The simple livelihood of the people and cultural atmosphere has made Kustia different from other districts of Bangladesh.
Most of the village people are weavers here. The looms sound like music. It is enjoyable for tourists.
Kustia is known as the land of Lalon Fakir, Rabindranath Tagore, Gagon Horkora, Kangal Harinath, etc. It is called the cultural capital of Bangladesh.
The rivers Padma, Gorai, and Mathabhanga have made this land fertile.
The shrine of Lalon Fakir attracts every tourist. Lalon Fakir is the founder of the Baoul faith. Most of the practicing Muslims think this faith heretic. They think that the "Baouls" are irreligious. But the hymn written by Lalon Fakir is sung broadly in Bangladesh and West Bengal. The intellectuals have found Lalon to be a great humanist philosopher. His shrine is at Cheouria, about 2km from the Kustia railway station.
Kangal Harinath has written the first Bengali novel and is the pioneer of the rural newspaper of Bangladesh. He edited and published the periodical Grambarta Prokashika in the middle of 19th century. He was fearless to publish the truth. So, he was threatened by the administrators and Zaminders several times. To spread education among the women, he founded a girls’ school in Kumarkhali. The broken printing press at Kangal Kuthir, Kumarkhali is still announcing his memory.
The Nobogroho Mondir (a temple) at Alongi, Kumarkhali is another worthy place to visit.
The Shilaidah Kuthibari is the most attractive place for tourists. Kuthibari is related to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. His father and forefathers were Zaminders (landlords). Rabindranath was sent to Shilaidah to collect revenue from local peasants. He built here a house as his office/ residence. It is now known as Shilaidah Kuthibari. People, natural scenery, and the rivers Padma and Gorai attracted Tagore to live here. The Kuthibari is now a museum. The Archaeological Department of Bangladesh takes care of it now. Every year thousands of people come here to visit the museum and its surroundings. It is about 10km from Kustia town.
Quick Tips:
There are no air-conditioned room facilities in any of the hotels of Kustia. There are bungalows in Kumarkhali and Shilaidah. To stay in one of these bungalows, one will have to get permission from the Deputy Commissioner (D.C.) of Kustia.
Best Way To Get Around:
Buses/coaches are available to Kustia from the Gabtoli bus stand. There are also buses to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.