Kushtia (কুষ্টিয়া): travel guide

Spiritual heartland of the Baul tradition: Lalon Shah lived and is buried here (shrine at Chheuriya), and Tagore's Shilaidaha Kuthibari stands on the Padma.

Kushtia is in Kushtia district, Khulna division, Bangladesh. Compare bus, train and air fares to Kushtia and see the route on a map.

Things to do in Kushtia

  • Tagore Lodge (টেগর লজ): Two-storey building in Milpara that Rabindranath Tagore built in 1895 as the office of Tagore & Co.; it is now a small museum with his books and copies of 12 of his paintings. Historical, free entry
  • Hardinge Bridge and Lalon Shah Bridge (হার্ডিঞ্জ ব্রিজ ও লালন শাহ সেতু): Two 1.8 km bridges side by side over the Padma between Bheramara (Kushtia) and Paksey (Pabna): the Hardinge railway truss bridge, opened in 1915, and the Lalon Shah road bridge, opened in 2004. Boats can be hired at the ghat by the bridges. Historical, free entry, best time: Late afternoon for the river sunset
  • Gopinath Jiu Temple (Rathkhola) (গোপীনাথ জিউর মন্দির): Temple in Kushtia town built in 1900 on land given by Maharaja Pramatha Bhushan Deb Roy of Naldanga; he started the Rath (chariot) fair at Rathkhola in 1905, and a large decorated brass chariot was added in 1913. Religious, free entry, best time: Rath Yatra festival
  • Kushtia Municipality Museum (কুষ্টিয়া পৌর জাদুঘর): Small museum on Kushtia's history, culture and notable people, in a red colonial-style building in the municipal compound at the western end of NS Road, beside the old municipal building. Museum, free entry, best time: Sunday to Thursday, 10AM-5PM (Wikivoyage)
  • Renwick Park and Resort: Riverside park and resort on the Gorai beside the Renwick embankment, about 50 steps west of the Haripur bridge, where you can hire a boat or relax; Wikivoyage lists it as open daily 7AM-6PM. Park, free entry, best time: Evening
  • Mohini Mill (মোহিনী মিল): East Bengal's first large cotton textile mill, founded in 1908 by Mohini Mohan Chakraborty near Kushtia railway station; production has stopped and the old buildings are decaying, but it remains one of the district portal's listed sights. Historical, free entry
  • Jhaudia Shahi Mosque (ঝাউদিয়া শাহী মসজিদ): Three-domed mosque with four corner minarets and terracotta work in Jhaudia village, said by its entrance inscription to date from Aurangzeb's reign; it has been a Department of Archaeology protected site since 1969, and a fair is held there every Friday. Religious, free entry
  • Mir Mosharraf Hossain Memorial Library, Auditorium and Museum (মীর মশাররফ হোসেনের বাস্তুভিটা): Birthplace and ancestral home of Mir Mosharraf Hossain, author of Bishad Sindhu, at Lahinipara in Kumarkhali upazila, now a complex with a memorial library, museum, auditorium and schools; Wikivoyage lists it as open Saturday to Thursday 9AM-4PM. Museum, free entry, best time: Daytime, closed Friday
  • Lalon Shah Mazar (Lalon Akhra), Cheuriya (লালন শাহের মাজার): Shrine and akhra of the Baul saint Lalon Fakir at Cheuriya, beside the Kaliganga about 2 km from Kushtia railway station, with a museum, auditorium and music school. Religious, free entry, best time: October (death-anniversary gathering), Dol Purnima (spring) or winter

Where to stay in Kushtia

  • Hotel River View (Budget), about Check with hotel for current rates. Residential hotel at the Shapla Chattar (five-road) junction in town
  • Hotel Ratul (Budget), about Check with hotel for current rates. Residential hotel in Kasba Market, Mojampur
  • Azmiry Residential Hotel (MidRange), about ৳5,800 - ৳7,000/night. 3-star listing about 150 m from Kushtia Court railway station, with a rooftop terrace and a 24-hour front desk
  • Hotel Gold Star (Budget), about Check with hotel for current rates. Residential hotel in the Mojampur area of central Kushtia
  • Hotel Noor International (Budget), about Check with hotel for current rates. 2-star hotel with free breakfast, Wi-Fi, parking and a 24-hour front desk, next to Desha Tower
  • Kushtia Circuit House (Budget), about Check with hotel for current rates. Government circuit house with air-conditioned rooms; reservations go through the District Administration, so confirm public eligibility first
  • Desha Tower (MidRange), about ৳2,200 - ৳12,500/night. DESHA TARC hotel and training centre: 102 rooms, conference rooms and a rooftop restaurant

Travel advice for Kushtia

  • Biryani at Chili's Food Park: Chili's Food Park near the public library is recommended for biryani and beef pizza.
  • Lalon death anniversary gathering: Thousands of Baul followers gather at Lalon's akhra in Cheuriya for three days around his death anniversary (1 Kartik, mid-October), with songs and discussion. A second Lalon fair is held at Dol Purnima in spring. Expect crowds and book rooms early.
  • Getting to Kushtia: Kushtia has no commercial airport; the nearest are at Rajshahi and Dhaka. Buses from Dhaka leave from Kalyanpur/Gabtoli (Hanif Enterprise is one operator) and arrive at Mojampur or the Chourhas central bus terminal. In town, use CNG auto-rickshaws or rickshaws.
  • Tiler Khaja (Kushtia): Kushtia's best-known sweet: crisp sticks of boiled sugar and flour coated in sesame, registered as a Bangladesh geographical-indication (GI) product. Family factories in Deshwalipara near the old Mohini Mill (for example Bhai Bhai) and near Lalon's shrine at Cheuriya make it, and hawkers sell it at...
  • Kulfi malai: Kushtia's kulfi malai is slow-cooked milk kulfi made mostly by families in nearby Shilaidaha and Koya. Hawkers sell it at Lalon's shrine in Cheuriya, Jhaudia Shahi Mosque, Mir Mosharraf Hossain's homestead and the Islamic University campus.

More places to explore in Bangladesh

JatraSathi is a free Bangladesh trip planner in English and Bangla. Prices are estimates; check before you travel.