Malda City Guide
On the route to Darjeeling, 349 km north of Kolkata, Malda is the base for visiting the ruined cities of Gaur and Pandua, although it's probably more famous now for its large Fajli mangoes. One reader wrote: 'You could probably kill yourself through overeating mangoes in this place! Gaur is delightful, one of the nicest places we visited in India, incredibly peaceful and beautiful'. Malda's not very interesting, but it has a small museum. English Bazaar, also transliterated as Ingrah Bazar, is now a suburb of Malda An English factory was established here in 1771. Old Malda is nearby, at the junction of the Kalindi and Mahananda rivers. It was once an important port for the former Muslim capital of Pandua.
Getting There
Malda may be reached by road-bus service from Calcutta 410 km and Siliguri 260 km, and train services from Calcutta and New Jalpaiguri.
Tourist Attractions:
Pandua : 18 km north of Malda, another important site of archeological importance has some impressive Muslim architecture including the vast Adina Mosque built by Sikander Shah in 1369. It is one of the largest mosques in India, built over a Hindu temple, and has 378 small domes. The Eklakhi mausoleum and several smaller mosques are the other places of attractions in Pandua.
Gaur : 12 km south of Malda, right on the Indo-Bangladesh border, is one of the most important Historical places of 14th and 15th century Bengal having immense value from the archeological point of view. The relics particularly worth seeing are the Bara Sona Mosque, Dakhil Darwajah (built in 1425), Qadam Rasul Mosque, Lattan Mosque and the ruins of the extensive fortification. There are colourful enameled tiles on the Gomti Gate and Firoz Minar.
