Dewanhat is a popular
bazaar
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
in
Chittagong
Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...
, Bangladesh. The name is an adjunct of the words
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
word "Dewan" (a high government ministry) and "hat" (bazaar). It belongs to Double Mooring police station in the west adjacent to Postarpar of the city. Earlier, a bazaar was held here twice a week. In the beginning, the market was big, but now its size is getting smaller. Now there are markets for
pigeons
Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...
and various birds with
earthenware
Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...
and
clay pots. Also, daily morning labourers and masons wait here for work.
History
Posta was an important gateway to the medieval port city of Chittagong. The word Posta comes from the
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
word "pust" meaning reverse side or back side. This adjective is also used as a place name in Persian tradition. The location of Postar Par in medieval times was towards the opposite side or back side of the city in view of the riverside port. From 1742 to 1751 during the
Nawabi rule of Bengal, Maha Singh was the
Diwan of the
Mughal administrator in Chittagong. He was appointed Naib Subedar in 1753 and served till 1758. Maha Singh chose this place near Postarpar to set up the Dewanhat. Later Dewanhat was named after him as a memorial.
References
External links
*
{{Chittagong landmarks
Economy of Chittagong
Bazaars in Bangladesh
1758 establishments