A photo a day from Dhaka, Bangladesh
The National Martyrs’ Monument in Savar, just outside of Dhaka, honors those who were killed in the Liberation War. The Monument was constructed between 1972 and 1988. Around the main monument are 10 graves of unknown soldiers from the Liberation War.
The most amazing part of the panjals constructed for Durga Puja is that they were put up right over the existing roadways. The area of Old Dhaka where most of the festivities took place is a crowded maze of tiny roads, and for this week it was pedestrian-only. The temples were built on bamboo scaffolding right over the walkways, making full use of all available space in the already crowded city.
The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok is 46 meters long and 15 meters high. The reclining position of the Buddha is quite unique and depicts the Buddha just before passing into nirvana.
A mythical guardian outside one of the temples we visited in Bangkok.
A picture of a famous Bangladesh building today – the National Parliament Building in downtown Dhaka. The building was designed by American architect Louis Khan, and construction was completed in 1982. Currently Parliament is not meeting, as a caretaker government took power in January 2007, but the situation looks hopeful for national Parliamentary elections in December of this year.
Some very ornate architecture in Old Dhaka. Had I actually listened on our walking tour, I could provide an informative account of the history of this impressive building. Instead the general impression I came away with is that it dates back to the colonial period, a lot of people live there now (the profusion of power/phone lines also speaks to this) and that the current tenants would generally prefer something nice and new to something … old. Because of this, and because of the very high population density, most historical buildings in Dhaka are in danger of being torn down to make way for new high-rises.
This gargantuan mall houses everything from shoes and clothes to eyeglasses and electronics. Each item basically gets its own floor – the sari floor, the cell phone floor, the sports floor … it gets exhausting by the time you work your way to the food court at the top! It’s also the only modern movie theater in Dhaka, usually showing one American film along with a couple from India.
Dhaka Daily Photo 