Introduction to Alexander Castle Mymensingh
Alexander Castle is an ancient heritage structure located in the heart of Mymensingh city. The palace was built in 1879 by the then Maharaja Suryakant Acharya of Muktagacha to protect the property of District Magistrate Alexander. This magnificent palace was built with a wonderful combination of wood and iron by craftsmen from far away China. It is known as “Iron Kuthi” by the locals due to the heavy use of iron in building the palace. Full of beautiful artwork and aesthetics, this kuthi has two marble stone statues in front of the main gate and several sculptures of women around. The interior of the palace was kept cool by using mica and chumki on the roof of the two-storied building. Behind the palace is a huge pond, flower gardens and an artificial lake.
Alexander Castle is blessed with famous personalities like Lord Curzon, Deshbandhu Chitta Ranjan Das, Nawab Sir Salimullah and Kamal Pasha. The world poet Rabindranath Tagore spent some time here during his visit to Mymensingh in 1926. At present this hut is used as the library of Mymensingh Teachers Training College. The Brahmaputra River, Circuit House and Zainul Abedin Park can be seen from the back gate of Alexander Castle.
how to go
From Dhaka you can go to Mymensingh by Ena, Alam Asia, Shamim Enterprise, Shoukhin or Safe Transport bus for a fare of Tk 320. It takes two and a half to three hours to travel from Dhaka to Mymensingh.
If you want to travel to Mymensingh by train from Dhaka, you can directly board any of the following trains: Teesta Express (7:30 am), Mohanganj Express (01:15 pm), Jamuna Express (04:45 pm), Brahmaputra (06:15 pm) and Haor Express (10:15 pm). You can go to Mymensingh. Class wise fare is 120 to 501 taka. It will take 3 to 4 hours to go.
Alexander Castle can be easily reached by rickshaw or auto rickshaw from any part of Mymensingh city.
where will you stay
Some of the good quality residential hotels in Mymensingh include Hotel Amir International, Silver Castle, Hotel Hera, Hotel La Marianne, Najma Boarding, Nirala Rest House, Ishan Kha and Hotel Asad.
where to eat
There are several food hotels near Alexander Castle including Krishna Cabin, Khandkar Restaurant, Mymensingh Biryani House, Hotel Rasna Vilas, Sarinda Restaurant and Avasti Restaurant.
Other places to visit in Mymensingh
Other places to visit in Mymensingh include Bangladesh Agricultural University, Santoshpur Rubber Garden, Shashi Lodge, Muktagacha Zamindar Bari, Shilpacharya Zainal Abedin Park and Maina Dwip.
Feature Image: Farooq Ahmed Bhuiyan