The palace
A long columned front over a green.
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The town of Puthia near Rajshahi has the largest number of historic Hindu temples in Bangladesh, grouped around the palace of the Puthia Raj family, lakes and moats. It lies about 23.6 km in a straight line east of central Rajshahi. The Puthia family were among the great landholders of Bengal and built many palaces and temples. The best known include the Bhubaneshwar Shiva Temple, built in 1823 by Rani Bhubonmoyee Devi and the largest Shiva temple in the country, and the five-spired Govinda Temple from the mid-19th century, famous for its terracotta decoration. The palace stands with its long, columned front behind a wide green field, while temples with pyramid-shaped spires look over the Shiv Sagar lake. Around town are old tanks with brick steps, such as the Rani Ghat, and the remains of smaller palaces. View the temples from outside, take off your shoes if you enter a working temple, and respect worshippers. The sites are easy to walk between, and early morning light is best for photographs across the lake.
A long columned front over a green.
Temples reflected in the water.
An old tank with brick steps.
Puthia, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh
One to two hours to walk between palace and temples.
Some are working temples; take off your shoes and respect worshippers, or view them from outside.