Tagore Lodge Travel Guide-Kushtia
There is a shadow of sadness all over the house, there is no noise, no crowd. Today there is no sign of the office bustling with business activity. All the furniture, and useful things in this house have been shifted to Shiladaha Kuthibari. Currently, it is being used as a cultural academy. Music, dance, and acting are regularly held. I was talking about Tagore Lodge in Kushtia district. In 1895, poet Rabindranath Tagore constructed this building to conduct all his business activities. Collection of rent from farmers, land acquisition, accounting of money, and taxation were all done in this house. Although the poet handled business activities along with literary practice, he could not concentrate on business. Apart from the official work, the poet used to write quietly here. Currently, Tagore Lodge stands on 9 katas, but earlier its dominance was not so small. In the evolution of time, this place is occupied by the dominant, only this small portion survives. Tagore Lodge was taken under Kushtia Municipality in 2004.
When is Tagore Lodge open? Ticket Price-
Tagore Lodge is open for tourists almost every day of the week from 8 am to 5 pm. The Kushtia Municipality has opened this house to the public without any entry fee.
How to go to Kushtia’s Tagore Lodge?
Tagore Lodge is located at Milpara in Kushtia district. Kushtia can be reached by either bus or train.
How to go to Kushtia by bus-
Route 1- Buses like Shyamoli Paribahan, Mamun, FK Super Deluxe, SB Super Deluxe, KTC Hanif, etc. go directly to Majampur in Kushtia. You can get these buses from Dhaka Gabtali or Kalyanpur to Kushtia. All non-AC bus fares are 600-700 Tk. It will take 5-6 hours. AC bus fare 1000-1200 Tk. You can easily get an auto/rickshaw from Majampur to go to Tagore Lodge. The fare is Tk 40-50 per person.
Route 2- Go to Kumarkhali via Daulatdia from Gabtali Bus Terminal. Diganta Paribahan, Lalon Paribahan, Zaman Paribahan, and Rabeya Paribahan will reach Kumarkhali in 4-4.5 hours. Rent 400-450 taka per person. From Kumarkhali will go to Kushtia Alauddin Mor by CNG/Auto. Van/auto ply from Alauddin Mor to any spot.
Route 3- (if the budget is low) from Gabtali to Paturia local bus fare is 80-100 taka. The ferry/Launch from Paturia has to cross Daulatdia Ghat. Ferry fare- 25 taka. Then go to Kushtia by train or bus from Daulatdia. Trains at 1 pm and 3 pm. Local train fare is Tk 30, Intercity train fare is Tk 85. And you will get a bus from Daulatdia to Padma, Garai, the fare is Tk 150-180.
How to Go to Kushtia by train
Inter-City Benapole Express (Holiday-Wednesday), Chitra Express (Holiday-Monday), and Sundarban Express (Closed Day-Tuesday/Wednesday) travel regularly from Dhaka to Kushtia. In case of traveling by train, you have to get off at Poradaha in Kushtia.
–Benapole Express leaves Dhaka Kamalapur station at 11.15 pm and reaches Pordaha station in Kushtia at 5 am. Again it leaves Poradahaat at 3:50 p.m. and reaches Dhaka at 9 p.m.
–Sundarban Express leaves Dhaka Kamalapur at 8.15 am and reaches Poradaha at 2 pm. Again it leaves Poradaha at 1.35 pm and reaches Dhaka at 9 am.
Dhaka – Khulna – closing day is Wednesday.
Khulna – Dhaka – Closing day is Tuesday.
–Chitra Express leaves Dhaka Kamalapur at 7 PM and reaches Poradaha Station at 12:15 PM. Again it left Poradaha at 12:24 pm and reached Dhaka Kamalapur at 5:30 pm.
Ticket Price- 360 Taka (S chair), Snigdha 690 Taka AC berth 1242 Taka. Buy tickets online.
To travel to Kushtia you need to get down at Poradaha station. From here to Tagore Lodge, van/auto fare is 30-40 taka (per person). It takes about 30 minutes to reach.
Food Hotels in Kushtia?
Kushtia is also famous for its food. After getting off the bus from Mazampur in the morning, many food hotels will be seen. You can have breakfast at Biswas Hotel, Bismillah Hotel. A little further from Majampur, you can also have breakfast at the Maubon Hotel. The sweets here are very famous.
List of some famous dishes of Kushtia-
-Breakfast- Khichuri from Jahangir Hotel, Porota Sabzi Dal from Biswas Hotel, or Shilpi Hotel in Majampur.
-Luchi, Dal- 6 road junction
-Beef, Kalovuna, khichuri, cup curd – Bismillah Hotel, Mazampur Gate
– Shor tea, toasted bread – Zafar Mama’s Shop, Panti Mor, Lahini Bot tola
– Sora Doi (Yogurt=Doi in Bengali), Ghol- Liaquat Ali Dairy, Bok Mor
-Tea- Aparajita Tea Stall, Government College Grounds.
– You can try some chops, and chicken fries in front of the branch of the bank in Lahini Bot tola, several shops, just go to the opposite bank.
– If you want to have coffee, milkshake, KitKat shake, or Oreo shake, go to the Espresso coffee shop south of Bokchottar (tell someone and they will show you).
-You will see Lalu’s khasi Tikiya (Mutton=khasi in Bengali) below it, you can try it.
-Nanna Biryani at Ektara Junction, NS Road, Katchi Best at Mughal Cuisine.
-Chinese items (fried rice, chicken fry, curry, vegetable, beef curry, soup, etc.)- Karamay Chinese, or John’s Park, the price is a little higher but the food is the best in Kushtia
-Street food is available from 5/5:30 PM onwards from Kataikhana Mor to College Mor throughout the area. Besides, it is all over NS Road.
– If you want to eat sweets, Maubon is good, the price here is a little higher. But famous for sweets.
-An uncle makes pudi, shingara, and potato chops at Haribasar Mor. Puri is also in the narrow lane in front of the Gandhi Hotel in Big Bazar, which is also good.
-Fuchka, Chotopti- Famous Khokon Bhai’s Fuchka, You can also eat Fuchka in Bangabandhu Market.
Kulfi Malai – You can find it everywhere but it is best in certain places. You can eat from Haripur Bridge, Kumarkhali New Bridge, Kuthibari-Shilaidaha. Kulfi Malai price is 50-60 Tk.
Where will you stay?
There are some hotels. The nightly rent of these hotels starts from 300/500 Tk. During the off-season i.e. Lalan Mela, the rates of hotels increase comparatively.
Names and numbers of some hotels are given below-
1) Hotel Al Hayat, Majampur Bus Stand, Kushtia
Contact – 01731-687553, 01312-665556
2) Hotel Sunmoon, Majampur Gate, Kushtia
Contact-01316-035091, 01837-760722
3) Hotel Taiyiba International, Majampur Bus Stand, Kushtia
Contact- 01763645145
4) Desha TARC, Kushtia
Contact – 01720-510330
one sunny morning, I visited this Tagore Lodge. Being along the main road, this house is bound to attract attention very easily. The rickshaw driver dropped me near the gate. Although the building is surrounded by walls, its beauty is visible from the outside. After opening the irony gate, the poet’s sculpture came into view. On the right is the well-used by the poet. The well has become unusable due to fallen leaves. Inside, a caretaker asked me to go. A gentleman is looking after this house now. The dark pink two-storied house has been renovated after being handed over to the municipality. The twisted stairs leading to the second floor, are made of iron from that era. Almost all zamindar houses have such stairs, but in most cases, they are broken, but the stairs of this house are still intact and in use. There is nothing much on the ground floor without an office room and a store room. The whole house can be seen from the field. Climbing the stairs to the upper floor, I saw a large room. In this room, pictures of various moments from the poet’s childhood to his old age are displayed. Also, some images of his poetry and important moments of his life are presented very beautifully. Cultural programs have been celebrated here on the poet’s birth and death anniversaries for many years. Also, several organizations of Kushtia organize cultural events here. Apart from this room, there are 2 other small rooms. There is nothing there. Wide open balcony next to it. From the balcony, I overlook the backyard and surrounding area. You have the opportunity to spend as much time as you want. The silence all around me and the tired bodies made me dizzy. I felt like; This was a good place for a peaceful sleep. Anyway, it’s time to go back. As we went down, the caretaker gentleman showed me a notebook and asked me to write down something about Tagore Lodge and my experience or feelings. He was giving various information about the house himself. A very innocent man. Kushtia people are very sociable and helpful by nature.
Cautions and Tips-
1. It is better not to visit Tagore Lodge before 9 am and after 5 pm. It doesn’t have a fixed opening or closing time so it has to suffer from time to time.
2. No need to bargain here. The people of Kushtia city are honest enough.
3. Asia’s famous Mohini Mill is located next to Tagore Lodge. Don’t forget to visit on time.