Who would not want to get rid of the sweltering heat in Dhaka, like elsewhere across the country now? What if one can bathe and swim in a pond for the entire day for only Tk5?
Those without a single penny are also not barred from taking a bath in Gol Talab, popularly known as the Nawab Bari Pukur, an oval-shaped pond in Islampur of Old Dhaka.
In 1830, Nawab Khaja Alim Ullah dug the pond, which covers eight bighas of land. The Moulavi Khwaja Abdullah Welfare Trust manages the pond.
The pond is also the only water reservoir whenever there is a fire in the area.
Local residents of different ages, as well as shop owners and workers in the area, take baths here on a regular basis. People from other areas also visit the pond as the tradition's story spreads hither and thither.
Despite being situated in the middle of a “concrete jungle”, the pond’s water always remains clear. Nowadays, over 400 people take baths in the pond from 7am to 12 midnight every day. The number drops only during the winter. Authorities say hundreds of people visit the historic pond every day.
In order to take a bath for unlimited time, a person has to buy a ticket worth Tk5. However, the use of soap and shampoo is strictly prohibited. There is also a traditional bathroom (Hammam Khana) and a changing room for bathers.
The authorities, however, do not allow those who do not know how to swim due to the risk of drowning.
Nawab Bari Tank Committee President Mohammad Qaiyum said anyone can take a bath in the pond from 7am to 12 midnight.
“Anybody can even use the pond free of charge if he or she does not have money,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
“For instance, if someone from the Hindu community in Shakhari Bazar dies, his or her family members bathe in the pond for a month for free,” Qaiyum said.
