Sherpur

About Sherpur

Sherpur sits on the northern bank of the Old Brahmaputra, directly across the river from Jamalpur and roughly 200 km north of Dhaka by road. It is one of the smaller districts in the country, with five upazilas: Sherpur Sadar, Nakla, Nalitabari, Sreebardi and Jhenaigati. The south is flat, rice-growing floodplain; the north rises into the low, forested Garo hills along the Meghalaya border, crossed by small hill rivers such as the Bhogai, Chellakhali and Maharshi that flash-flood after heavy rain.

The hill fringe gives Sherpur its character. Garo, Koch, Hajong, Barman and Hodi communities live in the border villages of Jhenaigati, Nalitabari and Sreebardi, and herds of wild elephants still move through the forest from across the border, sometimes raiding crops. For visitors the district means hill parks and lakes in the north and a quiet, old market town in the south, famous among Bangladeshis for two foods: aromatic Tulshimala rice and a rich milk sweet, chhanar payesh.

History

Under the Mughals the area was known as Dasa Kahania, after a ferry toll of ten kahan of cowries on the Brahmaputra crossing. In the Nawabi period a local landholder, Sher Ali Gazi, ruled it almost independently, and the town took his name. The earthen Garh Jaripa fort in Sreebardi and old mosques at Kasba and Ghagra recall these pre-colonial centuries. In the early nineteenth century Sherpur was the heartland of the Pagalpanthi movement, in which Garo, Hajong and Muslim peasants led by Karim Shah's successor Tipu Shah rose against zamindar rent demands.

Sherpur was a subdivision of Jamalpur until it became a district in 1984. During the 1971 Liberation War the border areas saw repeated fighting; freedom fighters including commander Nazmul Ahsan were killed in an encounter at Cherakhali, and their memory is kept in local monuments.

Economy and livelihoods

Farming is the backbone of the district, with rice the dominant crop. Sherpur's Tulshimala, a small-grained, fragrant rice used for polao, payesh and festival dishes, is the product it is best known for nationally, and many rice mills in and around the town process and pack it. Jute, mustard, potatoes and vegetables grow on the plains, while the hill area produces jackfruit, pineapple and timber from social forestry plots. Sand and stone from the hill rivers, small sweet shops, and weekly cattle haats at Nakla and Nalitabari are other mainstays of the local economy.

Food, culture and festivals

Folk song is strong in Sherpur: bhatiyali, jari and murshidi songs are still sung, and the Garo community celebrates Wangala after the harvest, with its own dances, drums and rice beer, while Christmas is a big event in the hill villages.

Sherpur's pride is chhanar payesh, made by slowly simmering fresh chhana balls in thickened, cardamom-scented milk; local tradition says it was first made in the Ghoshpatti sweet lane about a century ago and carried to Kolkata by zamindars. Tulshimala polao, chhanar chop and pithas made with the fragrant rice are other local favourites.

Places to visit in Sherpur

1. Gajni Abakash Kendra

   A popular hill resort in Jhenaigati, laid out among sal forest and Garo hills close to the border. It has a lake with boats, a tall watchtower and a suspension bridge, and draws big crowds in winter.

2. Madhutila Eco Park

   A forest eco-park in Nalitabari with walking trails, a lake and a watchtower that looks out over the hills into Meghalaya. Mornings and late afternoons are best for the views.

3. Ghagra Laskar Bari Mosque

   A small single-domed brick mosque at Ghagra in Jhenaigati, ringed by a dozen little minarets. Its exact age is disputed, but it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the district.

4. Rajar Pahar

   A flat-topped hill in Sreebardi beside the Dheufa river, said to take its name from a local king. Views over the forest and the river, and nearby Garo villages, make it a pleasant half-day trip.

5. Garh Jaripa fort

   The earthwork remains of an old fort in Sreebardi, with moats and ramparts dating back several centuries. A quiet place for anyone interested in the pre-colonial history of the region.

What Sherpur is famous for

• Sherpur Tulshimala rice
• Sherpur chhanar payesh
• Chhanar chop
• Garo handloom textiles

How to get to Sherpur

Sherpur has no railway of its own. Direct buses run from Dhaka's Mohakhali terminal through Mymensingh and take roughly four and a half to five and a half hours. Alternatively, take an intercity train to Jamalpur, about four to five hours from Kamalapur, and cross the Old Brahmaputra bridge to Sherpur town by bus or CNG auto-rickshaw. From Sherpur town, local buses and CNGs reach Jhenaigati for Gajni and Nalitabari for Madhutila in about an hour.

Markets and haats

Ghoshpatti, Sherpur town

The old sweet-makers' lane where chhanar payesh is said to have been born. Shops here and around the town centre sell it freshly made, along with doi, chhanar chop and other milk sweets.

Nakla haat

A large weekly market in Nakla upazila, known for local cattle and goats as well as rice, potatoes and vegetables from the surrounding farms.

Nalitabari haat

The weekly market at Nalitabari, near the hill border, where cattle, farm produce, forest fruit and goods from Garo and other hill villages change hands.

Sherpur at a glance

Shops from Sherpur on Midmart

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Questions about Sherpur

More districts in Mymensingh Division

• Jamalpur Nakshi kantha country, between the Jamuna and the Old Brahmaputra
• Mymensingh Old Brahmaputra city of zamindar palaces, ballads and Muktagachha monda
• Netrokona Garo hills, china-clay lakes and haor country, with balish mishti on top