Thursday, July 29, 2010

Rajshahi - City

        Rajshahi is a city in Rajshahi District in northwestern Bangladesh. The river Padma, one of the major rivers of Indian subcontinent, runs along the city.

Rajshahi is the headquarter of Rajshahi Division, one of the six administrative divisions in Bangladesh. Rajshahi Municipality was established in 1876, one of the first in Bangladesh. Rajshahi is located near many ancient capitals of Bengal, notably Lakhnoiti or Lokhonaboti and Pundra. Rajshahi is home to many educational institutes, and is often referred to in Bangladesh as the education city. It is famous for pure silk, mango and lichi. Attractive silk products are cheaper in Rajshahi and it is often referred to as silk city. There are also a number of ancient mosques, shrines and temples in and around Rajshahi.

Rajshahi district was a part of Pundru region of ancient Bengal. The capital of Vijay Sen, the king who led military operations in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia was located 9 miles (14 km) to the west of Rajshahi town. In medieval ages, the region came to be known as "Rampur Boalia". The administrative district was established in 1772 and the municipal corporation in 1876. It was made a city corporation in 1991.

The climate of Rajshahi is generally marked with a typically tropical monsoon climate with high temperature, considerable humidity and moderate rainfall. The hot season commences early in March and continues till the middle of July. The maximum mean temperature observed is about 32 °C to 36 °C (90–98°F) during the months of April, May, June and July and the minimum temperature recorded in January is about 7 °C to 16 °C (45–61°F). The highest rainfall is observed during the months of monsoon. The annual rainfall in the district is about 1,448 millimetres (57.0 in).

Rajshahi is famous for its characteristic sweetmeats, not to be found anywhere else in the country. These special preparations include Roshkodom, Khaja, Raghobshahi and Kachagolla. Along with neighboring Chapai Nababganj, Rajshahi is the home of the regions best mangoes and lichis. Rajshahi is also the home of Barendra Museum, one of the foremost museums in South Asia, and of Rajshahi Silk, the finest silk produced in Bangladesh.