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MALDA
Malda, located 365 km north of Calcutta, was formerly known as English Bazaar. An English factory was established here in 1771. Malda is a base for visiting Gaur and
Pandua. Gaur, capital to three dynasties of ancient Bengal – the Buddhist
Palas, the Hindu Senas and the Muslim Nawabs – has seen three distinct eras of glory.
Pandua, once the alternate seat of power to Gaur, has the third largest concentration of Muslim monuments in Bengal.
Places Of
Interest
There is a museum at Malda that houses the archaeological finds at Gaur and Pandua.
Gaur: Historical relics of 14th and 15th century Bengal particularly worth seeing are the Bara Sona Mosque, Dakhil Darwajah (built in 1425), Qadam Rasul Mosque, Lattan Mosque and the ruins of the extensive fortification. There are colourful enamelled tiles on the Gomti Gate and Firoz Minar.
Pandua: The impressive Muslim architecture includes the vast Adina Mosque built in 1369 by Sikander Shah. It was one of the largest mosques in India, built over a Hindu temple, and has 378 small domes. Nearby is the Eklakhi mausoleum (built at a princely cost of one lakh rupees) and several smaller mosques.
Specialities
Malda is famous for Fajli mango orchards.
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