Himu's Window

নাটোরের হালতি বিলের বুক চিরে যে রাস্তা নির্মিত হয়েছে সেটাকে ঘিরেই মিনি কক্সবাজার নামের প্রচলন। বর্ষাকালে সেখানে পর্যটকরা ভিড় করে। রাস্তার প্রান্তগুলো সমুদ্র সৈকতের মত করে ব্যবহৃত হয়। কিন্তু, শুস্ক মৌসুমেও সেখানকার মোহনীয় রুপ রয়েছে। Mini Cox's Bazar has become a popular name in Natore where a road went through the vast swathes of Halti Bill in Patul, Madhnagar, and Khajura areas of the district. Tourists crowd there mainly during the rainy season. Parts of the roads are used like the sea beaches. But the road has its charms in the dry season as well.   

An ancient stone with inscription on it has been found at Natore's Madhnagar village recently, bearing the history of a 155-year-old "Rath Jatra" festival. The inscription -- Sanskrit written in Bangla alphabets -- was done with lead on a piece of white stone. The family of Pintu Adhikari, a Hindu priest, has been preserving the stone at their residence. Department of Archaeology officials have declared it a "valuable piece of artifact". Nahid Sultana, deputy director of Rajshahi divisional archaeology department, said they would visit Madhnagar soon. "Such a stone cannot stay at a private house. It is a documentation of ancient history." This correspondent saw the stone during a recent visit to Madhnagar. Pintu Adhikari, who is also the president of the Bishnu temple committee, said the stone was on the temple's front wall. "The temple was destroyed in the 70s. Our family has been preserving the stone since then," said Pintu. Rajshahi Un...