Maharaja Pran Nath of Dinajpur began the temple in 1704 and his son Raja Ramnath finished it in 1752, dedicating it to Krishna and Rukmini. Thousands of terracotta plaques cover the walls, telling stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the life of Krishna next to hunting parties, river boats and royal processions. The nine spires that once crowned it fell in the earthquake of 1897. Each year at the start of winter a fair of about a month fills the grounds around the Rash festival.
- 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
How to get to Kantajew Temple
About 20 km north of Dinajpur town on the highway to Thakurgaon. Local buses reach Kantanagar in 30–40 minutes, or hire a CNG auto-rickshaw for the round trip.
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: 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: Rahul_Kumar_Sanjowal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Dinajpur Rajbari দিনাজপুর রাজবাড়ি
The decaying palace complex of the Dinajpur rajas, with gateways, ponds and the shell of the mirrored Aina Mahal.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Rickshaw or easy-bike from the centre around ৳40–80
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