Tonkonath Rajbari

Description

This photo was taken by Benjir Ahmed. The building is more than 100 years old and Benjir simply went to take some amazing pictures. There’s an excellent video available.

He also sent some information about the building.

Raja Tongnath’s palace belonged to Maldua Pargana in early 1900 AD. Which is currently located in Ranishankail Upazila, 40 km away from Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila of Bangladesh. None of Raja Tongaknath’s ancestors were zamindars. At present, a childless zamindar of Goala clan lived in a place called Katihar, 7 km east of Ranishankail upazila headquarters. Buddhinath, the father of Tongaknath, worked as a servant in the temple of the zamindar. When Gowala Zamindar left Kashi for India, he signed a copperplate deed that if he did not return, he would become the owner of the Temple Sebayat Buddhinath Zamindari. As the Goala zamindar did not return, Buddhinath became the owner of the zamindar. However, many people think that this incident may have happened before one or two men. Tongnath, the second son of zamindar Buddhinath, formed the State of Maldua to gain the trust of the then British government. In 1925, the then British government awarded the title of Chowdhury to Tongaknath for his social service work at various times. Later Maharaja Girijnath Roy of Dinajpur accepted the title of Raja.
Later, the state of Maldua was named Ranishankail after Queen Shankari Devi, wife of King Tongnath. On the eve of partition, the king left the zamindari and migrated to India. This ended the zamindari tradition of King Tongnath Chowdhury of Malduwa.