitats are terrestrial, aquatic and marine. In the southern part are three wildlife sanctuaries covering a total of 139,700 hectares, which are considered key breeding areas for several endangered species.

The Monastery City of Paharpur and the Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat also demonstrate the breadth of Bangladesh's cultural heritage. Paharpur was a centre where the Vajrayana tradition of Mahayana Buddhism was practised. The complex is adapted to its religious function; its central shrine has a cruciform ground plan and rises in three terraces to a height of about 70 feet. The monastery city is regarded as a unique artistic achievement. Bagerhat comprises 360 mosques; its monuments are spread across two main zones, 6.5 kilometres apart. Shait-Gumbad is one of the largest mosques and the only example of its kind in Bengal.

Choose your accommodation focus

When looking for a holiday rental, this thematic distinction is a useful first step: Dinajpur is represented here by Kantajew Temple and Ramsagar, while Panchagarh is home to the Rocks Museum collection. Decide whether building history, waterscapes or artefacts are the deciding factor, and choose your locations accordingly.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Dinajpur, Chittagong, Khulna Division, Dhaka, Sylhet Division, Barisal Division, Rajshahi.

Back to the main travel overview: Bangladesh.