Bangladesh: Baishroshi Zamindar Bari Castle

Zamindar Bari means a mansion or castle, typically built at the turn of 19th/20th centuries by wealthy local merchants. One of the most stunning ones is Baishroshi Zamindar Bari Castle. The mansion complex was built in 1864 by Raghuram Saha, known for his wealth as salt merchant. The family controlled 22 feudal estates (zamindaris) spanning 50 acres and included 14 intricately crafted buildings, two temples, five ponds with brick staircases, and a large garden. The mansion has been left unprotected and unmaintained – but that the beauty of it now – the buildings and intricate old decorations are now overgrown by jungle and strangler fig trunks and branches. It’s an absolute Lara Croft feel, very reminiscent of Cambodia’s temples!