Lalbagh
front :
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| Shakilahmed |
Lalbagh
front was Buriganga River in the Southwestern part of Dhaka ,Bangladesh. The
construction started in 1678 AD Mugol Subahdar Muhammad Azam shah .Shaista
khan did not continuw the Work though he stayes in Dhaka up to 1688.
Muhammad
Azam third son of Aurangzeb started the Work of the fort in 1678 During his
royalty in bangla.shaista khan was the new Subadha of Dhaka in that time
complet of fort.After the end of royal Mughal period the fort .
The building
is situated about 39 meters (136’) to the west of the tank, running from north
to south. The external measurements of the building are 32.47m x 8.18m (107’ x
29’).
There are
living quarters on each level of two stories and a main central hallway
connecting them. There is a Hammamkhana in the southern part of the building which is
one of the seventh Hammamkhana still existing in ruins in heritage of
Bangladesh.
All the
building along with the arrangements of Hammamkhana clearly shows that it was
very much in use by the Subadar of Bengal and that Subadar was Shaista Khan. From the report
of the Governor of English Factory it was learned that Shaista Khan used to
live in this room.
Different
parts of Lalbagh Fort :
Lalbagh Fort
consists of three buildings:
- The Mosque (west side)
- The tomb of Pari-Bibi (middle of east-west of the fort)
- The Diwan-i-aam palace (east side)
The mosque
was used for prayer in that time, and still in use. The beautiful structure and
the handy work there are great. People get amazed by seeing this kind of royal
art. Many Islamic art and wall designs are preserved there ..
Tomb of
Bibi Pari :
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| Shakil ahmed |
Tomb of Bibi Pari, daughter of Shaista Khan, is in the middle of
the complex. There is a central square room. It was contains
the remains of Bibi Pari covered by a false octagonal dome and wrapped by brass
plate. The entire inner wall is covered with white marble. The Eight rooms surround the central one. There is another small
grave in the southeastern corner room.
Structures :
The fort was considered to be a
combination of three buildings (the mosque, the tomb of Bibi Pari and the
Diwan-i-Aam), with two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged
fortification wall. Recent excavations carried out by the Department of
Archaeology of Bangladesh have revealed the existence of other structures.
The southern
fortification wall has a huge bastion in the southwestern corner. On the north
of the south fortification wall were the utility buildings, stable,
administration block, and its western part accommodated a beautiful roof-garden
with arrangements for fountains and a water reservoir. The residential part was
located on the east of the west fortification wall, mainly to the south-west of
the mosque.
Stories :
The time of construction till date,
various myths have revolved around the fort. All the historical stories and
debates, it is widely believed that Lalbagh Fort stands as a monument of the
unfulfilled dreams of Prince Muhammad Azam , beloved
son of Emperor Aurangzeb . The mid 17th
century, he was serving as the Viceroy of Bengal and began the construction of
the impressive Lalbagh Fort complex.
The popular
stories about the fort begin. The construction was finished, Prince Azam was called back to
his father, to assist in the war against the Marathas . Legend
says, after the Mughal prince departed, Shaista Khan continued with building
the project, but upon the untimely death of his much-loved
daughter Iran-Dukht, warmly known as Pari Bibi, the construction was stopped.
Bibi was engaged to Prince Azam at the time of her death.
There are
also legends and debates about the identity of Pari Bibi. Few researchers claim
she was a nine-year-old Ahom princess. Mir Jumals Ahom’s expedition brought a
war adjoining the Garo hills. He took the daughter of Ahom Raja to compel him
for the full execution of the previous peace treaty. the emperor made her convert to Islam and
married her off to prince Azam. However, overshadowing all the debates, people
now believe that she was the loving daughter of Nawab Shaista Khan.
Important
facts :
Archeologists
after a recent excavation discover continuity of the main fort walls towards
east below Shaishta Khan Road and opine that the present area of Qilla only
represents half portion as planned by Prince Azam Khan.
A water tank:
Water tank
71.63m on each side.
Entry
fees of Lalbagh Fort :
- Local Tourists: 20 TK
Visiting
hours of Lalbagh Fort :
Summer
Season (April – September)
- Tuesday – Saturday: 10.00 AM – 01.00 PM, 01.30 PM – 06.00 PM
- Friday: 10.00 AM – 12.30 PM, 02.30 PM – 06.00 PM
- Sunday: Weekly Holiday
- Monday: 02.30 PM – 06.00 PM
Winter
Season (October – March)
- Tuesday – Saturday: 09.00 AM – 01.00 PM, 01.30 PM – 05.00 PM
- Friday: 09.00 AM – 12.30 PM, 02.00 PM – 05.00 PM
- Sunday: Weekly Holiday
- Monday: 01.30 PM – 05.00 PM
Eid
Holidays
- Lalbagh Fort will remain closed for visitors during Eid day and the previous day of Eid. It will remain open as usual from the next day of Eid day.
Ramadan
Timing
- Lalbagh Fort will be closed at 04.00 PM during the holy month of Ramadan.