Mainamati Archaeological site of Bangladesh

Mainamati

Mainamati Archaeological site of Bangladesh

Mainamati is an isolated low, dimpled range of hills, dotted -with more than 50 ancient Buddhist settlements of the 8th to 12th century A.D. It is extended through the centre of the district of Comilla. Mainamoti is located almost 8 miles from the town of Comilla, Bangladesh. It is the home of one of the most important Buddhist archaeological sites in the region. There are a number of Buddhist sites in this region, dating approximately from 7th to 12th centuries CE. Comilla Cantonment is located nearby and houses a beautiful colonial era cemetery.
Mainamati is named for the Candra queen of the same name, mother of the Govindachandra.
The centre piece of the Buddhist sites at Mainamati is the Shalban vihara, almost in the middle of the Mainamati-Lalmai hill range consists of 115 cells, built around a spacious courtyard with a cruciform temple in the centre, facing its only gateway complex to the north, resembling that of the Sompur Bihara. It is clearly a Vihara, or an educational centre with residential facilities.
Kutila Mura situated on a flattened hillock, about 5 km north of Salban Vihara inside the Comilla Cantonment is a picturesque Buddhist establishment. Here, three stupas are found side by side representing the Buddhist "Trinity" or three jewels, i.e. the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Charpatra Mura is an isolated small oblong shrine situated about 2.5 krn. north-west of kotila Mura stupas. The only approach to the shrine is from the East through a gateway which leads to a spacious hall. Here a number of shrines can be found.
The Mainamati site Museum, situated next to Salvan Bihara, houses a good collection of artifacts found at these sites. The Mainamati site Museum has a rich and varied collection of copper plates, gold and silver coins and 86 bronze objects. Over 150 bronze statues have been recovered mostly from the monastic cells, bronze stupas, stone sculptures and hundreds of terracotta plaques each measuring on an average of 9" high and 8" to 12" wide.
Mairiamati is only 114 km. from Dhaka City and is just a day's trip by road on way to Chittagong.

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Mainamati of Bnagladesh

Mainamati

Mainamati of Bnagladesh

It is called the Seat of Lost Dynasties. About 8 km to the west of Comilla town, situated 114 km southeast of Dhaka, lies a range of low hills known as the Mainamati-Lalmai ridge, which was an extensive centre of Buddhist culture. On the slopes or these hills lie scattered a treasure of information about the early Buddhist civilization (7th-12th Century AD.). At Salban in the middle or the ridge, excavations have laid bare a large Buddhist  Vihara  (monastery) with an imposing central shrine. It has revealed valuable information about the rule of the Chandra and Deva dynasties which Flourished here from the 7th to the 12th century AD. The whole range of hillocks runs for about 18 km and is studded with more than 50 sites. A site museum houses the archaeological finds which include terra cotta plaques, bronze statues and caskets, coins, jewellery, utensils, pottery and  votive stupas  embossed with Buddhist inscriptions.

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