Sonargaon Art & Craft museum tour
There are a lot of places to visit in Sonargaon. Sonargaon Museum is one of the best places among them. The distance between Sonargaon from Dhaka is only 27 km. This region was famous for the muslin and handloom industry. Once all the wealthy businessmen of Bengal used to come here. Exactly how much area was ruled as Sonargaon, has yet to be discovered. Top 10 Places in Dhaka, you must visit
Best time to visit Sonargaon –
It is generally open to visitors throughout the year
How to go to Sonargaon-
Route 1 – If you go from outside of Dhaka, you have to come to Gulistan in Dhaka first. Doel, Borak (AC), Shadhin, Gauchia paribahan, Bandhan, or Meghna Ghat going bus directly drop you at the Mograpara bus stand. The time takes 2.30 hours. Fare 55-60 taka per person. (May change from time to time)
Route 2 – You can go to Chittagong road by Dhaka-Narshindi going bus Meghalaya Paribahan, then from Chittagong Road to Mograpara Bus Stand by Naf Express.
Route 3 – From Gabtali or Technical, first get off the signboard at Thikana/Maumita/Labbaik. Bus- fare 50-60 taka. From the signboard, the Shimrail Transport/Doel/Bandhan bus will drop you at Mograpara Bus Stand.
Get off From the bus at Mograpara bus stand. You can see rickshaws and auto bikes for going Sonargaon museum. Fare is Tk 20-30.
Sonargaon Entrance Ticket Price-
The ticket price per person is Tk.50
Ticket Price for Students – Tk 30 (must wear school dress + Needed recommendation from school authorities)
Entry fee for foreigners – Tk 100
Parking fee-
Fee per bus – 300 Tk
Coaster/Minibus Fee- 200 Tk
Jeep/Car/Microbus- 100 Tk
The fee per bike is Tk.50
Bicycle Fee-25 Tk
Sonargaon shooting spot fee- 5750 taka (all day)
Fishing fee-1750 taka.
Sonargoan visiting time for tourists-
Summer (March-September)
10 am – 6 pm.
Winter (October-February)
9 am – 5 pm
Weekly closed on Thursday
(Boro Sardar Bari ticket price is different)
To enter Sonargaon’s interior Isha Kha’s House or Boro Sardar House requires another ticket-
Ticket price per person – 100 Tk
Ticket cost for foreigners – Tk 200 per person.
(Visit Duration-30 Minutes)
Where to eat in Sonargaon?
There is a restaurant Opposite the ticket counter, Mamu Bari Restaurant & Picnic Spot. Before entering Sonargaon, you can take a light breakfast. Here you will find tea, coffee, cakes, biscuits, chips, water, coke, bananas, and many things. We bought some food before entering. You will also find various food shops inside Sonargaon. However, the prices inside are a bit higher. I bought the ticket and entered inside. Sonargaon has two gates. We entered through the second gate.
Where to stay in Sonargaon-
Sonargaon is very close to Dhaka that’s why tourists come here for a day tour. If you want to stay at night, you have to come to Sonargaon Upazila Sadar or Narayanganj town.
The name and addresses of the hotels in Sonargaon Upazila Sadar are-
Royal Resort – Kashnagar Dighirpar, Sonargaon, Narayanganj.
Hotel Meena – 16 Mahim Ganguli Road, Tanbazar, Narayanganj.
Hotel Narayanganj – No. 1 Sirajuddaula Road, Narayanganj.
Hotel Mehran – Sanatan Pal Lane Road, Narayanganj.
Hotel Sugandha – Liaquat Super Market, 12/20 Digu Babur Bazar, Narayanganj.
Hotel Sonali – 1st Railgate, Sanatan Pal Road, Narayanganj.
What to see in Sonargaon Museum-
1) Boro Sardar Bari (Big Sardar’s house)
2) Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Folk and Crafts Museum
3) Karu Chattar
4) Kayaking point
5) Folk fair area
Boro Sardar Bari (Big Sardar’s house)-
First, we went to Big Sardar’s house or Isha Khan’s house. Entry ticket 100 Taka, visiting duration 30 minutes. It is located inside Sonargaon. Now it is renovated. The entrance gate is enormous in shape and this gate is the original Sardar’s house gate which is made of expensive white stone, and marble stone. The interior design is completely modeled after the zamindar houses of the previous era. Only the ground floor of this two-storied house is open to tourists.
Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Folk and Crafts Museum-
After visiting Boro Sardar’s house, we went to Zainul Abedin Folk and Crafts Museum. At the entrance of this three-storied building, there are photos of Zainul Abedin and some of his famous paintings. It was established in 1975 by Zainul Abedin. The aim of this museum is to sustain the tradition and culture of Bengali. There are about 4,300 artifacts here. In the museum, you can see old wooden furniture, clay dolls, sculpture, pottery plaques, brass ornaments, musical instruments, ivory ornaments, couches, etc. There is also the traditional Jamdani saree. It takes about 30-45 minutes to visit around.
Karuchattar or Karupalli (karu village)-
This Karuchatwar or Karu village is located next to the 2 no. entrance gate of the Sonargaon museum. Mainly jamdani sharee and various items are available here. All the products are hand-woven by local people. Each stall offers the jamdani saree, three pieces, shawl, muffler, shirts, handloom dress, etc. The stalls have different names. There are also pottery shops and toy shops made of wood, jute, and mud.
Kayaking Point-
After Sonargaon Karuchattar you can go to Kayaking Point. During winter water is usually less. You can enjoy a boat ride in the afternoon and visit the whole lake by boat. The full boat rental fee is Tk 150, the time is 30 minutes, and a total of 5 people can board one boat. You can buy Tickets from the kayaking spot.
Folk Festival and exhibition Chattar –
The folk festival is organized in Sonargaon every year in winter. Generally, this fair is held from mid-January to mid-February. The main purpose of this festival is to highlight the memories of rural Bengal’s traditions. Handwoven jamdani and cotton garments, bamboo and wooden ornaments, iron, copper, and brass ornaments, clay dolls, jute, and rattan products are available at the fair. Also, food stalls offer you pitha-puli (cake), curd, sweets, chickpeas, etc. Each stall here has its own distinction. You must visit the whole fair.
Lalon Chattwar and Puppet Dance Show-
The Lalon music festival is mainly held in Lalon Chattar. Lalan music artists from different parts of the country come here. Next to Lalon Chatwar is the puppet dance stage, an extinct tradition of Bengali.
There are security and tourist police boxes to provide security to the tourists. You can contact them if you have any problem.
Sonargaon Travel Tips-
1) For visiting the Sonargaon museum and other places in Sonargaon, you should come here in the morning.
2) Must visit the Boro Sardar house. Although need to purchase another ticket for entry. But I really like this house.
3) Don’t forget to go kayaking in the afternoon
4) Very beautiful and suitable place for a family tour. You can also bring food from home.
5) If you go to Sonargaon, you must visit nearby places such as Panam city, Goalanda Mosque, Taj Mahal, etc