Ramsagar

Ramsagar is a tank, an excavated reservoir, dug in the 1750s under Raja Ram Nath of Dinajpur, by tradition as relief work during famine, employing a very large workforce, and it is the largest of its kind in Bangladesh: about a kilometre long and nearly two hundred metres wide, holding water year round, with high embankments planted with trees around it and a ghat of stone steps on the western side. It is now a national park in the small Bangladeshi sense, a managed recreation ground with paths around the water, some deer in an enclosure, and picnic areas, used heavily by Dinajpur at weekends. The scale of the digging, done by hand, is the point of it.

History

The lake is believed to have been dug in the 18th century, before the Battle of Plassey, by Raja Ramnath, Maharaja of Dinajpur, after whom it is named, at a cost of 30,000 taka. The park was first set up in 1960, recommended as a park for recreation and education in 1971, and declared a national park on 30 April 2001 (Wikipedia, Ramsagar National Park).

The landscape

• A kilometre-long hand-dug tank - the largest in the country.
• The stone ghat - the stepped landing on the western bank.
• Tree-planted embankments - the walks around the water.
• The famine relief story - the work that made the tank.

When to go

November to March. Half a day. Weekends bring picnic crowds from Dinajpur; weekdays are quiet. Evenings on the embankment are the local hour.

Before you go

It is a large pond with a park around it, and the interest is historical rather than scenic. Weekend litter is a problem. The deer enclosure is small and sad. Facilities are basic.

Nearby

Dinajpur is north; Kantajew temple lies beyond.

Key facts