Malda

Gateway to Gaur and Pandua, former capitals of the Bengal Sultanate, with clusters of brick mosques and gateway ruins; also renowned as mango country.

Malda lies in northern West Bengal, India, between the Ganges and the Mahananda River. Its main town, English Bazar (commonly called Malda), is the gateway to two of Bengal's old capitals. About 15 km to the south, Gaur (historically Gauda or Lakhnauti) served as the capital of several Bengal dynasties and sultanates and was one of South Asia's great cities at its 15th–16th-century peak, before a shift in the course of the Ganges and an epidemic led to its abandonment. It left behind extensive red-brick ruins including the Bara Sona Masjid, Dakhil Darwaza, Firoz Minar, Qadam Rasul Mosque and Lattan Mosque, and the old city's southern gate now stands right on the India–Bangladesh border. About 20 km to the north, Pandua was the sultanate's capital in the 14th–15th centuries and is home to the Adina Mosque, then the largest mosque on the subcontinent, and the Eklakhi Mausoleum. Each site can be explored in half a day from Malda by hired auto-rickshaw or car; add Malda Museum and the Jahura Kali Temple and plan on 2 days. The best season is Oct–Mar, when it is cool; Apr–Jun is hot, but May–Jun is mango season, and Malda's Fazli and Himsagar mangoes are famous across India. Getting there: Malda Town railway station is on the Kolkata–Siliguri main line, about 6–7 hours from Kolkata by overnight train. Tips: most sites are free with basic facilities, so bring your own water and sun protection; southern Gaur is close to the border, so carry your passport and follow the instructions of border personnel; remove your shoes and dress modestly at mosques and temples.

Top sights

• Baro Sona Masjid – The largest mosque among the Gaur ruins, completed in 1526, with an imposing facade of eleven arches, also known as the 'Twelve-Door Mosque…
• Dakhil Darwaza – The northern gate of the old city of Gaur, a red-brick triumphal arch about 21 metres high, with polygonal corner towers and finely carved…
• Adina Mosque – When completed in 1373, it was the largest mosque on the Indian subcontinent. Its vast courtyard, about 155 metres long, and carved black s…
• Firoz Minar – A five-storey victory tower about 26 metres tall, with its lower three storeys twelve-sided and its upper two round, known as the “Qutb Min…
• Qadam Rasul Mosque – A single-domed mosque built in 1530 that houses a black stone said to bear the footprint of the Prophet Muhammad, still visited by worshipp…
• Lattan Mosque – One of Gaur's best-preserved glazed-tile mosques, with blue, green and yellow glazed tile remnants on its exterior, said to have been built…
• Chamkati Masjid – A small single-domed brick mosque built in 1475, with finely detailed terracotta decoration, best visited alongside the Lattan Mosque.
• Gumti Darwaza – The eastern gate of Gaur's citadel, a small square single-domed gatehouse with surviving coloured glazed tiles, one of the most ornate city…
• Tantipara Mosque – A mosque built in 1480 in the weavers' quarter, with terracotta reliefs considered the finest in Gaur, though its roof has collapsed.
• Kotwali Darwaza – The southern gate of ancient Gaur, now located right on the India–Bangladesh border, where the arch can be viewed from the Indian side.
• Ramkeli – A sacred village where the saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu once stayed, home to the Madanmohan Temple and a sacred footprint; its summer gatheri…
• Eklakhi Mausoleum – The tomb of 15th-century Sultan Jalaluddin, the earliest surviving square single-domed brick tomb in Bengal, named after a legend that it c…
• Qutub Shahi Masjid – A stone-and-brick mosque built in 1582 in honour of the Sufi saint Nur Qutb Alam, also known as the “Golden Mosque”.
• Jahura Kali Temple – An ancient goddess temple in a mango grove on the outskirts of Malda, housing the goddess Jahura in the form of a mask, where devotees gath…
• Malda Museum – A local museum with stone carvings, inscriptions, coins and Pala-dynasty images from Gaur and Pandua, ideal for filling in background befor…
• Jagjivanpur – A 9th-century Pala-dynasty Buddhist monastery site that has yielded important copper-plate inscriptions and terracotta, a recent discovery…

Where to eat

• Pabna Sweets – A long-running sweet shop on Rabindra Avenue, known for Malda specialties such as rasakadamba and kansat.
• Ratan Sweets – A popular sweet shop in Gangabagh known for fresh kansat, rasakadamba and sweet yogurt at affordable prices.
• G.K. Restaurant – A popular old restaurant on Station Road with more than 10,000 reviews on Zomato, known for biryani, fried fish and Ind…

Itineraries

• Bengal Terracotta Temples & Nawab Heritage – Depart from Kolkata to explore Bishnupur, Shantiniketan, Murshidabad, and Gaur.