Bagerhat

Touching down in Bagerhat, the ancient city of mosques, I finally found myself out in the countryside. The air was fresh for the first time during my whole stay in Bangladesh.

I passed by the 60 Dome Mosque and headed deeper into the jungle, walking by a vast field and past several idyllic settlements. Attracting the curious stares and greetings from passersby, unlike Dhaka though these stares carried a much lighter and friendlier gaze so I welcomed them with a smile.

I went first to Chunakhola Mosque which took me through a series of small settlements tucked away in the jungle, the curious children would come out and try to talk to me in the usual "Hello" and "How are you." I followed a girl with a pink hijab as she walked towards the mosque it stood at the end of the pathway, overlooking the farmlands and ponds beyond. There was a baby goat and its mother, both with an adorable blanket on their backs.

Right near Chunakhola Mosque was Bibi Begani Mosque, this mosque was also superb. These ancient mosques that once flourished in the past have now become a dwelling for the local children, it seems like this is where they come to play.

After finishing the two museums, I headed back via the other side of the field to finally check out the 60 Dome Mosque, where I had to pay a fee to enter. It's definitely the most massive amongst all the other mosques in the area, the interior was also exquisitely designed with white pillars and arches in the ceiling. Unfortunately, the museum was closed at this time so I headed out to grab some lunch in the form of chicken biryani. Right beside the restaurant was the Singair Mosque, another unassuming yet brilliant mosque that was still being used to this day I presume, evidenced by the carpets inside.

Finishing this side of Bagerhat, I began a long walk through the jungle villages to reach the next destination. It was such an introspective walk, and the children were once again the star of the show. A group of them came running out of the gates to greet me, the cutest little girl asking for my name, "Nam ki?" I recall. I said goodbye and saw another huge field with farm animals grazing about, I sat by the bench and just felt the emotions inside me, thinking about my breakup and what life has in store this year.

With my heart a bit heavy, I continued towards Ronbijoypur Mosque, where more kids were playing by the haystack. Such a simple appreciation for life! I wish I could be this happy over a pile of hay.

The end of the road brought me to a busy intersection, there were more people here. The main road leading up to the Khan Jahan Ali Mazar, a much more modern mosque with a maroon facade. The streets were laden with shops and restaurants on both sides. Beyond the mosque was a huge lake where even more people were gathered. I can see the allure of this place, it's quite picturesque.

Finding the Nine Domes Mosque took a while as I went in the wrong direction. Eventually, I found it and I would rate it as the second best-looking mosque right after the 60 Domes one. Here, the village chief started chatting me up which was fun and a totally different experience from the Goaldi Mosque incident.

I was thinking of still going to Reza Khoda Mosque but I realized it was enough for the day, I returned to the intersection where there was thankfully a bus heading back to Khulna.Read more