Sonargaon Folk Art Museum

The museum occupies the Boro Sardar Bari, a zamindar house of 1901 with an ornate facade of arches and columns, and a second building in landscaped grounds with a lake, and it holds the national collection of Bengali folk art and craft: nakshi kantha embroidered quilts, terracotta, woodcarving, masks, puppets, boat models, metalwork, musical instruments, jamdani and other textiles, and a section on traditional occupations. Sonargaon was a capital of Bengal in the medieval period, and the abandoned street of Panam Nagar, a run of decaying merchant houses of the late nineteenth century, stands a short walk away and is usually visited on the same trip. A craft fair is held in the grounds each winter.

What you actually see

• Nakshi kantha embroidered quilts - the running-stitch textiles of Bengal.
• Boat models and woodcarving - the delta craft traditions.
• The 1901 zamindar house - the ornate building the museum occupies.
• Panam Nagar nearby - the abandoned merchant street a short walk away.

When to go

November to March. Two to three hours with Panam Nagar. It closes on some days. The winter craft fair fills the grounds. The drive from Dhaka takes far longer than the distance suggests.

Honest expectations

Display is dated and English labelling is limited. The drive from Dhaka on the Chittagong highway is slow and unpleasant. It is crowded at weekends. Panam Nagar is deteriorating and partly fenced.

Nearby

Panam Nagar is a short walk; Goaldi Mosque lies nearby.