Raja Ramjivan Ray founded this seat of the Natore Raj in the early 1700s, and his widowed daughter-in-law Rani Bhabani governed it with noted benevolence during the height of the zamindari. The estate covered over a hundred acres surrounded by protective moats called dighis, split between senior and junior family branches. Within the complex stand the Anandamoyee and Tarakeshwar Shiva temples with terracotta carvings, a classical Greek-columned reception hall, and shady walking paths along the water. Visitors can stroll through the gardens and view the colonnaded brick ruins.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Small entry fee around ৳20 for Bangladeshis; rickshaw from the town center about ৳30
How to get to Natore Rajbari (Rani Bhabani Palace)
Located inside Natore town, about 2 km north-west of the railway station. A cycle rickshaw or battery auto from anywhere in town takes under 10 minutes.
Natore town is about 200 km from Dhaka, around 5 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Natore guide.
The compound closes around sunset; early mornings and late afternoons are the coolest times to walk the grounds.
More to see in Natore
Photo: Ratul Chandra Das, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Uttara Ganabhaban (Dighapatia Rajbari) উত্তরা গণভবন
A grand 18th-century palace complex with an Italianate clock tower gate and deer park, now the northern official residence of the head of state.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳30–50 for Bangladeshis, more for foreigners; auto-rickshaw from town about ৳50–80
Photo: Jubair Bin Iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Chalan Beel চলন বিল
The largest wetland in Bangladesh, transforming during the monsoon into a vast inland sea traversed by engine-powered country boats.
- Best time
- July to October for monsoon boating
- Give it
- Half a day
- Cost
- Boat hire roughly ৳1,000–2,000 for a 2-hour trip for a group; bus to Singra about ৳40
Dayarampur Rajbari দয়ারামপুর রাজবাড়ি
A quiet 1890s neoclassical estate house built for the Dighapatia royal family, tucked inside the grounds of Qadirabad Cantonment.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free to view from outside; CNG from Natore town about ৳150–200 each way