Muktagacha Rajbari

The Muktagacha estate was one of the larger zamindaris of Mymensingh and its rajbari is a sprawling complex of courtyards, halls, temples, a theatre and service buildings built up over two centuries, much of it now decaying with trees growing through the masonry, which gives it the particular atmosphere of the abandoned estates of Bengal: colonnades open to the sky, a Durga temple with its stucco falling, and a strongroom whose iron doors survive. Part has been consolidated and is shown with a caretaker. The town beside it has its own institution: Gopal Pal's sweet shop, founded in 1824, whose monda, a soft flattened milk sweet, is claimed to have been made to the same recipe since then and is what most Bangladeshi visitors actually come for.

What you'll find

• Courtyards with trees in the masonry - the decaying estate at its most atmospheric.
• The Durga temple and theatre - the ceremonial buildings of the complex.
• The iron strongroom doors - the treasury of the estate.
• Monda at Gopal Pal's - the sweet made since 1824 beside the gate.

When to go

November to March. Two hours. The caretaker unlocks sections on request. The sweet shop sells out by afternoon on busy days. Mornings are cooler.

Good to know

Much of the complex is ruinous and unsafe to enter. Interpretation is minimal. The famous sweets are very sweet and not to every taste. The town is otherwise ordinary.

Nearby

Mymensingh and Shashi Lodge are east; the Madhupur forest lies north.