সিলেটের লালাখাল..........অচেনা কিন্তু অসাধারন একটা জায়গা

It was a strange place to Sylhet lalakhala ..........

সিলেটের লালাখাল..........অচেনা কিন্তু অসাধারন একটা জায়গা

স্বচ্চ নীল জল রাশি আর দুধারের অপরুপ সোন্দর্য, দীর্ঘ নৌ পথ ভ্রমনের সাধ যেকোন পর্যটকের কাছে এক দূর্লভ আর্কষণ। তেমনি এক নির্জন মনকাড়া স্থান লালাখাল। বাংলাদেশের সবোর্চ্চ বৃষ্ঠিপাতের স্থান এবং রাতের সৌন্দর্যে ভরপুর এই লালাখাল সিলেট জেলার জৈন্তাপুর উপজেলার সন্নিকটে অবস্থিত। সারি নদীর স্বচ্চ জলরাশির উপর দিয়ে নৌকা অথবা স্পীডবোটে করে আপনি যেতে পারেন লালা খালে। যাবার পথে আপনির দুচোখ সৌন্দর্য দেখতে দেখতে ক্লান্ত হয়ে যাবেন কিন্ত সৌন্দর্য শেষ হবে না। ৪৫ মিনিট যাত্রা শেষে আপনি পৌছে যাবেন লালখাল চা বাগানের ফ্যাক্টরী ঘাটে। মুগ্ধ দৃষ্টিতে তাকিয়ে থাকবেন নদীর পানির দিকে। কি সুন্দর নীল, একদম নীচে দেখা যায়। ভারতের চেরাপুঞ্জির ঠিক নিচেই লালাখালের অবস্থান। চেরাপুঞ্জি পাহাড় থেকে উৎপন্ন এই নদী বাংলাদেশের মধ্যে দিয়ে প্রবাহিত।

 সারীঘাট টু লালাখাল - সেটালাইট ভিউ

কিভাবে যাবেন:

সিলেট শহর হতে লালাখাল যাবার জন্য আপনাকে পাড়ি দিতে হবে ৩৫ কি.মি রাস্তা।

আপনি অনেক ভাবে লালাখাল যেতে পারেন।

বাস, মাইক্রো, টেম্পু যোগে আপনি যেতে পারেন।

থাকবেন কোথায়ঃ

লালাখালে থাকার তেমন কোন সুবিধা নাই। সাধারনত পর্যটকরা সিলেট শহর হতে এসে আবার সিলেট শহরে হোটেলে রাত কাটায়। সাম্প্রতিক নাজিমগড় রিসোর্ট নামে 

MOULVIBAZAR: The Land of Tea Part – IV

Manu Barrage

manu barrage at moulvibazar

Manu barrage is one of the few barrages built in Bangladesh. It is located inMoulvibazar Sadar and Rajnagar upzilla. It is constructed mainly to divert some of Manu river’s water for irrigation in the lands nearby and protect Kulaura, Kamalganj, Rajnagar and Moulvibazar town from flooding by the river. A fish pass was added to this barrage for movement of fish between the kushiyara river and the Kawadighi Haor area. This fish pass is one of the mentionable features of this barrage.

Baraura Lake

This lake is located in the Baraura tea garden near Srimangal. The scenic beauty of this tea garden is manifold a couple of times by this lake. In between the refreshing greenness all around the tea garden, the lotus flower covered lake side is a charming place to just chill and spend some of your leisure time. Another attraction of the Baraura tea garden is the red hill surrounded by jackfruit trees. These trees are the homes of hundreds of monkeys. When you get closer to the trees, these monkeys will welcome you altogether in their unique style – by shouting and making funny faces. Baraura tea garden is owned by the James Finlay Company. If you are willing to visit this fantastic estate you will just need to check the allowed time-duration for visitors.

Magurcherra Khasia punjee

a khasia woman

Khasias are the another tribe living densely in Magurcherra. They live in communities. They have their rich culture and heritages. They make their houses on the hill tops in a splendid manner which itself makes the scene unique. Every Khasia punjee has some Heads or ministers. For visiting the punjee you need to seek their permission.

Nirmai Shibbari

Nirmai shibbari bears evidence of ancient times. It was built in 1454. In the fourteenth century the rebels of Kuki tribe and the troops of ruling Tripura government fought a battle in this area. Now if you visit this place you can see typical application of Hindu culture. As it only about 7 km from Sreemongal transport is readily available. Rickshaw, taxi or private cars may be selected as your ride.

Orange gardens

The hilly terrain of Sylhet is very much suited for orange plants growth. As a result a lot of orchards of orange are found in this division. A large scale production of this fruit is carried out on about 350 hectares area spread over Juri, Borolekha, Kulaura and Sreemangal. Your visit to the orange gardens is sure to be delightful.

bangladesh tea research institute - BTRI

Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI)

If you are a tea-crazy person you might like to make a short visit here. The Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) was upgraded as complete research institute in the year 1973. It is in Srimangal upazilla about 25km from the Moulvibazar city centre. This institute has been working for the improvement of tea industry since its birth and has added a feather to the crown of the tea-capital of Bangladesh.

Source : http://www.travel-bangladesh.net

MOULVIBAZAR: The Land of Tea Part – III

Memorial of Birshreshtho Hamidur Rahman

birsreshtho hamidur rahman

This memorial is in Dholoi located on the south-eastern boundary of Srimangal. It is established with a view to protect the memories of Birshreshtho Hamidur Rahman and pay homage to him for his great contribution in the birth if our beloved motherland. On 28th October, 1971 he died as a martyr in the battlefield at Dholoi. His dead body was then buried at Tripura in India. Hamidur Rahman was honored with the highest appellation of Bagladesh – “Bir Sreshtha” for his bravery and sacrifice in the 1971 liberation war. This memorial is built as a reminiscent of this great freedom fighter. Visiting this memorial will take you a long way in realizing the significance of our freedom and the sacrifices made by the then people for achieving it.

Monipuri village

manipuri dance

Majority of the Monipuri population of the country lives in Moulvibazar. Adampur and Madhabpur are their main residence. Monipuri Community is famous for their culture and traditions. The Ras Mela is a yearly celebrated festival of the Monipuris. Every year in November which is the beginning of Bengali month of Agrahayan this festival is arranged. People from all around come to visit and enjoy this Mela. Traditional Monipuri costumes ‘Khami’ and their homemade products are exhibited and sold here. Monipuri community makes their clothing themselves. Almost every family there owns a handloom. It is a part of their culture to weave their own cloths. Besides Khami they produce various other products like – shawl, sari, bedsheets and bags. These products have great demand in all parts of the country and abroad. Even if you don’t visit the Ras Mela or the Monipuri village itself you can find these Monipuri products in local markets of the town.

The Monipuri community is also renowned for their dance. Their unique dance reflects their tradition and heritage. If you are visiting this part of the world, you shouldn’t miss the chance of watching Monipuri dance. More information about this ethnic community can be obtained at the Monipuri Culture Academy in Madhabpur.

magurchara gas field at kamalganj, Moulvibazar

Damaged gas field at Magurchara

Back in 1997 a devastative accident occurred while the exploration in one of the wells in Magurchara gas field. The explosion cost too much from the environment, it denuded about 700-acre reserved forest, destroyed 10 tea gardens and hampered greatly the lives of numerous workers and tribal people living nearby. Though measures have been taken to improve the conditions, evident to this major accident are still seen in the location of the accident. In these 13 years this place has become a spot where people might go to find out the direct negative impacts of human actions on the nature.

Any local transport, rent a car or taxi, can easily take you here.

Source : http://www.travel-bangladesh.net

MOULVIBAZAR : The Land of Tea – Part :II

Shopping: A major part of Moulvibazar inhabitants live abroad, mostly UK. This fact greatly influenced the development of the region in different sectors. Shopping centers are one of those sectors.

• M. R. Plaza
• Big bazaar
• Ahmed mansion
• Bilash
• Payel Western plaza
• Mahbub Plaza

Julia shopping center etc – are some of the well-known shopping malls. All the modern commodities are readily available here.

Travelling:

ROAD: Direct bus service is readily available from Dhaka and other major cities to Moulvibazar. From Dhaka if you leave early in the morning it will take about 5.30 hours. You can also take a train although there is no direct train service to Moulvibazar from Dhaka. But you can easily get off the train at Srimangal station and take a car to Moulvibazar. The whole process will take about 5 hours.
By Air: Planes from Dhaka fly to Sylhet daily. The Osmani International Airport of Sylhet is only about 45 miles. Reaching the airport you can take a car and head to Moulvibazar. This will in total take about two hours but will surely cost more than the other modes of transport.

Places to visit:

• The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Mustafa (Ra)
• Madhabkunda waterfalls
• Madhabkunda Eco park
• Lawachara national park
• Hakaluki haor
• Madhobpur tea garden and lake
• Barshijora Eco park
• Memorial of Birshreshtho Hamidur Rahman
• Monipuri village
• Damaged gas field at Magurchara
• Manu barrage
• Baraura lake
• Magurcherra Khasia punjee
• Nirmai Shibbari
• Orange gardens
• Baikka beel
• Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI)
• Muktijuddho grave yard
• Old court building
• Palace of Hindu Raja Raj Chandra in Khalilpur union is famous for its architectural heritage.
• Ekatuna is one of the richest unions for its pounds and dollars coming from UK and USA

The Mazar of Hazrat Shah Mustafa (Ra) :

The mazar of Hazrat Shah Mustafa (Ra) is located at the center of the Moulvibazar town. He was a descendent of the 4th Khalifa Hazrat Ali (Ra). About 700 years ago he came to Sylhet as a companion of the great Sain Hazrat Shah Jalal (Ra). Hazrat Shah Mustafa (Ra) began to live at Mostafapur of Moulvibazar district. He spread the words of Islam there and established a peaceful society. It is said that the place was actually named after Hazrat Shah Mustafa (Ra). The city Moulvibazar has been named after his successor Moulvi Syed Kudrat Ullah. Many people come daily to visit this mazar. Visiting this mazar will instill a feelings of holiness in your mind.

Madhabpur tea estate lake:

Madhabpur tea estate is another beautiful spot near Moulvibazar. It is about 50km from the town in Kamalganj upzilla. The estate offers great natural sceneries with all the tea plants standing in line on the hillocks. The presence of a lake in this tea estate makes the surrounding gorgeous. The lake is huge and it has small hills are on all the sides. The water here is awesomely cool and refereshing. It will be hard to control yourself from not jumping into it. Arrangement for boat riding in the lake is also available. Generally evening time is best for boat riding in the lake. Rare blue lotus and water lily mostly pink ones decorate the banks of the lake from time to time. These flowers add final touch of elegance to this lake’s charm. In winter this lake becomes a home for migratory birds.

Barshijora Eco park:

It is located in Moulvibazar Sadar, 2km from the zilla sadar. This eco park is also an attempt to conserve our precious nature. It is not yet that much developed as other eco parks but when you are in the town and have a little time with nothing to do at all, this might be the place you may make a short visit to.

Source : http://www.travel-bangladesh.net

MOULVIBAZAR : The Land of Tea – Part : I

“চায়ের দেশে স্বাগতম” (Welcome to the land of tea) is what a sculpture says on the entrance of the Moulvibazar district. It portraits a female tea-plucker with a basket on her back. This is enough to let you know the main attraction of this place is the tea-estates. But it will be only half of the picture, as moulvibazar has so many other fascinations besides the tea-estates.

Moulvibazar is a north-eastern district of Bangladesh. On its west is Habiganj. On the north side it is surrounded by Sylhet distrtict.  While on the South and east sides it has a boundary with Indian states Tripura and Assam respectively. From these adjacent states various streams find their way into Moulvibazar. The Dholoi, Manu and  Juri ,the main rivers of this region, are such rivers.

History:

hazrat shah mustofa (R) mazar

The place was named Moulvibazar after Moulvi Kudratullah, who used to preach Islam here. He was one of the descedents of Hazrat Shah Mustafa (Ra), a companion of the great saint Hazrat Shah Jalal (Ra) who spread Islam all over Sylhet. In the 17^th century Moulvi established a small bazaar near his house which was “moulvibazar” by the local inhabitants. In course of time this market flourished and the place became familiar as “Moulvibazar”. However before the 14^thcentury, i.e. before the Muslim era, this region is thought to have a majority of Hindu inhabitants. Hindu religious book revealed Moulvibazar as holy place and river Manu as divine tribute.

Natural beauty:

tea garden at moulvibazar

Moulvibazar offers great scenic beauty and immense natural charm. Tea-gardens, mixed evergreen forests, mountains and waterfalls running down these mountains are the major fascinations of its beauty. Among other attractions of the land are the interesting lifestyle of the tea-garden workers and the unique culture of the local tribal people. The luxurious residences made by the expatriates may also be noted in the “Places to See” list.

Tea estates are the common most feature of Moulvibazar. Moulvibazar has many hills – small ones and big ones followed by flat lands. These topographic features make it very favorable for production of tea. This is why there are 92 tea- estates in Moulvibazar while there are 154 of them in the whole country. Bangladesh has become one of the leading countries of the world in exporting tea. Two of the greatest tea producing estates in the world are located here. In the tea – gardens the tea trees are planted in regular manner in the slopes of the hills. Big trees usually trees bearing fruits are planted in between them to provide shade. Everything there is in a very orderly fashion. Every plant and tree seems to be very strict as if not to disrupt the regularity. In these tea estates various animals find shelter. If you are lucky you may see some rare animals while visiting them.

Accommodation:

Moulvibazar has flourished much as a tourist spot. A large number of tourists from home and abroad every year visit this place. For their accommodation, now a good number of hotels are available here with a few differences in facilities served. Some of Moulvibazar’s hotels are –

Hotel Sonargaon (contact no: 0861 – 64607)

Hotel Helal (contact no : 0861- 52535)

Hotel Rezia (contact no: 01716 – 086463)

Parjatan Resthouse (contact no: 0861 – 52350)

Sheraton Plaza (contact no: 0861 – 52020)

Hotel Rajdhani

Hotel Camilla

Hotel Basundhara

Hotel Lal Kella

Some restaurants are –

Hotel Western Plaza (contact no: 0861 – 64810)

Bengal Food and Restaurant

Hotel City King Chinese (contact no: 0861 – 62775)

Rajmahal

Shad

Hotel Prince

Khawa-dawa

Rahmania

Manager stall etc

All these Hotels and Restaurants are located in Moulvibazar town. You can also book your rooms in hotels not located in moulvibazar rather than in Srimangal, which may be considered the best tourist attraction spot of this division.

Some hotels and restaurant in Srimangal are –

Hotel Plaza (contact no: 08626 – 71525)

Tea resort (contact no: 08626 – 71207)

B.T.R.I (contact no: 08626 – 71225)

Tea town restaurant

Hotel Prince etc.

You can also take room in Baralekha area in –

Hotel Al-Amin

Hotel Amirat

Source : http://www.travel-bangladesh.net

The wonderful sanctuary BAIKKA BEEL

Baikka beel is another bird sanctuary of this region. It is on the eastern part of the Hail haor. Hail haor is a large wetland encompassing about 100 hectares. It is about 20km from the Moulvibazar town. Baikka beel was declared to be a sanctuary for fishes in 2003.

Baikka beel is located in an area of great natural beauty. The widespread empty wetland near it is simply amazing. The beautiful scenario stretching over miles creates an unbelievable feeling. You can see the blue horizon meeting the blue haor water here.

This beel is the living place of numerous birds and fishes. From the time you enter the haor area you will be engrossed by the sweet chirping of various birds. Moorhans, marsh harriers, teals, ducks and many other birds are seen here. If you are a bird watcher you will be very delighted.

There is a watchtower about 2 stories height to provide a better view of the landscape. The beel area isn’t only beautiful because of these birds but also for the beautiful lilies, lotus and many other unknown aquatic flowers and plants. While riding a boat you will find yourself surrounded by large leafy lilies. Much of the water is usually covered with the flowers in their blooming season.

The best time of visit should be very early in the morning, starting from sunrise to two hours after that. Another preferable time will be in the afternoon before sunset. Although there is no specific duration of entering the area or climbing the watch tower but this two specific times will enable you to enjoy the best sights. You can also stay there from dawn to dusk and don’t worry about food, there are a few small restaurants to satisfy your hunger.

Travelling

You can take autorickshaws (called CNG locally) for your travel. If you start from Srimangal, then for a trip of travelling to the beel, about a 2-hour hault amd returning back to Srimangal will cost about 400 – 500 BDT. You can also use a bus in that case you will have to use a cycle or some other transport as bus will drop you at the entrance of the country road. Private cars, jeeps and even cycles can also be used if you have no problem reading the signs or finding your way to the beel.

If you haven’t yet added Baikka beel to your places to visit list then you should add it right away!

Source : http://www.travel-bangladesh.net