Old Dhaka - The city of puzzle

 Most of us don't paint a very pleasant picture of the city of Dhaka when we think of it. After all, how can we think highly of a city, commuting from one place to another in which gulps down most parts of our days, and of our lives thanks to it's sickening traffic? But I nonetheless do. After all, this is the city I was born and raised, and continue to live and breathe and get on with life in. Though I like all the areas of my dearest Dhaka, it is Old Dhaka in particular that fascinates me, that makes me feel connected with the history and lineage of this menacing metropolis.

Shakharibazar, Banglabazar, Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, Armanitola - the very names of these neighbourhoods reminds us of tight, congested streets and narrow roads occupied by rickshaws on both sides. And yet each of these neighbourhoods have a story of their own, stories like no other. The neighbourhood of Shankharibazar itself is a world of it's own. It is one of the oldest areas in Old Dhaka, which stretches along a narrow lane, lined with richly decorated brick buildings, built during the late Mughal and Colonial periods. It was home to the Shankharis, who derived their name from Shankha, a decorated bangle crafted from slices of Shankha or conch shells. A Shankha bangle is the symbol that indicates that a Hindu woman is married. In the 17th century, the Shankharis (conch shell workers) were brought to Dhaka by the then Mughal emperor, who allotted them this area for settlement; it later became known as Shankhari Bazaar. Delicacies such as the 'Khwaja paratha', are home to this area. Even today, there are certain dishes, especially sweetmeat, that aren't available anywhere but in Shankharibazar.

Another such neighbourhood in Old Dhaka is Armanitola. It owes it's name to the Armenian settlement surrounding the Armenian church,

which was inaugurated in 1781. In the late 18th century, many Armenians came and settled in Dhaka for trade. Another such people were the Greeks who came and settled in Dhaka to take part in salt trade with the British East India company. The Greek monument in TSC, University of Dhaka built in the year 1900, is a testament to the Dhaka was home to many European merchants. In the fourth gravestone inscription in the monument, which is that of Nicholas Demetrus Elias, who passed away on March 5, 1843, there is an Urdu poem inscribed, that reads-

Duniyan ki jo mazein hain

Haryiz kam na honge,

Charcha ahe rahega 

Afsos ham na honge

Translation:

The joys of the world

Shall never be fewer,

Discourses will keep happening 

Alas, I won't be there.

Old Dhaka to me is a puzzle, a puzzle created by time itself. I would love to see more people trying to solve this puzzle of mine, as much as I am trying to do so.