Bhitar Garh Durg Nogori Panchagarh

Bhitorgarh Durg Nogori, one of the monuments of the Middle Ages, is located in Amarkhana Union, 15 km from Panchagarh district, in the Bangladesh-India border area. According to archaeologists, around the 6th century, King Prithu built the Bhitargarh fort as his capital. In 1257, when Sultan Mughisuddin of Pala dynasty invaded Kamrup state, this fort came under Sultanate rule. Bhitargarh is believed to have been established as an independent state by the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh century. Hidden under the ground, this cave contains the history of ancient civilizations, architectural ruins and several archeological monuments.

Spread over an area of ​​about 25 square kilometers, the Bhithargarh fort was divided into 4 small towns. Each city is surrounded by high fortification walls and large moats made of mud and brick. The trenches are 50 feet wide and 10-15 feet deep. The innermost center was the king's palace and the lower class people lived in the outer city called “chiratl”. Besides, there were Kachari houses, temples and some dighis in Bhitargarh. It is believed that the area adjacent to the temple was once a part of Gaur and Pragjyotishpur.

After the partition of the country in 1947, parts of the north, north-west and north-east parts of Bhitargarh came under Jalpaiguri district of India. In 2008, excavations of Garh's interior yielded a total of 22 archaeological sites, including eighth-century copper and iron artifacts, pottery vessels, and two ancient temples.

Nabil Paribahan, Hanif Enterprise, Tanjila Travel, Barkat Travel can go to Panchagarh from Dhaka's Shyamoli, Gabtali Bus Terminal and Mirpur. Non AC bus fare from Dhaka to Panchagarh is Tk 1000-1100 and AC bus fare is Tk 1300-1900.

If you want to go by train, you can come to Panchagarh from Kamalapur in Dhaka by Panchagarh Express, Ekta and Hirtyan Express trains. According to the class, the train ticket fare ranges from Tk 695 to Tk 2398 per person.

From Panchagarh bus terminal you can take a bus bound for Tentulia/Banglabandha to get down to Bhithargarh Durg Nagari. It will cost 20-25 taka to go to Bhitargarh Durg Nagar by auto from Board Bazar.

Among the residential hotels in Panchagarh are Hotel Mouchak, Hotel Raj Nagar, Hilton Boarding, Rokkhana Boarding, Hotel Pritam, Hotel HK Palace and Hotel Islam. Besides, subject to permission, you can stay in Circuit House and Dak Bungalow of Zilla Parishad.

Panchagarh has food hotels like Hotel Karotiya, Hotel Mouchak, Hotel Niribili, Hotel Highway and Hotel Hamza.

Other attractions in Panchagarh include Banglabandha Zero Point , Tentulia, Kanchenjunga , Tea Gardens, Maharaja's Dighi and Rocks Museum .

Feature Image: Nazmul Huda