Hatikumrul Navaratna temple is an archeological site in Sirajganj district which is about five hundred years old.

The temple is located in Hatikumrul union of Ullapara upazila of the district. Hatikumrul Navaratna temple has three floors. The main temple is more than 15 square meters in size.

No inscriptions relating to the time of construction of the temple were found. It is known that a tehsildar named Ramnath Bhaduri was established during the reign of Nawab Murshid Quli Khan between 1604-1828. According to many, Ramnath was a zamindar.

From there, a small sweet path winds its way through the paddy fields on both sides to the northeast. If you walk about one kilometer in this way, you will see a unique archeological pattern in terracotta poetry.

Hatikumrul Navaratna Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Bangladesh. The Navaratna temple is built on a high altar. Each arm of the temple is 15.4 meters long and 13.25 meters wide. The gems or peaks at the top of this three-story structure are almost destroyed.

Hatikumrul Navaratna temple has three floors. There are seven entrances to the main temple porch and five entrances to the inside. There is no porch on the second floor.

The area of ​​the main temple is more than 15 square meters. The temple was once known as the Navaratna Temple because it had nine peaks. The entire exterior of the temple is covered with burnt earth ornaments. Statues of various gods and goddesses, herbs, etc. have been embellished in these ornaments.

Conventional stories

There are various stories about the construction of this temple in this region. It is said that Ramnath Bhaduri, a zamindar, was close to King Prannath of Dinajpur.

Prannath was in crisis after spending a lot of money to build the historic Kantaji temple in Dinajpur. As a result he failed to pay the revenue of the year. At that time his friend Ramnath Bhaduri came forward to help him.

He paid the arrears of Raja Prananath with his own treasury money. However, as a condition for returning the money, Kantaji requested the construction of a temple at Hatikumrul in the form of a temple in Dinajpur.

On the terms of Ramnath Bhaduri, Raja Prannath built this Navaratna temple at Hatikumrul in the style of Kantji. According to many, Ramnath Bhaduri, known as Rakhal Zamindar, built this temple with the money saved from his zamindari.

There are three more small temples in the vicinity of Hatikumrul Navaratna temple. Shiva-Parvati temple is on the north side of Navaratna temple.

There is a dochala-shaped Chandi temple on the side and a Shiva temple on the west bank of the pond on the south side. All the temples are currently being looked after by the government’s archeology department.

In the evolution of time, the zamindari system was abolished in the Indian subcontinent, the ancestors of zamindars were lost due to division of country and change of political pot. This Navaratna temple was hidden in the bushes for centuries as a witness of time.

Many valuable antiques of this unprotected Navaratna have been looted by local and foreign miscreants. Later in the post-independence period, the Archaeological Department of the country found these patterns of tradition. How to go, what is the cost?

You can come out of Dhaka in one day from Hatikumrul Navaratna temple. Hatikumrul can get on and off any bus going to Bogra. AC buses of TR Travels and SR Travels from Kalyanpur and Gabtali in Dhaka cost Rs. 500 to Rs. 500. Besides, TR Travels, SR Travels, Shyamoli Paribahan, Hanif Enterprise, Shah Sultan Paribahan and BRTC buses run from the same place to Bogra. The rent is from three hundred to three hundred and seventy rupees.

Where to stay

There are several residential hotels in Hatikumrul for overnight stays. Apart from this, you can come back at night and stay at any hotel including Kutumbari, Sony Residential and Alishan in Sirajganj.

What to eat

Don’t forget to eat Dhansirin, Tamiz and Sampar Yogurt, the famous and very popular food of Sirajganj and there are various types of local food. There are numerous restaurants you can eat as you wish.

However, the locals said that the temple could be one of the best tourist destinations in the country if it could create a conducive environment for tourists by occupying the places around the temple.