West Bengal Tourism

Malda is at the confluence of the Mahananda and Kalindi rivers and is an important junction for access to North Bengal. During the 18th century, it was the seat of prosperous cotton and silk industries. Due to its location, it remains an important trading and distribution center for multiple agricultural products. Malda is known globally for the special variety of mango - Fazli, produced in this region and exported globally. Unique to the district of Malda, is the folk culture of Gambhir , which stands for Shiva, which represents joy and sorrow of the daily life of the common people.

Destinations

Gour

The historical site of Gour is a treasure trove for history lovers. Situated right on the Indo-Bangladesh border, it is one of the most important historical places of 14th and 15th century Bengal. This was once the capital of ancient Bengal, from early 5th century till 16th century AD, being ruled by multiple kingdoms. The site has multiple historical relics situated in the entire stretch of the area making it an interesting archeological site. Key structures particularly worth seeing are the Bara Sona Mosque aka Baro Duari Mosque, Dakhil Darwaja aka Salami Darwaja built in 1425 , Qadam Rasul Mosque and the ruins of the extensive fortification.

Dakhil Darwaja

Dakhil Darwaja, literally means the gate, was built in 1425 A.D. and is an archaeological structure - 21 meters high and 34.5 meters wide. It is constructed of small red bricks and terracotta work. Salutes fired from it also gave it the name of Salami Darwaza . Five-story towers rise to the top of its four corners. It was once the main entrance to a fort leading through the surrounding embankments. In the south-east corner of the fort, a 20-meter high wall encloses the ruins of an old palace.

Adina Mosque

Adina Mosque, built in 1369 by Sultan Sikander Shah, is one of the largest mosques in India. The mosque portrays one of the finest inscriptions and unique architectural patterns both on the inside and outside the structure. The design was based on the great 8th century mosque of Damascus. This structure was built using carved basalt masonry which was used to support the 88 brick arches and 378 identical small domes.

Firoz Minar

Located just a kilometre away from the Dakhil Darwaza, the Firoze Minar, was built by Sultan Saifuddin Firoze Shah, during 1485-89. This five-story tower, resembles the Qutab Minar, is 26 meter in height and 19 meter in circumference. This tower is built in the Tughlaqi style of architecture where the walls are covered with intricate terracotta carvings.

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL