The Dinajpur rajas ran their estate from this compound of about 16 acres, and the Aina Mahal, its hall of mirrors, was built in the time of Pran Nath and Ramnath. After the zamindari system ended in 1951 the last maharaja moved to India, much of the furniture and silver was later sold, and most buildings fell into ruin. What survives is a quiet, atmospheric walk through gateways, crumbling halls and old ponds rather than a restored palace.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Rickshaw or easy-bike from the centre around ৳40–80
How to get to Dinajpur Rajbari
On the north-east edge of Dinajpur town, east of the central bus terminal and about 3 km from the centre. A rickshaw or easy-bike takes 10–15 minutes.
Dinajpur town is about 336 km from Dhaka, around 8 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Dinajpur guide.
More to see in Dinajpur
Photo: Shahnoor Habib Munmun, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Kantajew Temple কান্তজিউ মন্দির
An 18th-century brick temple covered on every face with terracotta panels of epics, hunts, boats and village life.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Local bus around ৳30–50 each way; a CNG auto-rickshaw for the round trip with waiting around ৳800–1,200
Photo: Abdul Momin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Ramsagar রামসাগর
A tank about a kilometre long, dug for Raja Ramnath in the 1750s and now the centre of a small national park.
- Best time
- November to March
- Give it
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Small gate fee; easy-bike or CNG from town around ৳150–300 each way
Photo: Kazi Rashed Abdallah, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Nayabad Mosque নয়াবাদ মসজিদ
A three-domed mosque of 1793 beside the Dhepa river, a short ride from Kantajew and skipped by most temple visitors.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free; van or easy-bike from Kantanagar around ৳30–60
Photo: Ahamed Rafid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Sura Mosque সুরা মসজিদ
A small brick and stone mosque from the early 1500s, raised on a platform beside an old tank in the Ghoraghat countryside.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free; budget around ৳500 for buses and a CNG auto-rickshaw from Ghoraghat