x-default

Getty Images

Shankharia Bazar

Dhaka


Clouds of incense and a bursting paintbox of colours signal a welcome to so-called Hindu Street. Lined on either side with old houses, garlands of lurid orange marigolds, and dark doorways leading to matchbox-sized shops and workshops, this can be an extremely photogenic part of Old Dhaka, as the shankharis (Hindu artisans) , whose ancestors came here over 300 years ago, busy themselves creating kites, gravestones, wedding hats and bangles carved out of conch shells.

The area is particularly flamboyant during Hindu festivals, but colourful year round.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dhaka attractions

1. St Thomas Church

0.18 MILES

Small gothic-style church built in 1819, home to the Anglican church in Bangladesh.

2. Ahsan Manzil

0.23 MILES

Dating from 1872, the must-see Pink Palace was built on the site of an old French factory by Nawab Abdul Ghani, the city’s wealthiest zamindar (landowner)…

4. Sadarghat

0.33 MILES

Running calmly through the centre of Old Dhaka, the Buriganga River is the muddy artery of Dhaka and the very lifeblood of both this city and the nation…

6. Star Mosque

0.62 MILES

This unusual mosque, with its striking mosaic decoration, dates from the early 18th century, although it has been radically altered. It was originally…

7. Baldha Gardens

0.81 MILES

At the eastern end of Tipu Sultan Rd, and a block south of Hatkhola Rd, the Baldha Gardens are a relaxing corner in busy Dhaka. The two walled enclosures,…

8. Kartalab Khan's Mosque

0.84 MILES

This historic mosque, founded in the 18th century, makes an architectural nod to the Bengali 'hut' style of temple building.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "bangladesh/dhaka/attractions/shankharia-bazar/a/poi-sig/1431978/355783",
      "destination": "Dhaka",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Bangladesh",
      "city": "Dhaka",
      "position": "superzone"
    }