Joypurhat

About Joypurhat

Joypurhat is one of the smallest districts in Bangladesh: just five upazilas squeezed between Bogura, Naogaon, Dinajpur and Gaibandha, with Panchbibi upazila touching the Indian border to the north-west. The Little Jamuna, the Tulsiganga, the Harabati and the Chiri cross mostly flat, well-drained farmland. The western edge rises slightly towards the reddish soils of the Barind tract.

The district is almost entirely rural. Rice, potato, sugarcane and vegetables follow one another through the year, and the town of Joypurhat grew up around its railway station on the old line to Dinajpur. The district has adopted the slogan "Sonali murgi, latiraj, Joypurhater gorbo aaj": sonali chicken and latiraj, the pride of Joypurhat. Latiraj is a variety of kochu (taro) grown for its long, tender stolons, or loti, and Joypurhat is one of its main sources.

History

Locals once called the market village here Baghabari Hat, and official records gave it as Gopendraganj. When the railway arrived in 1884, the station was named Joypurhat. The district portal links the name to the old "Joypur" estate and says hat (market) was added to avoid confusion with Jaipur in Rajasthan. Another popular story credits the Pala king Jayapala. A police station opened in 1907. The area was part of Bogura district from 1821, became a subdivision in 1971 and a district in 1984.

Joypurhat suffered badly in 1971. Mass killings at Pagla Dewan near the border and at Barai-Kadirpur are commemorated with memorials, and the district marks 14 December as its liberation day. Today it is quieter, but its border crossing and rail line still keep goods moving.

Economy and livelihoods

Farming supports roughly seven in ten households. Potato and latiraj loti are the cash crops people talk about, and Panchbibi's farmers have exported kochu and loti abroad. Joypurhat Sugar Mills, a large state-owned mill dating from the 1960s, crushes cane from the surrounding upazilas in winter. At Jamalganj a large coal deposit was found in the 1960s, but it lies too deep to have been mined commercially. Poultry, especially the sonali crossbreed, has become a big earner. In winter the haats of Panchbibi, Khetlal and Akkelpur are full of fresh date-palm molasses.

Food, culture and festivals

Village life follows the farming calendar: harvest fairs, winter jaggery-making and big cattle markets before Eid-ul-Adha. People speak the northern Varendri style of Bangla. Santal and other indigenous communities live mainly in Panchbibi and the villages along the border and keep their own festivals and music. The Gopinathpur temple fair in Akkelpur is one of the larger religious gatherings in the north.

Places to visit in Joypurhat

1. Lakma Rajbari

   The overgrown ruins of a zamindar palace in Panchbibi upazila, close to the Indian border. Brick arches, courtyards and an old stone lion make it a favourite spot for photographers and day-trippers.

2. Gopinathpur Temple

   A brightly painted Hindu temple in Akkelpur upazila dedicated to Gopinath (Krishna). It hosts a large annual fair that draws devotees and traders from across the region.

3. Hinda-Kasba Shahi Mosque

   A well-known domed mosque in the village of Hinda in Khetlal upazila. Many visitors stop here on the road between Joypurhat and Bogura.

4. Paharpur (Somapura Mahavihara) via Jamalganj

   The UNESCO-listed Buddhist monastery is just across the border in Naogaon. It is only a few kilometres from Jamalganj station in Joypurhat, so it is the easiest day trip from the district.

5. Joypurhat Sugar Mills

   The mill and its campus are a local landmark. In crushing season, lines of cane-laden carts and tractors queue at the gates.

What Joypurhat is famous for

• Joypurhat latiraj loti (arum stolons)
• Potatoes
• Date-palm molasses (khejur gur)
• Mill sugar

How to get to Joypurhat

Joypurhat is about 280 km from Dhaka by road, roughly 6 hours by bus via the Jamuna Bridge and Bogura. Buses leave from Gabtoli and Mohakhali. The train is often more comfortable: intercity services from Kamalapur to Dinajpur and Panchagarh, such as the Ekota and Drutojan Express, stop at Joypurhat and Jamalganj. The nearest airports are Saidpur and Rajshahi.

Markets and haats

Panchbibi Haat

Known as one of the oldest and largest cattle markets in North Bengal. It meets on Tuesdays and draws livestock traders from many districts, especially before Eid-ul-Adha.

Joypurhat town haat

The weekly Saturday haat in the district town. Farmers bring potatoes, loti, vegetables and, in winter, khejur gur.

Khetlal and Akkelpur bazaars

Village markets where winter date-palm molasses, rice and seasonal vegetables are bought in bulk by traders heading south.

Joypurhat at a glance

Shops from Joypurhat on Midmart

No shop from Joypurhat is selling on Midmart yet.

Questions about Joypurhat

More districts in Rajshahi Division

• Bogura Ancient Pundranagar, sweet curd and the gateway to North Bengal
• Naogaon Rice bowl of the Barind, home of Paharpur and Amrapali mangoes
• Natore Rani Bhabani's palaces, Chalan Beel and the sweet kacha golla
• Chapainawabganj Mango orchards, Gaur's sultanate mosques and the songs of gombhira
• Pabna Onions, litchis and ghee between the Padma and the Jamuna
• Rajshahi Silk City on the Padma, famous for mangoes, temples and learning
• Sirajganj Handlooms, milk and the bridges over the Jamuna