Goaldi Mosque as Witness to an Embarrassing Gaffe - Sonargaon Tales

The town of Goaldi has been described as a “sequestered hamlet” and “precariously surviving”. It’s a nondescript village hidden amidst thick bamboos groves, mango canopies and jackfruit trees, some 6 kilometers northwest of Painam Nagar in Sonargaon. But in its cloisters, we found a mosque – the oldest known structure in Sonargaon; an illustrious relic from the medieval past.

A pre-mughal structure known as Goalde Mosque rises in this sleepy village. This was a single-domed mosque built by Mulla Hizabar Akbar Khan in the early 16th century, during the reign of Alauddin Husain Shah, an independent late medieval Sultan of Bengal who rose to power after assassinating his sultan - Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar Shah of Abyssinia (a Habeshan tribe whose origins hail from Ethiopia and Eritrea in Africa). Alauddin was the deposed sultan's wazir (a high ranking political adviser of a muslim dynasty). Alauddin eventually founded a dynasty that ruled Bengal for years. This snippet of historical fact we're mentioning to place this story capsule in contextual perspective. Unfortunately, not much is written about Akbar Khan, the person responsible for the construction of the mosque.

On fast gaze, the mosque looks small; a single structure with rich thematic pertinence and an even richer past. Its colors have been dramatically washed up with the passing of time, seemingly departing its whispery grandeur in footnotes of tourist books. Except for the backside of the mosque, each side has 3 arched entrances, the central arch slightly higher than the others. The interior of the mosque is gated, thus a visit inside is not allowed.

For decades, Goaldi Mosque was in utter ruins until its restoration in 1975.

A more detailed description is in Banglapedia that says:” Provided with three arched entrances to the edifice on the east and one each on the north and the south (now bricked up) the base of the dome rests on squinch arches at the four corners which support the dome on pendentives."

"There are some ornamental black stone pillars inside the prayer hall for the support of the roof. Corresponding to the three arched doorways on the east there are three richly decorated mihrabs (a niche in a mosque positioned to face Mecca) on the west wall, of which the central one is bigger and beautifully embellished with curved floral and arabesque relief on dark black stone, but the flanking side mihrabs are ornamented with delicate terracotta floral and geometric patterns. The central stone mihrab is framed within an arched panel with an expanded sunflower motif in the centre. Below that the spandrels of the multi-cusped arch of the mihrab are decorated within a rectangular frame. The engrailed arched recess is carried on stunted octagonal pillars faceted at stages. Four round banded turrets at the outer corners rise up to the curvilinear cornice.”

Goaldi interiors. This photo and the one directly above only are courtesy of Ershad Ahmed's blog - http://dhakadailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/06/historical-masjid-at-goaldi-and.html

Terracotta designs of hanging lamps and flowers.

On a rickshaw, we arrived in front of a small, seemingly ignored compound where, at its center piece is this pre-mughal mosque named after its town. Mafuz eventually sequestered my camera. My tour guide was enamored with the sight he was showing Karin and I. Even the details of moldings were photographed in their intricate design.

Each of the four sides measures 4.8 meters thus it was easy to go around it and appreciate its otherworldly appeal. While winding down with our visit, I realized that I have been erroneously calling my Swiss friend "Helen" when it should be "Karin". From the side of the mosque, in a soft whisper and an abashed discountenance, she corrected me. This tall blond girl with a timid smile - I had been calling her with someone else's name - the whole duration of the visit, and I was red with embarrassment! Being inattentive is a scourge and I am not too proud of my gaffe. The funny thing is, Mafuz actually captured this embarrassing predicament (see below) while I was profusely apologizing to her beside Goaldi Mosque.

But the shadows of the past weren't lost in our moments of frivolity. It cloaked us like the warm sun.

This is the Eye in the Embarrassed Sky!

Goaldi Mosque's washed out colors echo a colorful almost-neglected past.

Cylindrical turrets characterize the four corners that rise up from the ground to the cornice (ornamental molding around the wall of a room just below the ceiling) .

Mosque is my embarrassed witness.

Terracota moldings adorn this pre-mughal architecture.

Intricate designs found in the moldings around the turrets.

Writings on the wall.

A Nawab's Princely Mansion - Surreal Visit Around Sonargaon (Bangladesh)

I wasn't sure if we were still on the street that made up the ghost city called Painam Nagar (Panam City) right in the heart of Sonargaon where an ancient city once stood proud. Painam Nagar was supposedly a single line of narrow street made up of 50 once-lavish mansions owned by rich Hindu merchants. They have fled the country ever since - to escape ethnic persecution against the growing Muslim population. We rode the rickshaw until we reached a crumbling mansion separated from the other dated, but lavish excrescences.

A PRINCE'S MANSION

Mafuz, my guide, knocked on a gate until someone opened it. These were the present tenants, and Mafuz seemed to know them. We were allowed in to wander around. This was relatively bigger than those on the street. We were told that this was once the elegant home of a nawab (muslim prince). In fact, it even has an annexed building that's almost overwhelmed by growing foliage, and slithering vines snaked around its dilapidated walls; bricks chipping off. The roof from the annex caved in years ago. A staircase leading nowhere looked like one of those Harry Potter magical moment that's left hanging between incomplete spells. I was told that this particular house has a sinewy basement, with tunnels that go as far as Dhaka. If in case this were true, then they have an even better tunnel system than Saigon's Cu Chi tunnels. We had no way of confirming this, but such stories stoke the imagination - and were always an interesting topic of conversation.

Once again, at the back of these mansion, was a lake or pond. It's mirror-image reflection of the nearby scenery - huge trees, blue skies, each item parading placidly like sweet poetry from this wall-less portion of the tired old mansion. Decrepit it may be, this once grandiose abode still managed to convey its past, albeit in calculated whispers. This surreal experience just cost me 50 taka - not as an entrance fee, but as voluntary gratuities for the opportunity to relive a rich past.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention this sensation of awe that embraced me all throughout this visit.

With my imagination fired up, we moved on to the next stop. Like an Eye in the Sky!

A muslim prince's playground, now it's believed haunted.

Unfinished incantations

Nature overwhelms a once-lavish mansion.

Painam Nagar's Losing Battle with Time and Nature (Sonargaon)

Nature has a way of reclaiming their sovereignty, and this is all too evident in the neglected domiciles in an eerie street in Sonargaon. I like the way a Lonely Planet article on Painam Nagar describes this once lavish community:

“The once elegant town of Painam Nagar is busy fighting a losing battle with nature, and with every passing year the trees and vines drape themselves a little further over the decaying houses. The result is a delightful ghost-town quality where the buildings appear to hang like exotic fruits from the branches of the trees.”

I don’t have this description in my own LP so this must be a later version, but this poetically paints a surreal description of Painam Nagar.

From the Folk Arts and Crafts Museum (aka Sadarbari), we took a rickshaw north of the museum. It didn't take long. Karin and I were seated in front while Mafuz (our guide) was at the back – the proverbial “backseat driver”.

I was in my cotton shirt and jeans, Karin, all blond and a curious a sight to behold in her dark colored sari, while Mafuz was in an immaculately pressed long sleeved shirt, tucked under his pants. He looked very “official”. And the three of us sauntered around like three distinct peas in a pod.

Mafuz picked a house and wandered around with adequate authority, I'd suspect he owned the place had I not known otherwise. There was a household with an woman doing her chores – she was preparing something on leaves. When I looked closer, these were rice-based food, beautifully “designed” – on specially picked leaves. Were they desserts? Heck, no. This was food. Some of them, they eat; some they sell. They looked like frosted candies in their off-pink color. Mafuz reached down and offered us a piece to taste it. Weird. I expected it to be sweet, but it didn’t taste anything. Maybe this was one of those that acquire taste once you’ve eaten enough? The funny thing is, the lady kept working and didn’t even seem to mind that we were encroaching on her space, on “work” – and we didn’t pay anything for this visit. How much more “up close and personal” could you get?

The house stood like desperate relics; half the house facing the scenic lake has all but disappeared. We navigated through a narrow staircase. I was trying to keep a stable stance; didn't wanna fall into a sundry of accouterments that seemed second or third-hand, rusting in sweet salvation. At some point, it became too dark. I was still afraid I’d step on something I’m not supposed to. Our destination: the roof deck! From there, I could see a good part of Painam Nagar. We just sat and gathered our thoughts while Mafuz jumped on a ledge and started clowning around.

MUSINGS OF A SWISS TRAVELER

I liked Karin. She's from Interleukin, Switzerland. She was mild mannered and toothsome, and she had a sincere smile. She would intermittently regale me with some of her travel anecdotes: the German paraglider who dove to his near-fatal accident in Pokhara Nepal (Karin had to accompany him in Delhi where he was eventually flown back to Germany); her life as a relatively new physician; her passion climbing mountains; what is it like being a single woman traveling around Asia. She mentioned that 40% of a Swiss' salary goes to the government as tax; and that Switzerland isn't part of the E.U. (really?). She just completed General Surgery, and she's seriously looking into Visceral Surgery which, to be honest, I've never heard of. She's taken to wearing sari while navigating around, try to be inconspicuous, although I was sure she was not succeeding all that much. Glimpses of her life in a capsule.

I’ve actually made a friend that day. She has since emailed me about her unforgettable experiences traveling back to India, as well as her funny-scary stories visiting Andaman Island off the Bay of Bengal. Later that day, I bought a few Indian rupees from her for my onward travel to Kolkata (India) - I'd need local money for those meal stopovers - while she headed to the southern tip of Bangladesh – Cox's Bazaar, this is Bangladesh's Bali, their Boracay, their Phuket.

'
A pond just behind this row of run-down mansions.

Karin of Interleukin, Switzerland

Intricate details on the ceiling of one of the mansions.

From this short strip of dilapidated mansions, we visited another one – a bigger one actually; the once luxurious abode of a nawab (a muslim prince), supposedly with underground tunnels that reach Dhaka (although we weren’t able to see this). Check it out on our next post. This is our date with a grim historical Bangladeshi chapter.

And this is the Eye in the Sky!

Mafuz, our tour guide, up a ledge by the roof deck.

Painam Nagar - Crumbling Opulence in a Ghost Town (Sonargaon)

Sometime between 1895 and 1905, in a small area in the old part of the ancient city of Sonargaon, a single narrow street became a prosperous site of fervent construction of opulent mansions. Rich Hindu merchants, mostly clothes traders, put all the stops to build elegant homes characterized by graceful arches, columns, elaborate stairs, intricately designed pillars, and brick walls. However, during the partition that would eventually separate India and Pakistan, a tumultuous chapter in the Indian subcontinent, this schism resulted to violent in-fighting between the Muslims and the Hindus. The Hindu merchants who practically owned much of Painam Nagar (also called Panam City) fled to India to resist imminent death, leaving their mansions to the care of poor tenants.

Decades of political strife throughout Bangladesh, then under the political tutelage of Pakistan (most were Muslims thus they went with Pakistan during the "partition") hasn’t allowed the merchants to return. These lavish mansions have fallen into decay, their brick walls crumbling along with their rich historical past.

As a result of this, the whole street of Painam Nagar, including its 50 mansions, has become a ghost town. Despite absence of the most basic necessities – no electricity, no water lines, no sewage disposal system – many of these houses have poor tenants who refuse to leave (nor get relocated). And if you’ve been inside one of the slums of Mumbai or Tondo, you would realize the sheer despondency of the tenant’s living conditions. Mumbai and Tondo slums suddenly seem posh.

Why the Restoration and Heritage Departments of the Bangladeshi government have all but neglected Painam Nagar is such a wonder. I am aware that restoration of 50 mansions wouldn't be cheap, but preservation of history is priceless. I read several articles regarding plans to relocate these tenants (there must have been half a dozen generations since the owners abandoned their mansions) and start restorations, but these have turned out to be mere publicity stunts in the last 5-10 years or so. Nothing concrete has happened.

These present tenants will fight getting relocated, but I really can’t imagine a harder life than staying in Painam Nagar. They hardly look like inhabited homes. At least the other slum dwellings elsewhere in Asia have vestiges of home partitions (living room, sleeping quarters, kitchen, bathroom). The ones we saw here have none! Government-aided transfers can’t be worse.

I am pretty sure that restoration of these mansions would eventually pay off in terms of tourism, not to mention the historical implications in a nation too pulverized by civil war, poverty, cyclones and other disasters, and population explosion.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Up next: A travelogue in visiting Painam Nagar - Getting inside some of these decrepit and abandoned houses.

Bangladesh Fortuitous Jolt of Surprise – A New Introduction

Bangladesh has always fascinated me. Didn’t Rabindranath Tagore come from this country? Considered by United Nations as one of the world’s 50 poorest nations, Bangladesh populates itself like there's no tomorrow. It has a population of 162,221,000 spread across 147,570 square kilometers of mostly agricultural land. The Philippines has an area more than double Bangladesh –299,764 square km and a population of 92 million. Now compare this to the state of Texas which has an area of 696,241 square km, more than 4x that of Bangladesh, but a population of just 24,700,000.

The country’s population increases by 2 million a year, and is expected to reach 185 million in 10 years (2020). A country this size may hardly be sustainable in a decade’s time if this isn’t regulated. Sure, the precepts of the largely myopic Roman Catholic doctrines may dismiss any forms of contraception, but thank heavens Bangladeshis are mostly muslims, with a government hang up on political grandstanding. This topic on density is something I strongly believe I should emphasize in this post.

Until the early 70’s, Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan, East Pakistan to be exact. This was a result of Islamic solidarity - when political and religious divisiveness segregated people into India's Hindu populace and the muslims who had to move to either West Pakistan or East Pakistan. But decades of neglect, as well as declaring “urdu” as the sole national language were a direct affront to the Bangladeshis who don't speak urdu. This triggered a Bangla Language Movement, since you really can't ignore a people's dialect. This was eventually followed by successful secessionist movements. On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh (which means "land of the Bangla speakers") was a free nation.

Map of Bangladesh. This photo only courtesy of www.nationsonline.org.

The Pink Palace or Ahsan Manzil is a majestic and cheap visit. I paid only 2 takas for the entrance.

Dhaka, the capital, sits on the bank of the Buriganga River. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and forms the world's 9th largest agglomeration. It is home to about 600,000 rickshaws plying the metropolis everyday. In one part, these facts frighten me; In another, they challenge the crazy spirit in me. But as long as I envision myself actually coming out unscathed from a visit, I am there. Bangladesh is one of these bewildering countries. And this September, we shall pay homage to a country that has endured decades of separatism and sovereign struggle.

Bangladesh doesn’t have a lot of foreign tourists, and if you find yourself standing on a street in Dhaka, you will become circus attraction. Suddenly, you’re the most unique being in their universe. Do they steal glances at you? Heck, no! They will gather around you, blatantly stare at you, and they will be unapologetically shameless to satiate their curiosity! Occasionally, someone will come over and send the throng away, just so he can take over the staring business. This can get hilarious at times. I remember crossing a street where people to my right – and to my left were attentive of my presence, instead of the chaos on the streets. During such street-crossing, I was asked 5x by 5 different people. Which country you from? Are you student? Are you married? Do you like Bangladesh? Yes, I like Bangladesh, except all the staring! Haha! In fact, I have blogged how they have turned staring into an art form.

In Dhaka, you can experience how Hollywood superstars feel, and enjoy the attention, until they start asking obtrusive questions. You think I am exaggerating? Think again! If you’re looking for peace and quite, boy, you are in the wrong place! But if you’re free spirited and don’t mind the inquisitive world around you, then you can relish on the extreme curiosity of the Bangladeshi people. There are very few international tourists in Bangladesh, thus the ones who make it there are met with brimming curiosity.

Despite stark poverty, overpopulation, and an inefficiently delivered public service, Banglas remain one of the most hospitable people we’ve ever encountered.

Bangladesh and Philippines Eye to Eye

Bangladeshis have interesting parallelisms from the Philippines. They love to opinionate on matters of national and international concern. A big chunk of the population finds migration to the United States as one step to heaven, and getting a U.S. visa is viewed like winning the lottery. Bangladeshis also value their freedom of expression so much that it has grown into a tired excuse of redress in forms of hartals (strikes) and demonstrations. At some point in time, they have actually halted economic growth. Too much freedom can sometimes halt progress. Journalists are also attacked and assassinated much like in the Philippines. In Transparency Organization’s ranking of the world’s corruption index, the Philippines and Bangladesh – along with Belarus and Pakistan, rank 139^th in a list of 180 countries (number 1 – New Zealand - being the least corrupt, and number 180 – Somalia – as the most corrupt). Finally, this is a country frequently ravaged by storms and cyclones. Sounds familiar?

Curzon Hall of Dhaka University, the elegant European-Mughal style architecture is eye-catching, erected in 1905.

VISA APPLICATION

I’ve always hated visa applications, but since I wanted to visit Bangladesh, I had to submit a slew of paper work. Upon realizing the volume of these requirements, I actually thought I was migrating instead of visiting. When I submitted my documents at the Bangladesh Embassy (Universal Re-Building, 2^nd Floor, Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea Street in Legaspi Village, Makati City -+63-2-817-5001, +63-2-817-5010 and call before going there), the girl (a Filipina) assigned for the documents asked what my purpose was in visiting Bangladesh. I said, “As a tourist.” Then she replied with a sarcastic, “Owww? Di nga!” I had to force my brow against unwarranted elevation, then told her what my profession was. These are moments that place you on a defensive stance, and telling her my educational attainment was a faster way to shut her up. How was I to know that the people at the Bangladesh Embassy could hardly believe there was actually someone stupid enough to visit their country? Was that it? And why would anyone illegally migrate to South Asia’s poorest region - to sew jeans for export to India? I don’t sew garments, honey. I suture eyes! Later that day, the same lady offered a conciliatory gift: a 90-page color book called “Bangladesh Basic Facts”, published by the External Publicity Wing of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which I must have read half a dozen times. Nice.

I only planned on a few days in Bangladesh, to be honest about it. It was just a protracted transit en route to India via Kolkata. I planned on crossing the border overland. I applied for 3 days, and I was given 7 by the Bangladeshi Embassy in Manila. Upon arrival in Dhaka (from KL), the immigration officer read my immigration card – this one will ask about your profession and educational attainment (a question that is commonly asked even by the locals) – then stamped 30 days! Most other foreigners – Caucasians, especially – get 15 days, unless their visa specifies 3 months! This was a more generous people, not the 7 days that the local embassy gave me. I was initially weary that such attitude from the idiotic embassy staff would actually extend to the immigration counter once I was in Dhaka. But I was so wrong!

One wonders why embassy people are so uptight. It’s easy to be strict without being rude or a pompous ass. I remembered how business-like the staff at the French Embassy was, but my Schengen was a generous number of weeks. Same story with the Danish Embassy who gave me 1 week more than what I requested. And these are very rich countries, aren’t they? Then we have something like the Bangladesh Embassy who treats tourists as though we are out to pilfer their precious land? Check the country’s history and you’d wonder if there’s anything left for anyone to pilfer.

Baitull Mukarram National Mosque in Central Dhaka

Anyway, after a very welcoming arrival (late in the evening), I carried my stamped out passport to the immigration hall of Zia International Airport. People were queuing towards custom inspection (they had an xray machine, but for some reason, they were manually opening the suitcases) prior to the main exit door. When they saw me, the only Asian in a sea of Indians, Bangladeshis and 2 Caucasians, they just nodded at me, and signaled that I could take my bag out without further inspection. And I felt like royalty! With someone from my hotel picking me up, it was a relief to be welcomed late in the evening by friendly faces. This was turning out to be more pleasant than I expected.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Tara Masjid - or Star Mosque - considered by Lonely Planet as Dhaka's most popular tourist attraction. This has a striking decoration of colored glass set in white tiles - and a very accommodating mullah who "rolled the carpet" for me. I was just so honored. They thought I was Japanese. The sitara's recent renovation is funded by Japanese money, in fact there's a tile there somewhere showing Mount Fuji.

5 taka rickshaws at the Sadarghat area.

Fast Facts

Official Language: Bengali or Bangla

Currency: taka

Exchange rate: $1=69.65 (BDT) takas, PhP1=1.57 takas, 1 Indian rupee=1.50 takas, 1 baht=2.25 takas, 1 ringgit=22.39 takas, 1 euro=88.69 takas, 1 british pound=108 takas

Primary economy – Agrarian, it is the largest producer of Jute

Staple food: rice

Non-religious anniversaries: Bengali New Year’s Day or Pahela Baishakh on April 14, Language Martyr’s Day on February 21, Independence Day on March 26, National Revolution and Solidarity Day on November 7

Religion: Islam (88.3%), Hinduism (10.5%), Buddhism, Christian, Animists

Time difference from Malaysia and Philippines: 2 hours

Bangladeshi cars drive on the left.

Visas have to be secured from your country of origin. There are no visas on arrival. Visa extensions are possible once in Dhaka, but processing will take a minimum of 3 days, sometimes 2 if you’re lucky.

Shipyards at the Buriganga River as I was cruising. An hour's boat ride will cost you 90 takas.

At the beautiful Goaldi Mosque in the ancient city of Sonargaon with my friend Karin. She's a Swiss traveler whose day job is that of a surgeon in Bern. This shot was taken by Mahfuz, my guide. In a moment of sheer embarrassment, I realized that I had been calling her the wrong name - Helen- which she never corrected until later in the day. This was that moment.

Squatters at Painam Nagar. I was a bit embarrassed walking inside the houses, like I had all the right to do so, but the people who occupied the otherwise empty crumbling buildings were good natured enough to greet us with a smile. We will post our photos from that visit soon.

Mausoleum of National Leaders - 3 heroes rest here. They fought for the Bangla langauge and independence. Just at the southwest corner of Suhrawady Uddyan (garden).

100 year old houses in Sonargaon in state of decay.

Mograpara, Sonargaon. My guide Mahfuz made sure I could see the important sights during my short visit. He dealt with rickshaw and taxi wallahs, then I had to join his family home for cha and to see his mother who has hypertension, diabetes and cataract.

Potato economy at the bowels of Old Dhaka

Istara Masjid and the faithful

Bangladeshis are news-hungry. They will read about issues that concern local governance as well as U.S. headlines. Mornings in Dhaka will find you in streets lined with stacks over stacks of newspapers.

Sonargaon's crumbling buildings at the Painam Nagar district, remains of a tiny settlement on a narrow street, consisting of 50 dilapidated mansions built by Hindu merchants, who have since migrated to India to escape Hindu persecution during the war. Some people refer to it as a ghost city - buildings with no owners. It was eerie walking through the street. The deserted buildings later turned out to be occupied by squatters who live in derelict conditions: no electricity, no toilets, no water supply except for the river running beside these buildings.

Horse-drawn carriage at the back of the imposing Parliament Building, located at Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.

Auto-rickshaw: meter plus 20 takas. It is close to impossible for drivers to use their meters.

Next: Arriving at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and Hotel Pacific: http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/09/dhaka-bound-anxious-plus-hazrat.html

Buriganga River Ride and Sadarghat Visit - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/09/buriganga-river-ride-and-trip-to.html

Ahsan Manzil or the Pink Palace - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/09/ahsan-manzil-pink-palaces-rich-history.html

Bangladeshi taka: They are beautifully and colorfully drawn, they sometimes looked like play money.