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Site maintained by
Shueda A. Chowdhury
Frontline:Eye on Sylhet. News service (weekly)
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SYLHET THE HIDDEN CHARMS
Introduction: The Charms
The welcome site of Sylhet
The voice from the minaret.
The tropical color.
The earliest residents.
A mixture of old and new.
The clock tower of second London.
Revered Mosque of Dargah Mosque.
Cheerful fishermen hope for a big catch.
Banana shaped boats.
Beating rice at home.
The Manipuri Dance.
Handcrafts
Places of interest.
Famous people who came to visit.
Local fastivals
Introduction: The Charms
At the northeastern tip of Bangladesh you will find Sylhet the Home of Saints and Tea Gardens with endless beauty and activities. Surounded scenic tea plantations with lush green tropical forests in the Surma Valley . Lying between the Khasia and the Jaintia hills on the north, and the Tripura hills on the south, Sylhet breaks the monotony of the flatness of the Surma Valley by a multitude of hilly tea gardens and the exotic flora and fauna. The thick tropical forests with many species of wild life, scented orange groves and luxuriant pineapple plantations spread their aroma around. From ancient culture to a taste of Great Britain.
Women carrying freshly plucked tea leaves through the valley. The Sylhet valley is formed by a beautiful, winding pair of rivers named the Surma and the Kushiara both of which are fed by innumerable hill streams from the north and the south. The valley has a good number of haors (lakes) which are big natural depressions. During winter these haors are vast stretches of green land, but in the rainy season they turn into a turbulent sea. These haors provide a sanctuary to the millions of migratory birds who fly from across the Himalayas to escape the severe Siberian winters.
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Sylhet has also a very interesting and rich history. Before the conquest by the Muslims, it was ruled by local chieftains. In 1303, the great Saint Hazrat Shah Jalal came to Sylhet from Delhi with a band of 360 disciples to preach Islam and defeated the than Raja Gour Gobinda, Sylhet thus became a district of saints, shrines and daring but virile people. Its rich potentialities became easily attractive and the British made their fortune in tea plantation. For miles and miles around, the visitor can see the tea gardens spread like a green carpet over the plain land or on the sloping hills. A visit to the tea plantation in Sylhet is a memorable experience. Sylhet, the tea granary of Bangladesh, not only has over 151 tea gardens but also proudly possesses three largest tea gardens in the world both in area and production.
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The welcome site of Sylhet
The site in the hill slop at Malnichara tea garden welcomes every one.You get to see it from the plane befor landing in the airport. From the airport on your way to the town you get to pass it again right after the Cadet College.Then entering the town you see metal workers, hammering brass into body parts of buses and trucks. The whole atmosphere of the crowded, noisy market place is gay. It is an exotic, story-book place; and the turbaned heads of the Maulana heading toward the mosques, awaken memories of the Arabian Nights.
The voice from the minaret
After you hear the voice from the minaret calling to atend the pray, you get see people heading toward the mosque to perform and attend the pray. Turban headed or white cap known as tupi; some tupies are colored and designed different than other wich shows the taste of different personality. The shirt like blouse known as panjabih wored by senior people are mostly one colored. The younger generation has taste for enbroided and multi-colored in design.Take away the green surounding and it be like the Arabian empire.
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The tropical color
Madhabkunda an attractive picnic spot with a small waterfall on the backdrop.On top of the peak a small reservoir. You might get lucky to ride an elephant.The climbing is very steep and a good exersize. The location is about 60 miles from Sylhet town.
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The earliest residents
A mixture of old and new
Sylhet is an interesting combination of the modern houses and old mughal architect.The bazaars of Sylhet are fascinating places, in which the old life of the town can be seen. The shops are little booths raised from the ground, at which the owner sit cross-legged waiting for their customers. The new malls are modern and the shop owner no longer sits cross legged, also the shops are very decurative. Each shop is compititing in a decurative art contest.The Moghul Empire overran the region in 17th century and found no importance, so they gave away in 18th century to the British East India Company. The Company developed the area as a tea growing region.The town became influenced by the British occupation. The architecture of the houses with islamic style and British atmosphere. Large windows with vantilations on top, varindas with different flowery designs or arabic scripts written on it.
The clock tower of second London
Near to the Kean bridge is the famous landlord of Prithimpasha Ali Amjad's clock tower; A similar representation of the clock tower of London bridge over the Thames river. It is an attractive tin shed house colored in red and placed two big clock on two sides of this small tower..
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Revered Mosque of Dargah Mosque
Among the several places of historical interest in Sylhet town is the shrine of Saint Hazrat Shah Jalal. Even today, more than six hundred years after his death, the shrine is visited by innumerable devotees of every caste and creed. who make the journey from far away places. Legend says, the great Saint who came from Delhi to preach Islam and defeated the then Hindu Raja (King) Gour Gobinda, transformed the watchcraft followers of the Raja into catfishes which are still alive in the tank adjacent to the shrine. Swords, the holy Quran, and the robes of the holy Saint are still preserved in the shrine.
Cheerful fishermen hope for a big catch
Fishing is an important source of food for the Sylheties.
The pond of Komola Rani
The pond is also known as Nagor Dighi,which brings us the memory of Komola Rani.This historical site is only 15 km North-east of MolouviBazar.Shubid Narayan as raja of Ita in 1580.
The Manipuri dance
An interesting feature of Sylhet region is the aboriginal tribes such as the Tipperas, the Monipuris, Khasis and Garos who still live in their primitive ways in the hills, practising their age-old rites, rituals, customs and traditions.During festivals such as,Rash LeeIa (Full-moon night in February) and Doljatra, the attractive young girls dressed in colourful robes, dance with the male members of their choice & love.The Monipuris perform their famous dance, based on allegorical love themes of the ancient mythology.
Handicrafts
Sylhet is well-known for its wide variety of exquisite handicrafts. Well-known sylhet cane products such as chair, table, tea trays, flower vases, bags and the exquisitely designed fine Sital Pati (a kind of mattress having natural cooling effect) are colourful souvenirs.
Sylhet has elevated caneware to an artform that is useable, always masterful, but not necessarily expensive. Sylheti caneware emanates from a culture that has an incomparable wealth of artistic heritage and a tradition of commitment to the highest standards of creativity, design, workmanship and fabrication. A devotion to excellence underscores the entire process of creating and producing Sylhety caneware. From the tanning of canes to the design, cut and finish of the furnitures, artisan pride is presented in every detail. Sofa, loveseats made out in Sylhet are designed to appeal to discriminating men and women who demand the finest, know the difference, and are not willing to compromise. In caneware, the "Made in Sylhet" designation stands for incomparable quality and exceptional value.
Places of interest
Shahi Eidgah
Three kilometers to the north-east of the circuit house, the Shahi
Eidgah was built on a hill by the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb in the
17th century. It looks like a grand fort but is actually meant for
Eid congregation-the two biggest Muslim festivals.
Gour Gobinda Fort
The Murarichand Government College is situated in a beautiful
surrounding on a hilltop. To the north-west of the college lie
the remains of King Gour Gobinda's Fort.
The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal
The shrine of Saint Hazrat Shah Jalal in Sylhet town is one of the historical sites of interest. Even today, more than six hundred years after his death, the shrine is visited by innumerable devotees of every caste and creed. who make the journey from far away places. Legend says, the great Saint who came from Delhi to preach Islam and defeated the then Hindu Raja (King) Gour Gobinda, transformed the watchcraft followers of the Raja into catfishes which are still alive in the tank adjacent to the shrine.
Swords, the holy Quran, and the robes of the holy Saint are still preserved in the shrine. It is said that on the west side of the hill is Shah Jalals Spectacles (Water fountain). Legend has it that this water is pure and holy as the water of Abe Jomjom (fountain in Mecca). Visiters collect this water for their love ones or to feed it to a sick person, so he or she becomes wel. In this fountan there are some golden fish, you are considered lucky person if the fishes apear after you call them by saying "Madari aye aye". On the east side of the fountain is the small pond, where large size of cat fish lives, people feeds these fish often.
Famous people who came to visit.
640Hewyen Song of China came to Sylhet by the invitation of king Bushkor Borma of Kumroop Kingdom. The name of Sylhet at that time was Shilachotuly. The people of then Sylhet were Budhist
1346 Ibne Batuta of Moraco came to visit Sylhet. He came to meet Shah Jalal.
1857 Samrat Firuz Shah came to visit the Dargah of Shahajalal. He stayed at Mojumdari in Haji Sayed Bokht Majumdar's house.
1778 Robert Lindsay became resident of Sylhet in 1778. He left Sylhet in 1789. He wrote a dairy which later published as "lives of Lindsay". He wrote a detail journey on his way to Sylhet from Dhaka, that discribes a little history and past about Sylhet. Local Sylheties of Satak came in with big decurated boats to great him. He only gave 5 coins in Dargah on his visit to Sylhet for the first time. He mentioned that every one who came to visit him paid 1 to 5 rupees as welcome gift. He discribed that in his court, the Hindu's where quite and obeyed all his decisions, but the Muslims of Sylhet where hasty and disobeyed often to his orders and deglarations. He stated the People of Sylhet where very quarel some than any other people of Bengal. They make little things into big complicated things. Water test was stoped by him, this was an old belief in Sylhet that the defendent and claimer goes to the pond and dives in together under water, whoever stays longer under the water is the winner non-guilty party. In the name of justice it was a joke. Lindsays salary was only 5000 taka so he started to do business for extra money. Lindsay is the first person to try to grow cofee in Bengal, however record states his attempt was only in Sylhet.
Local festivals
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