Shataranji is a traditional handloom woven carpet craft distinctive to Rangpur, recognized with Geographical Indication (GI) status in Bangladesh. In Nisbetganj village on the banks of the Ghaghat River, generations of weavers have produced these durable cotton floor coverings using a pit loom technique without any knotting. The carpets feature characteristic geometric bands, checkerboard motifs, and bold natural dyes. Visitors can observe craftspeople rhythmically interlacing warp and weft yarns, browse workshop showrooms, and purchase a runner rugs, wall hangings, and mats directly from local cooperatives.
- Best time
- Year-round, especially October to March
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free to visit; easy-bike from town centre ৳30–50; rugs range from ৳300 for small mats to ৳3,000+ for large carpets
How to get to Nisbetganj Shataranji Village
About 5 km south-west of Rangpur town near Radhaballabh and the Ghaghat riverbank. Easy-bikes from Medical Mor or Dhap take about 15 minutes.
Rangpur town is about 304 km from Dhaka, around 7 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Rangpur guide.
Weavers demonstrate looms during daylight hours; prices at artisan cooperative outlets are generally fixed.
More to see in Rangpur
Photo: Sd Raihan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Tajhat Palace তাজহাট রাজবাড়ি
A 20th-century white palace built for Maharaja Kumar Gopal Lal Roy, featuring a grand marble flight of stairs and a regional antiquities museum.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Entry ৳20 for citizens, ৳300 for foreigners; easy-bike from town centre ৳30–50
Photo: মো. মাহমুদুল আলম, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Begum Rokeya Memorial Center বেগম রোকেয়া স্মৃতিকেন্দ্র, পায়রাবন্দ
The preserved ancestral homestead and memorial center dedicated to pioneer educator and feminist author Begum Rokeya in Pairaband.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free; bus from Rangpur city roughly ৳30–40; easy-bike ৳50–80
Photo: Anwar Hossen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Carmichael College কারমাইকেল কলেজ
A landmark educational institution established in 1916, centered on a 610-foot-long colonial Indo-Saracenic brick building set among trees.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free; battery easy-bike from town centre about ৳20–30
Photo: Ragib Rownak Shanti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Mithapukur Shahi Mosque মিঠাপুকুর তিন গম্বুজ শাহী মসজিদ
An early 19th-century three-domed Mughal mosque in Mithapukur, featuring ribbed corner turrets, arched entrances and terracotta panels.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free; local bus from Rangpur city ৳40–50; easy-bike in Mithapukur ৳20