Puthia Rajbari is a unique example of spectacular architecture located in Rajshahi. Puthia Rajbari is located at a distance of 30 km from Rajshahi Divisional City and only 1 km from Rajshahi-Natore Highway. There is a lion door on the north side to enter the two-storied Puthia palace with many rooms. The zamindars or kings conducted their affairs from here. The Puthia Palace was built in Indo-European architecture in the nineteenth century. At present the Puthia palace under the supervision of the Department of Archeology is being used as Laskarpur Degree College.
The moats surrounding Puthia Rajbari have different names. Apart from Shiv Sarovar or Shivsagar, Marachowki, Bekichowki, Gopalchowki and Govinda Sarobar moats, there is a huge pond called Shyamsagar in Rajbari. Two palaces and several temples built by zamindars still stand here. Among them are the big Ahnik temple built in the dochala system, the big Shiva temple or Bhubaneswar temple built in 1823, the four-storied Puthia Dol temple and the Govinda temple located in the premises of the Puthia Panchani zamindar house. Puthia Rajbari is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
How to get to Puthia Rajbari
From Dhaka to Rajshahi
There are road, rail and air routes from the capital Dhaka to Rajshahi. Green line from Dhaka's Gabtali, Kalyanpur and AC buses of Desh Travels travel to Rajshahi at a fare of Rs 800 to Rs 1,000. Non-AC buses like Shyamoli, Hanif, National Travels, Bablu Enterprise etc. run at a fare of Rs 400 to Rs 500.
The Silk City Express train leaves Dhaka's Kamalapur railway station for Rajshahi at 2.40 pm 8 days a week except Sundays. Besides, the Padma Express train leaves Dhaka for Rajshahi at 11:10 pm every day except Tuesday. The fare for these trains is 350 rupees for a comfortable chair, 604 rupees for a soft chair, 625 rupees for an AC seat and 1061 rupees for an AC berth.
If you want to go to Rajshahi by air, you can travel from Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport by Biman Bangladesh Airlines and United Air for Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,500.
Puthia Rajbari from Rajshahi
The distance by road from Rajshahi and Natore to Puthia Rajbari is 34 and 16 kilometers respectively. You can take any Rajshahi-bound bus, get off the Puthia bus stand on the Rajshahi-Natore highway and walk 5 to 10 minutes to reach Rajbari. There is also an opportunity to take a bus from Rajshahi Central Bus Terminal to Natore and a local bus directly to Puthia.