Sunday, August 30, 2009
Rediscovering Old Dhaka
Last month Wazi Choudhury, a friend and relative, was visiting from California. One day I took him on a tour of old Dhaka. Here is his album of pictures. He has done a fine job with the photos. An added bonus is his in-depth research on the buildings done with an architect's eye which adds a new dimension. A job well done!
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6 comments:
Thank you so much for posting this, those are fantastic photos. I haven't explored Old Dhaka yet really - I have been to Shakhari Bazar and saw the Pogose school and wandered around the street on a guided tour, but that's really about it (well, and a cycling trip).
Went out to Sonargaon this weekend - that was amazing. Going to try and do more exploring this year. Feel like being a guide?
Hi David,
Thanks very much - glad you liked it. Are you with any cycling group? I was thinking of leading a cycling tour of some old Dhaka sites in October. This would be Ken Ford's group, mostly mt bikers, but of course one does not need mt bikes to explore old Dhaka :-)
Did you visit Panam Nagar? That is very nice. There are also some old Zaminder "palaces" in the villages behind PN which are fun to explore.
Ihtisham
Yes - I've been out cycling with you - I have memories of how much you enjoy crossing rickety bamboo bridges!
I'd love to go on some old Dhaka bike tours, that'd be fantastic. Count me in.
Yes, we also went to Panam Nagar (I'd forgotten the name). That was amazing, it's incredible seeing those ruined, decrepit buildings but you get a sense of how wonderful it once was. We happened to arrive as NTV were filming some show due out this Eid, there was a stunningly beautiful actress in an gorgeous sari, posing up against a pillar, kids running in and out of shot, rickshaws rolling up and down the street. We squeezed past in our bus, then got out and went back to take a look, and pictures.
Not 100% sure about the palaces, though I think we did wander around one - very, very ruined with a family of goats tethered up inside. We also walked out to an old Hindu temple - there's people living in one part of the building and the tower is standing alone, still very, very impressive.
Ah, the BBFH (Bamboo Bridge From H**l). I miss it so ;-)
Sounds like the Sonargaon trip was a memorable one for you. I understand the Tajmahal 2 is nearby though I have never seen it.
Seriously now, Eid week. We have the week off and there's a number of teachers who'll be staying in Dhaka. Was just chatting to a colleague who runs about heading into Old Dhaka during that week. Would you be interested in giving a group of us a tour at some point?
David, please drop me an email on my gmail account. My name there is ihtishamkabir. Thanks.
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