En-route to Rajshahi, you’d travel past certain sites worth stopping by, places you would otherwise not think of going to. You might as well stop by to breath in the fresh air, because life is too short to not visit as many places as humanly possible, right?
Rajshahi
Let’s face it, if you plan a trip to Rajshahi, you would never stop at Sompur Mahavihara, Kusumba mosque or Natore Palace if you do not have your own transport. You’d probably travel by bus, and buses don’t stop for sightseeing. The architectural magnanimity of these places opened my eye to a specific beauty that I will perhaps talk about in another article.
The Shahi Air
Considering you aren’t traveling by train (who even does that?), the bus will drop you off either in front of RUET or at the single bus stand in Rajshahi. No matter where you get off, you’d instantly notice the air. You can actually smell the freshness here. The air feels to be easing into the lungs until exhaled, while giving a cool sensation in the process. The absence of dust, smog, fumes or smoke is evident. Breathing has never been this easy, so to say.
One other thing that is hard to not notice is the fewer housing space. Houses are fewer in number and are spaced further apart. The buildings are smaller and hold an antique taste. There’s little traffic on the road and they are clean and free of dust. There are fewer shops and the structures are all rustic.
The Green City
Rajshahi does justice to the name of “green city”; this place actually gets you closer to nature. There are lots and lots of trees on both sides of all the roads, even in the alleys. You would not only be breathing the air, you’ll also be seeing the green, which will make you happier than when you are in a metropolis, as suggested by research.
Local researches conducted by Rajshahi University also suggests that the Shahis are the happiest in Bangladesh.
Rajshahi does however have a shortage of shops and restaurants. I had a hard time finding a place for sitting down for a chat, since we Dhakaiyas only ever do that in restaurants. My friend from Rajshahi suggested Orders Up Legacy at Jamal Supermarket, which served as good as one might expect here.
These People Love to Talk
However, the Shahis are simplistic people, and their idea of an intense conversation is never dictated by where they eat. You could sit down at absolutely any tong (local vending shop beside the street) and find someone willing to have a conversation. And this is another characteristic of the Shahis, they are nice by nature. They are always smiling and are always looking for a friendly. Some of them would even go the extra mile and pay for your food (they just met you!).
Another way Rajshahi is different from Dhaka is that the tongs are specifically meant for gossiping.
Very few of the tongs sell cigarettes, so if that is your poison of choice, you might need to look for a while. They don’t call it the green city for nothing! Here’s a fun fact, given how seldom Shahis smoke, the moment you light a cigarette, you could be the only person that is smoking anything in Rajshahi, so reflect on that if you have ever smoked/plan on smoking in Rajshahi.
People who talk a lot should logically be liberals because that would let them talk about anything and everything, right? It makes sense that the Shahis are pretty liberal. A woman could be wearing whatever she pleases and nobody would turn around or comment on her apparels. Women can travel on their own without worrying for safety. Children, upon coming of age, are given liberty of choosing their spouse. My friend at Rajshahi had been learning Taekwondo, which would seem bold had she been from any other part of the country. Their libraries contain controversial and/or banned books, mentioning the names of which could cause my article to never be published. I am however allowed to let you in on this much, if you are a lit-enthusiast, the libraries will provide you an experience you will not forget.
Poddar Paar
Apart from the people and the libraries, Rajshahi City does not have much to offer, except the riverbanks. The riverbanks are the most beautiful parts of Rajshahi. There are two popular riverbanks, the I-baadh and the T-baadh. The names come from the shape of the dam (baadh). I-baadh is more open; during the day you can find boats to pass the time. If you have a big enough group, you could hire a boat for yourself and set to the river, and gaze at the blue that you would probably not find elsewhere (St Martin’s is different and it doesn’t count). T-baadh is different, because the bank contains rocks of various shapes and sizes. There is an estuary here, which makes for a beautiful portrait during sunshine. At night, it is fun just sitting on a rock silently and waiting till late as the wind comes crashing against your chest; because it is going to get real quiet real soon and then all you’ll hear are snakes flipping in the water below you. The stars will be your company for the night, and if you are lucky to have a full moon, be ready for the best sober party of your life.
Close by, some 20 minutes away stands Oddvar Munksgaard Park, locally known as Podda Garden. This is the Rajshahi equivalent of Rabindra Sarobar. It has tiny food-courts and cute decorations on trees. This is the perfect place inside Rajshahi to come to with your friends and enjoy some street food on the riverbank. If you ever plan to come to Rajshahi, Podda should hold the most priority among places you want to visit.
Rajshahi is pretty cold, so it’s best to carry a sweater at all times. This city sleeps early, however the streets are mostly safe. Being nice and gentle will go a long way here. Roaming around the campuses of Rajshahi University and RUET were also pretty fun. Students from RUET even managed a room for us to stay inside their dormitories, so that we did not need to go through the hassle of finding a hotel. People cry over bittersweet memories, it’s hard to accept that a particular journey would yield only good things. Having already traveled to all the major cities in the country apart from this one, I would have never thought such kind-hearted people exist in Bangladesh. Human is mistaken, and human learns.