Krishnanagar
Situated on the southern banks of the Jalangi river Kriahnanagar or Krishnagar has the administrative headquarters of the Nadia district. Rice, jute and sugarcane are the major agricultural produce of this city. This place got its name after the famous king called Raja Krishnachandra who resided in this region. He was the person who is mainly responsible for the growth of creative arts and craft which got acclamation from the entire state of West Bengal.
There are some historically famous places of interest in Krishnanagar such as the Rajbari or the residence of Raja Krishnachandra. The main feature of this Rajbari is the Goddess Durga temple which is situated in the courtyard of the royal palace. The two main festivals which are attended by thousands of people are the Jhulan Mela (celebrated around July and August) and Baro Dol (celebrated around March/April). This is the time when the common people can actually witness the grandeur of the royalties.
The second place of interest in Krishnanagar is the famous area called Ghurni which is the neighborhood of the clay artists. Raja Krishnachandra invited a few of the families of these clay artists in this region and since then there has been no looking back. Their gods and goddesses are famous not only in India but are also in high demand by the Indians living abroad. They also make clay dolls and other toys for children. Tourists are greatly interested to see these gifted artists working in their studios.
Another hot favorite attraction for the tourists is the mouth watering sweetmeats of Krishnanagar. Among many delicacies the sarpuria and sarbhaja are said to be the inventions of the cooks or moyras of this region.
Krishnanagar can also be called a Christian evangelistic centre. It has a monumental Roman catholic church which portrays the awesome architecture and wooden sculpture of that era. It is said that sculptors were specially brought in from Italy to make these wooden sculpting. But one will be mesmerized by the twenty seven oil paintings depicting the entire life of Jesus Christ.
Krishnanagar has also been a haven for the literates. It has some renowned educational buildings such as the Public Library (1856), the College Bhavan (1846), the Krishnanagar Academy etc.
Krishnanagar is assessable by both road and train. It has a railway junction as well. Tourists who are interested to see the rich Bengali culture must visit Krishnanagar.
