Dhaka

Historical Masjid at Goaldi and Langalbanh Ghat

Goaldi masjid- view north west

Masjid is protected one- not open for prayer

(pic credit: sourav)

mihrab inside

outside wall- intricate decorations in terr-cotta of hanging lamp and flower

view of a nearby masjid

Abdul Hamid Mosque Goaldih (pic: W. Brennand in 1872)

Old Goaldi Mosque: (pic by W. Brennand in 1872)

Dulalpur bridge Panam nagar over which the road goes to 'Kampani ka Kothi'. Pic 1872 Bernnand

Lane in Sonargaon towards Panam (pic: 1870s by unknown photographer)

Jatrabari area

Auto-rickshaw loaded with ripe Jackfruit for market

branch of Brahmaputra river at Langalbandh. Bridge (Dhaka-Chittagong highway) seen in the background

Rajghat of Langalbandh

bathing scene of astami snan by hindu devotees at Langalbandh (pic: daily star)

Sitalakkha river, Narayanganj

Historical Mosque at Goaldih:

During the reign of Sultan Hussain Shah in 925 Hijri (1519AD) Mulla Hizabar Akbar Khan built a beautiful single dome mosque at a place Goaldi- half a mile northeast of Painam village in Sonargaon (ref: Tarikh-e-Dhaka, Tayesh). Sonargaon, 27 km east of Dhaka was the capital of muslim Sultanates of Bengal from the 13th century until Mughal emperor Akbar conqured this region. Islam Khan, Mughal Governor of Subeh Bengal, laid its capital at Dhaka. Since then Sonargaon began to lose its importance as capital and commercial centre.

The mosque has been described in J. Wise, Notes on Sunargaon, Eastern Bengal (Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, 1874) about a hundred yards to the south of Abdul Hamid's Mosque as the oldest mosque in Sonargaon. The residents call it the 'purana' (old) Goaldih mosque. He found its Mihrab had fallen out, but had been carefully preserved in the interior. On the stone is inscribed the name of 'Ala-uddin Husain Shah, A.H. 925 (A.D. 1519).

Dr. Ahmed Hasan Dani a noted historian of the sub-continent during his visit in the 1950’s found old Goaldi mosque in ruinous state with the mihrab wall standing hidden behind clusters of trees and jungles. In his book 'Dhaka- a record of changing fortunes.' Dr. Dani also mentioned about existence of the other Mosque built in 1704AD during the period of emperor Aurangzeb in a ruinous state referred as Abdul Hamid's Mosque . This mosque was a square building with a single central dome, central black basalt stone 'mihrab', corner towers and entrances on all sides except the 'qibla' wall, a good example of the 'enclosed square type' of mosque typical of Bengal. The Mosque was decorated with arabeques patterns of ornamental terra-cotta of hanging lamp motif. Careful restoration work by the Department of Archaeology and Museums later brought this Mosque to resemble its original design. The Mosque is now a protected one and not open for prayer

Langalbandh:

On way to Mograpara from Dhaka along Dhaka-Chittagong highway, a few kilometers off Sitalakkha bridge, a street offshoots on the right that leads to a place Langalbandh (about 27 km east from Dhaka) noted as holy place to the Hindu community. On the last day of Chaittra (last month of bangla calendar - mid April) Hindu devotees gather there in large number to take holy dip in the river which is a branch of Brahmaputra. The annual bathing festival observed with attractive mela every year. Devotees dip in the river to ceremonially clean themselves of all sins.