Malda Travel 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.
