During my visit to North Bengal last year, I had the opportunity to see several historical buildings, one of which was Uttara Gana Bhavan in Natore. It is located in the historic Dighapatia Rajbari, about 3 kilometers north of Natore city, in a picturesque setting.
It is currently known as “Uttara Gonovobon”. Rani Bhabani of Natore was pleased with her subordinate Naib Dayaram and gifted him the zamindari of Dighapatia Pargana. In 1734, this Dighapatia Palace, one of the most beautiful examples of architecture, was built by Dayaram Roy. When the palace was almost destroyed in an earthquake in 1897, King Pramdanath Roy rebuilt the palace. The kings of the Dighapatia dynasty ruled the state from 1790 to 1947.
Those of this dynasty who are still immortal in the pages of history are Raja Dayaram Roy, Jagannath Roy, Prashanath Roy, Prandranath Roy, Pramathanath Roy, Pramadanath and Pratibhanath Roy. Princess Induprabha Devi of this dynasty was a poet. Her poetry, her diaries and many letters are on display in the museum and are of great value. After the partition of the country in 1947, the last Raja of Dighapatiya, Pratibhanath Roy, left the palace with his family and moved to Balkata. Later, the palace remained abandoned until 1965. In 1966, it came under the control of the then East Pakistan government and was renovated by the Public Works Department as a government building. On 24 July 1967, Dighapatiya inaugurated it as the Governor House.
After independence, on 9 February 1972, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared it as ‘Uttara Ganabhaban’. Surrounded by high walls and deep moats, this palace is situated on 41.39 acres of land with 12 small and large, beautifully decorated and beautiful structures.
The buildings of Dighapatia Palace include the main palace building, Kumar Palace, main Kachari building, three Kartarani houses, kitchen, motor garage, driver’s quarters, staff quarters, treasury building and sentry box. The doors, windows and furniture of the main building and other buildings are made of precious wood.
To the south of the palace is the Italian Garden, a flower garden adorned with sculptures made of precious marble and a variety of rare ornamental trees and flowers from both countries. In front of the main Prasad Bhavan, there are a total of six cannons in the palace, including two cannons built by the British in 1854. There are two black Krishna statues on either side of the stairs at the entrance to the main palace. On the north side of the palace was the king’s own power generation plant, which was used to illuminate the palace. Above the main gate is a huge clock brought from Florence, Italy, which still keeps accurate time and its chimes can still be heard from afar.
How to get there:
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Bus: You can easily go to Natore from any part of the country by bus. From there, take a rickshaw to Natore Ganobhaban.
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Train: There is also an arrangement to go to Natore by train. The nearest station is Natore Railway Station. Take a rickshaw from the station to Natore Ganobhaban.
Nearby hotels for overnight stay:
Visiting hours: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Entry fee: 30 taka. There is a mini zoo inside, which is also included in this ticket.
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