Gouripur Junction

‘Gouripur Jongshon’ is a famous novel of Humayun Ahmed. So, many of us have heard the name of Gouripur. And Gouripur Jongshon, or junction, is a real place. It is a small railway station connecting different lines (between Dhaka and Mymensingh) on the way to Mohanganj _ Ahmed’s home village. That may be the reason for using Gouripur Junction in his writings, and it is now a popular place for his fans.

 Previously a part of Ishwarganj upazila, Gouripur itself is now an upazila of Mymensingh. Generally, we are familiar with the architectural heritage of Mymensingh city and Muktagacha. And Ishwarganj is becoming popular nowadays. But Gouripur needs more attention, too, as at least two places of this upazila are full of beautiful old structures.

One of those, Ramgopalpur, may be seen in various media. But the main hub, Gouripur town, cannot be found in any literature. Perhaps, heritage does not come to mind because of Humayun Ahmed’s writing on the rail station. So, let me try and give you some idea of the architectural gems of this particular place.

   Of the major zamindars (land owners) of Mymensingh area, the zamindars of Gouripur built most of the buildings and institutions in both Gouripur town and Ramgopalpur. There were several branches of them, but the Roys and Chowdhurys were the most prominent.

They promoted fabulous bungalow type architecture. Gouripur House in Kalimpang in India, Gouripur Lodge in Mymensingh city and Lahiri Lodge in Gouripur town still bear testimony to the style. They used wood extensively, most probably as a result of the great earthquake of 1897. Two branches (tarof) of zamindars lived in nearby settlements. Maddham tarof (middle branch) lived in Kalipur, now part of the main town. Another branch lived in the town. The remaining powerful branches or heirs lived on their original land in Ramgopalpur.

A large portion of the main house of the Gouripur zamindars is now used as Gouripur Women Degree College, established in 1981. The main building and many other structures of the huge complex have now collapsed. Just three structures are still intact. The Durgabari Puja temple, with a large nat mandap (dance hall), is open to all. A ruined single storied structure is also found there and it is said to be family shrine. A residential quarter is now used as a hostel. The main gateway, a main attraction, has a 100-feet (30-metre) façade, with a beautiful central domed arch.

In Kalipur, there is Lahiri Lodge, an important structure not only in Gouripur, but also in the whole of Bangladesh. It is a well-designed, north-south facing bungalow type lodge, with a 150-feet (45-metre) long façade, facing a large pond on the west. There is another pond on the east side, too. There are several rooms on both sides of the central steel domed room with wonderful porches. Recently, the whole tin shed and steel roof have been painted red, which cannot be seen in old images. This is a magnificent piece of architecture which can easily be preserved. It is now used as upazila land office and local police station.

There are four other small structures nearby, including a temple. Three of these are blocks of masonry and one is a small bungalow, now used as a branch of Bangladesh Krishi Bank. On the other side of the road from Lahiri Lodge, some other small but significant structures can be found. A major one is a bungalow used as a union land office. Two strange looking buruj type (tower-like) structures are also nearby. What was their purpose, I cannot tell, but these are the oldest surviving buildings of Gauripur town.

Another zamindar palace is now Gouripur Goverment College, established in 1964. The front portion is still intact. It is a beautiful Indo-Saracenic revival red structure, having a central archway with both side rooms and veranda. Some other original structures are also there. The century-old Rajendra Kishore High school was established in 1911 by the original zamindars. It is a long, red-coloured colonial style building, like other British-era schools in Bengal, and it is one of the largest. The main building faces a huge water body, called Ananta Sagar.

An old bungalow type cinema hall is also exists here! As a result, Gouripur town is a place of bungalows. Besides Gouripur, you can only find such architectural scenery in Sylhet region. And the famous junction (station) is also a must visit. All these historical structures increase the importance of the place.  So, Gouripur deserves more attention and care.

Photos: Writer

Gouripur Junction

Gouripur Jongshon is a famous novel of Humayun Ahmed. So, many of us have heard the name of Gouripur. And Gouripur Jongshon, or junction, is a real place. It is a small railway station connecting different lines (between Dhaka and Mymensingh) on the way to Mohanganj _ Ahmeds home village. That may be the reason for using Gouripur Junction in his writings, and it is now a popular place for his fans. Previously a part of Ishwarganj upazila, Gouripur itself is now an upazila of Mymensingh. Generally, we are familiar with the architectural heritage of Mymensingh city and Muktagacha. And Ishwarganj is becoming popular nowadays. But Gouripur needs more attention, too, as at least two places of this upazila are full of beautiful old structures. One of those, Ramgopalpur, may be seen in various media. But the main hub, Gouripur town, cannot be found in any literature. Perhaps, heritage does not come to mind because of Humayun Ahmeds writing on the rail station. So, let me try and give you some idea of the architectural gems of this particular place. Of the major zamindars (land owners) of Mymensingh area, the zamindars of Gouripur built most of the buildings and institutions in both Gouripur town and Ramgopalpur. There were several branches of them, but the Roys and Chowdhurys were the most prominent. They promoted fabulous bungalow type architecture. Gouripur House in Kalimpang in India, Gouripur Lodge in Mymensingh city and Lahiri Lodge in Gouripur town still bear testimony to the style. They used wood extensively, most probably as a result of the great earthquake of 1897. Two branches (tarof) of zamindars lived in nearby settlements. Maddham tarof (middle branch) lived in Kalipur, now part of the main town. Another branch lived in the town. The remaining powerful branches or heirs lived on their original land in Ramgopalpur. A large portion of the main house of the Gouripur zamindars is now used as Gouripur Women Degree College, established in 1981. The main building and many other structures of the huge complex have now collapsed. Just three structures are still intact. The Durgabari Puja temple, with a large nat mandap (dance hall), is open to all. A ruined single storied structure is also found there and it is said to be family shrine. A residential quarter is now used as a hostel. The main gateway, a main attraction, has a 100-feet (30-metre) faade, with a beautiful central domed arch. In Kalipur, there is Lahiri Lodge, an important structure not only in Gouripur, but also in the whole of Bangladesh. It is a well-designed, north-south facing bungalow type lodge, with a 150-feet (45-metre) long faade, facing a large pond on the west. There is another pond on the east side, too. There are several rooms on both sides of the central steel domed room with wonderful porches. Recently, the whole tin shed and steel roof have been painted red, which cannot be seen in old images. This is a magnificent piece of architecture which can easily be preserved. It is now used as upazila land office and local police station. There are four other small structures nearby, including a temple. Three of these are blocks of masonry and one is a small bungalow, now used as a branch of Bangladesh Krishi Bank. On the other side of the road from Lahiri Lodge, some other small but significant structures can be found. A major one is a bungalow used as a union land office. Two strange looking buruj type (tower-like) structures are also nearby. What was their purpose, I cannot tell, but these are the oldest surviving buildings of Gauripur town. Another zamindar palace is now Gouripur Goverment College, established in 1964. The front portion is still intact. It is a beautiful Indo-Saracenic revival red structure, having a central archway with both side rooms and veranda. Some other original structures are also there. The century-old Rajendra Kishore High school was established in 1911 by the original zamindars. It is a long, red-coloured colonial style building, like other British-era schools in Bengal, and it is one of the largest. The main building faces a huge water body, called Ananta Sagar. An old bungalow type cinema hall is also exists here! As a result, Gouripur town is a place of bungalows. Besides Gouripur, you can only find such architectural scenery in Sylhet region. And the famous junction (station) is also a must visit. All these historical structures increase the importance of the place. So, Gouripur deserves more attention and care. Photos: Writer