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The Bongo Project, Dhaka (2026)

26/02/2020

Two Culverts from Sultanate Bengal
Chapai Nawabganj

Culvert at Gaur, Chapai Nawabganj:

This culvert is situated under Mauza Singarhat,
Shahbajpur Union, Upazila Shibganj, District Chapai Nawabganj, Bangladesh. It is adjacent to Satranji Dighi at a distance of one kilometre of Chota Sona mosque.
The arch is broken but two sides of the bridge are intact as noticed in previous visits. Mortar is lime and brick dust of a high quality. Marks of placing of a piece of equipment or barrier which was lifted and lowered down for controlling flow of water on either side of the culvert were observed. Orientation of the culvert is almost eastwest i.e. there was a northsouth road going to the Small Golden mosque. This dilapidated bridge measures 36 feet eastwest X 18 feet northsouth. This is a protected monument of the Department of Archaeology, GoB.

Culvert near Small Golden mosque:

This bridge is also under Mauza Singarhat, Shahbajpur Union, Upazila Shibganj, District Chapai Nawabganj and similar to the above mentioned bridge. It is about 200 m. northeast of Chota Sona mosque. “It is reported that this
bridge was built on a link road from Gopalpur through Sonapur, Salampur to Chhota Sona Masjid”. The arch is broken but two sides of the bridge are intact. Mortar is lime and brick dust of a high quality. This is a protected monument of the Department of Archaeology, GoB.

Though these are protected monuments, there are no signboards of DoA. Even the book published by DoA in 2002 "Lakshmanabati-Gaur, had no mention of these two.

All the images are taken during the field visit of Chapai Nawabganj for Deapartment of Archaeology in November 2019. First 3 photos are the culvert adjacent of Satranji Dighee and others are from culvert near Choto Sona Mosque.

02/02/2020

পঞ্চদশ শতকের শুরুর কথা। বিহার থেকে আক্রমণ করতে এসেছেন জৈনপুরের সুলতান ইব্রাহিম শর্কি, দিনাজপুরের রাজা কংস বা গণেশ যে গৌড়েশ্বর হয়ে উঠেছেন। এতে নাখোশ সূফী দরবেশ সম্প্রদায়। তাই আক্রমণে সাহায্য করার সব আশ্বাস দিয়ে রেখেছেন নূর কুতুব উল আলম। সঙ্গে পাওয়া গেল বিহারের সূফী সাধক মীর সৈয়দ আশরাফ জাহাঙ্গীর সিমনানিকেও। দাবার গুটির চালে গণেশ এগিয়ে দিলেন তার পুত্র সন্তান- যদুকে। ইসলাম ধর্ম গ্রহণ করে তার নাম হয়ে গেল জালাল উদ্দিন মোহাম্মদ শাহ। ওদিকে বিহারের ঘাড়ে নিঃশ্বাস ফেলতে শুরু করেছে দিল্লি। ফেরত যেতে হল সুলতানকে। এরপর যদুর কি হল? এ রকমের অনেক ইতিহাস নিয়ে কথা হবে গৌড় পাণ্ডুয়ার পথে হাঁটতে হাঁটতে।

ছবি: জালাল উদ্দিনের ফিরোজাবাদ টাকশালের রৌপ্য মুদ্রা।
ইভেন্ট লিংক: https://www.facebook.com/events/2816529551770221/

07/01/2020

December 2019 was a roller coaster ride for The Bongo Project as well as Heritage Walk Dhaka. Organized a walk, trying to collaborate with others both in country and abroad! Attended EU's open heritage week, then talked with Indian organizers of our Indo-Bangla projects, had wonderful 31st Morning with Heritage Walk Calcutta over cups of coffee at Starbucks. At the beginning of this month (as well as year) we had a meeting with Indian Museum.

All is well.... Soon we will post our regular posts....stay with us :)

Happy New Year.

02/12/2019

Chhoto Sona Mosque
Chapai Nawabganj, Bangladesh

Built between 1493 and 1526, the well-preserved ‘Small Golden Mosque’ is oddly named, given that it’s actually jet black with just patches of terracotta brickwork. It’s a fine specimen of pre-Mughal architecture, the chief attraction being the superb decoration carved on the black-stone walls. On both the inner and outer walls, ornate stonework in shallow relief covers the surface. It also features an ornate women’s gallery, arched gateways and lavishly decorated mihrabs (niches facing Mecca). Buses from Rajshahi stop beside it.

This living mosque draws in large crowds for Friday prayers, but outside prayer time it’s fine for non-Muslims to enter. This mosque is usually just referred to as ‘Sona Masjid’ – the Chhoto (small) prefix is in context to a Bodo (big) Sona Masjid that stands on the other side of the nearby international border, in the Indian part of Gaud.

30/11/2019

It has been so long, since we have posted anything. But do not be afraid, we are not inactive rather we are very busy with our work.
We traveled Khalifatabad (Bagerhat) and Panam-Sonargaon in this November with Heritage Walk Dhaka, as we are partners in crime ( :P ) and had an assignment from Dept. of Archaeology at Gaur (Bangladesh part).

Not only that, In the last week of October, we had a trip to Delhi, and worked at the famous library of Asiatic Society, Kolkata.

24/09/2019

Tale of Two Cities
Recent order by government the two ancient cities, Bogra (Pundravardhana) and Chittagong (Tsit-ta-gung) will be now known as their Bengali accent Bogura and Chattogram. But this decision is purely political rather than necessity. These two names are derived from history and changing the names is a reflection how we are destroying our heritage with bureaucratic idiocy.

Bogra

It was a winter afternoon. We were sitting at a roadside tea stall and sipping on a cup of cold raw tea. The tea had unique feature, the taste- bitter, salty, sweet and spiced up with cardamom, clove and cinnamon. Oh, yes, we have a packet in our hand full of small bite size sweet snacks, Kotkoti- the local celebrity! After the day long visit to archaeological sites of Mahasthangarh, tea and kotkoti was our life saver. In Bogra, like other parts of country, tea-stalls are the places, where you can understand the scenario of the area. As outsiders, we, I and Rezwan Parag, my partner in crimes (traveling and digging up the history) were the center of interest on that tea stall and answering to the tea makers and small crowd- why politicians are doing this, what is the situation in the capital etc. Suddenly an old man from the crowd asked, if we know the final resting place of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah! It was surprising question for us. We both replied at the same time, NO!
Well let me give me an introduction to the character! Bengal was always known as Bulghakpur (The Rebellious Province) by Muslim chroniclers. Mahmud Shah assisted his father, Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban, to crush the rebellion of the governor of Lakhnauti, Tughral Tughan Khan. Then Mahmud was appointed the governor of Bengal with the title of Nasiruddin. He was the second son of the Delhi Sultan. After the death of his eldest brother Prince Muhammad in a war with Mongols in Kashmir, he was asked to take the throne of Delhi by Sultan Ghiyasuddin. But he was indulged in his Bengal governorship and refused the offer. Sultan Ghiyasuddin instead nominated Kaikhasrau, son of Prince Muhammad.
After the death of Delhi Sultan, Mahmud Shah declared independence in Bengal. In Delhi, Kaikhasrau was eliminated by elites of the Darbar and Qaiqabad, the son of Bengal Sultan seated on the Delhi throne as a mere puppet of elites of Delhi. But that inefficient ruling spread anarchy in Delhi. Mahmud Shah decided to bring an end to the anarchy in Delhi and advanced with a huge army towards Delhi. At the same time, Delhi elites forced Qaiqabad to advance with a massive army to confront his father. The two armies met in the banks of Saryu River. But the father and the son reached an understanding instead of facing a bloody battle. Qaiqabad acknowledged his father's independence from Delhi and also removed the elites from Delhi Darbar. Mahmud Shah returned to Lakhnauti.This epic meeting of father and son was well written by poet Hazrat Amir Khusrao in Qiran us Sadain. The assassination of Qaiqabad in 1289 shocked the Bengal Sultan. He left the power of Bengal for his other son, Rukunuddin Kaikaus in 1291.
Well, enough of history lesson. Written history knows nothing about what happened to the independent Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah after that. Nothing of his works is now traceable except the town he made near the ancient ruined town of Pundravardhana. The old man with mouthful of betel leaf, smiled with his blackish-red teeth, told us to follow him, if we want to see the tomb of the Sultan. He started walking, and we followed him. After a five minutes of walk from the tea stall, we reached near Govt. Azizul Haque College. He pointed towards a small room, with a dome of chini-tikri (broken ceramic tile) works on the top- `this is the grave of the Sultan of Bengal.’ It was neither attractive at all nor old structure. We shared our doubt with him. Then he started to tell us his part of history, ‘this place was abandoned even in 90’s, with few broken stone slabs scattered here and there with a mound looks like a grave. Just like the grave of Ghyiasuddin Azam Shah of Sonargaon,’ The man continued, ‘After leaving the throne of Bengal, he became a sufi saint and left his royal titles and names, just kept his nickname- Bughra Khan!’ Yes, we knew that Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah is the Bughra Khan, the founder of the modern Bogra town, but we were not convinced that inside the tomb he is buried. There were no archaeological signs or old relics to prove such. But this is true Bughra Khan made the town, and later the town named after him. And off course sudden disappearance of him from history helps to make people the legends and myths about him. When we were coming back from the shrine, we felt the words of Rumi-
On the day when you pass over my grave,
bring to mind this terror and confusion of mine;
Fill full of light that bottom of the tomb,
O eye and lamp of my light,
That in the tomb this patient body of mine
may prostrate to you in gratitude.

Chattogram

Chittagong, the land of earliest settlements of Bengal witnessed so many ups and downs, battles and off course earliest migrations of non-aryan races Australoids and Mongoloids. This southern part lured merchants and invaders since the known era of the written history. But what made the place famous? Yes, the seaport. This sea port lured merchants from Arab to Europe, and definitely neighboring states.
According to Rajoang (the chronicle of Arakan kings) and Shree Rajmala (the chronicle of Tripura kings) the Arakan king, Tsu-La-Taing- Tsandra, invaded Chittagong and defeated the local chieftain in 1953. In memory of this victory, he erected a monument with the words Tsit-ta-gung (there shall be no war) inscribed on it. It is said that this monument had been erected on the south of Kaunia Chhara near Kumira. But due to change of the river course, natural and human activities, we lost any remaining of this historical and archaeological evidence.
Again, few weeks later we went to the bank of the Karnaphuli River, which was the geographical boundary of Bengal and Arakan in 16th century. The small hills just opposite of Naval Academy, in Anwara- the Deyang hill, now most developed industrial area. This hill is the silent bystander of the history. In the golden era of Buddhism, Pandit Vihara was standing here. First Arab merchant convoy came here in 9th cenrury and in the beginning of 16th century Portuguese merchants made their marks. The Deyang massacre is one of the important incidents in the history of Arakan, where more than 600 Portuguese died in 1607. The central jail and a fort of Arakan were here and the famous medieval poet Syed Alaol was a prisoner here for few days before he made his fortune to as laureate in Arakan court. But thanks to industrialization and development! We destroyed the evidences by flattening the hills, creating EPZs and other factories. We have nothing but their influences in our ‘chatgaiya’ language and foods. The famous Kalabhuna Beef is a food invented by Muslim Navigators, Lau-Chingri, Balchao are from Portuguese.
Even there are very less archaeological sites according to Chittagong’s oldness. There are no signs of Andorkilla, the fort erected by sultans of Bengal or any kind of Portuguese activities. Medieval Hindu temples and Buddhist Viharas of the city area have faced the same fate.
Now days, in the name of development old structures are being destroyed all over the country. It is actually not about development or it has nothing to do with population boom. It is all about the good will to protect our heritage. It is all about being conscious; it is all about being aware of our heritage. Changing the old names of places will not bring back the lost archeological evidences, true, but still the names are carrying the history. Bughra Khan and the peace seeking king Tsu-La-Taing- Tsandra of 10th century will be forgotten soon due to changing the names of the places- Bogra to Bogura and Tsit-ta-gung> Chittagong to Chattogram.

25/07/2019

Chhota Pandua Bari Mosque (Great Mosque of Chhota Pandua)
Hughli, West Bengal, India

Chhota Pandua Bari Mosque an imposing structure of pre-Mughal period stands at Chhota Pandua in the Hughli District of West Bengal. The absence of any inscription stands in the way of determining the name of the builder or the date of construction. Local tradition indicates the mosque was built by Shah Safiuddin, who, along with Zafar Khan Ghazi, is said to have invaded and conquered Pandua on behalf of Firuz Shah (Shmsuddin Firuz Shah).

The authenticity of this legendary account has not yet been substantiated. Some elements, such as the use of red thin bricks for construction, the reportedly low hemispherical shape of the lost domes of the roof, typical stone pillars in the liwan, utilisation of lithic materials quarried from demolished temples and low pointed arched doorways etc have been taken to suggest an early 14th century date for the mosque.

This structure is a long low building measuring 231 feet X 42 feet, with three aisles, having 21 door openings in front and 3 on the sides, and here the roof has 63 small domes resting on brick arches springing from stone pillars of Hindu design. The arches are clearly visible in the older drawing2 published by Blochmann gives a better view. The arches spring directly from the back wall without any pilaster or even impost. The corners are filled with corbelled pendentives, which take the base of the dome. At the time of Sir Alexander Cunningham's visit the outer face of the front wall was profusely ornamented with small patterns in carved brick. Some of the pillars within the mosque are decorated with chain and bell motif. on the western wall there are 21 mihrabs, all highly carved, the one illustrated by Blochmann. depicts rectangular panels having floral motifof the type seen in the mosque of Zafar Khan Ghazi. A beautiful canopied pulpit is also provided within the mosque. The pulpit stands on a raised platform, to which approach is given by seven steps. The step stones are all carved and the canopy opens on three directions through a well-balanced arch. In the north-western corner of the mosque is an enclosure, popularly called chillkhana of the saint, but more appropriately it should be recognized as a ladies' gallery. Cunningham compares the plan of this mosque with that of the Fort Masjid at Jaunpur, but the comparison hardly stands except that both the mosques emphasize the length and do not give due consideration to the breadth. On the other hand the Fort Masjid at Juanpur, with its plan divided into three sections- the middle one having domes, and side ones only pillared halls- provides the proto-type, which was later to be developed in all the mosques erected at Juanpur during the time of the Sharqis. The Bari Masjid at Chhota Pandua comes closest to the mosque of Zafar Khan Ghazi in its general oblong plan, the design of the front facade with its arches resting directly on pillars, and the interior look with long vistas of successive arches springing directly from the pillars.

30/06/2019

Peerpukur Mosque
Baro Bazaar, Jhenidah

In 1978, local villagers accidentally discovered the remains of the mosque. The mosque was partly restored and repaired by the DoA, and it is now a protected monument. It can be understood from the ruins that it was a multi domed mosque contemporary with Khan Jahan Ali style mosques of Khalifatabad and located at historic Mohammadabad city, present day Barobazar, Jhenidah. Based on architectural style the date of construction can be projected to be late-fifteenth century.

The mosque has an oblong plan of approx. 75' x 50' externally and 60' x 35' internally. The structure was divided into seven equal interior bays and five rows, each grid was roofed over by a hemispherical dome. The eastern facade had seven arched entrances opening to a thirty-five grid prayer chamber. There were seven mihrabs, each aligned with the seven entrances at east and the central portion of the qibla wall was projected westward. Stylistically this kind is known as Khan Jahan Ali architecture, commonly found in and around south-western part of Bangladesh.

The rectangular structure was supported by four corner circular towers. Entrance arches were framed with rectangular shallow recesses. Both north and south facades had five arched opening used as entrances. The mosque was enclosed with massive brick walls while the interior was supported by twenty-four massive brick columns. The western wall had seven terracotta multi cusped arched mihrabs on the interior with the central one projected on the exterior.

29/06/2019

Firoz Minar
Gaur, Malda, Bengal, India

One of the most striking of the ruins of Gaur is an elegantly designed circular tower, standing outside the citadel area about a mle to the south of the Bara Sona mosque. Generally known as Firoz minar, stands on the eastern side of the citadel adjacent to the Malda-Dinajpur road.

On 1787-88 book, Riyaz-us-Salatin records that Firuz Shah (Malik Andil), the slave Abyssinian king built a mosque, a tower and a reservoir in the city of gaur. Thomas Daniell drew a painting in 1795 of the tower when he traveled Gaur. The earliest European to notice the Firoz Minar was Mr. Reuben Burrow in 1787, stated, 'whenever a piece of stone has happened to cede, the most elegant buildings have been destroyed to get it out, that there is now scarcely a piece left, except a part in the 'round tower' which happens to have been preserved by the peculiar condition of the building. To this tower I deduced by observation the result of which was as follows-latitude of round tower at Gaur 24o 53' 0" N; longitude 5o 52' 13". The latitude was deduced from twenty nine meridian altitudes, and the longitude partly from distance and partly from watches.'

Henry Cerighton (1817) illustrates the beautiful edifice in question and describes it as both minaret and tower. Munshi Shyam Psarad (1810) calls it both pillar and watch tower. Writing another contemporary account of the ruins os Gaur, Francklin observes, 'this column was built by Feroz Shah, one of the Patan princes of Gaur, and in the style of its architecture resembles the column built by Feroz Shah, which are still to be seen at Allahabad and Delhi,...' Buchanan Hamilton refers to the Minar as 'pirasa', ehich is also supported by beveridge. F***y Park (1836) quotes one Chambers thus: 'Proceeding about a mile distant from the Great Golden mosque, there is a large obelisk which stands alone, completely separate from any other building. It is supposed to have been erected for an observatory or for the sake of calling the inhabitants to the regular performance of their daily devotions.'

18/06/2019

Dakhil Darwaza
Gaur, Malda, Bengal, India

The main entrance to the fortified citadel of Gaur is given by a grand gateway with at tall pointed archway- Dakhil Darwaza (Entrance Gateway). According to few enthusiasts that the Dakhil Darwaza was built after the pattern of the Dwarbasini gate of Lakhnauti, which is untraceable now.

There are lots of debate on who erected this huge gate and when. generally it is believed that this have been built during the reign of Sultan Barbak Shah, the celebrated builder of an aqueduct and Nim Darwaza (middle gate) inside of the citadel. The gate is architecturally similar to the trend of the late Ilyas Shahi period, started by Sultan Mahmud Shah n Gaur. So historians and archaeologists assumed that the gate was erected by Mahmud Shah, as he built the citadel as well as chand gate. Cunningham considers Chand gate as an exact replica of Dakhil Darwaza. Therefore it is reasonable to suppose that the Dakhil Darwaza must have been built earlier than the Chand gate, both belonging to the reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah.

Visiting Gaur in 1640, Manrique records that he walked towards the outer rampart wall and passed through an arched gateway, ornamented with floral decorations cut in stone. It seems quite possible that he entered by the Dakhil Gate on the north, which formed the tunnel 112 feet long and had four towers, one at each corner. Forty years later, Hedges gave an eyewitness account of the 'Pallace of Gawre' and observed that, 'the building was chiefly bricks, arches of the gates and many other places were of black marble and other black hard stones...' Orme, who paid a visit to the ruins of Gaur in 1745-46 observed, 'the archway, in length, breadth and the height is equal to any in the fort at the Presidency with lodgments on each side, in the same manner it is built for the most part of brick, three being only some rough marble in each front.'
Thomas Daniell (1788-89) drew a sketch of Dakhil Darwaza records, 'By the appearance of the adjoining wall it is probable that this gate belonged to the fort.' This is one of the earliest known examples of a gate building complete by itself in the true Bengali style.

This gateway measures 113 feet in length by 73 feet in breadth witha height of nearly 60 feet. It is buttressed by four tall and slightly tapering and delicately reverted towers, one at each corner. The corner towers are twelve sided, five storied in height and crowned by 'Firuzian cupolas'. The central archway measures 34 feet in height, while the battlemented wall rose 15 feet, making a total height of 49 feet. The tall pointed archway of the principal entrance with medallions at the spandrels is in perfect harmony with the alcove arch above, and flanked by 'a pylon like buttress, one on each side of the frontage and guarding the portal.'
The portico between the two pylons leads to a central vaulted passages, 14 feet wide and 113 feet long with a guard room on each side, 74 feet long by 9 feet broad. The walls of the tunnel vault, 0 feet thick, are pierced by four doorways instead of three. The massive brick piers between the doorways are made of brick, cased with stones up to the springing of the arches, but, all the rest of the building is made of brick. The inside arches of the central passage provide entrance to the guard rooms on each side, which are pierced by two outer doorways on the inner side of the rampart.

According to Abid Ali, 'the existing building was first constructed with ornamental facing work all round, but the base of the building on the east and west was later covered with earth and connected with adjoining rampart walls. Traces of Pucca steps for reaching the top of the embankment from inside are also found and the rampart itself is strengthened by a skeleton of brickwork, pieces of stone with large holes in them, fixed to the walls of the gateways, show how gigantic were the gates which were suspended from these stones. The wings of the gate were bolted by a large iron bar or wooden pin as is seen from the long holes running into the wall, one on each side of the passage.'

Lambourne is of opinion that, 'the earthen ramparts on both sides of the gateway have their bases as broad as the length of the structure and slope steeply upwards to a height almost equal to that of its arched roof.'

The Dakhil Darwaza provides an interesting example of what can be gained with brick and brick alone. Iy exhibits all the splendour of decoration common to the building of the Muslim conquerors of india. The wall and turrets alike are relieved by string niches and rossettes and other ornamental designs of hindu origin among which the chain and bell, battlement and quatrefoil are conspicuous. But the outstanding merit of this gateway is the surprising boldness of its design and the masterly skill with which its facade have been broken up and diversified by alternating effects of light and shade.

The twelve sided towers are divided into five distinct stories by four lozenge impressed mouldings with decoration of jali work underneath and blind merlon above. These mouldings correspond with those of the facade of the gate. The frontages on the two sides of the principal arch are also similarly relieved by five panels, filled with ornamental patterns. A vivid impression is provided by offsets and recesses. While the former contains foliated motifs, the latter is filled in with a foliate motif, hanging from the apex of the trefoil arch.
The facade archway is decorated with embossed lotus rosettes at the spandrels above which rise tiers of mouldings, crowned higher up with a bold decorated niche, resembling an oriel window. The alcove arch is also surrounded by tiers of moulding with a design, consisting of a rosette within a star at the spandrels. The star designs, along with tiers of mouldings, hanging motifs, rossettes bear close affinity to those of the Chand gate.

The Dakhil Darwaza is one of the splendid monuments in which structure and decorative beauty went hand in hand, resulting in a perfect example of brick architecture. Immensity was never a hindrance in the overall architectural design of the Dakhil gate. The parts are so judiciously and harmoniously adjusted as to form a compact central theme. In design, the Dakhil gate implies an interesting fusion of the classic and the romantic, with traces of the indigenous or rustic. The classic is represented by the grand shape and proportions of the portal and its arched portico, and the romantic quality may be seen in the position and slope of the corner bastions while the influence of the country may be observed in the indigenous surface treatment obtained by a system of vertical and upright lines and mouldings thus presenting a naively elementary pattern of rectangles.

Dakhil Darwaza is a remarkable testimony to the excellence of brick and terracotta architecture. It shows the boldness and balanced architectural plans that merge with ostentatious decorative designs.

The Bongo Project

26/02/2020

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07/01/2020

02/12/2019

30/11/2019

24/09/2019

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