History of Somapura Mahavihara
Somapura Mahavihara is one of the best archeological sites in indian subcontinent, located in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Naogaon District, Bangladesh.
Like all other regions, the civilization of this region is quite old. The richness of a nation lies in its civilization. However, civilizations are lost in the dark of time, which will continue to be discovered at different times. And by examining those civilizations that have been discovered, the roots of a nation’s roots or relationships can be traced. Sompur Bihar was discovered in Naogaon, Bangladesh. According to the information found in the inscriptions found, the Paharpur Buddhist monastery’s surname is Shri Sompur-Shri-Dharmapaldev-Mahabihar-monk association.
Many scholars view this inscription as the largest Buddhist monastery in the world. The monastery is one of the three UNESCO World Heritage sites located in Bangladesh. The remaining two World Heritage Sites are the Sixty Dome Mosque (Shat Gumbj) in Bagerhat and Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world.
History
Sompur Vihar is located at Paharpur union of Badalgachi upazila in the northern district of Bangladesh. Paharpur Buddhist Vihar is known to many for its name. The Pala dynasty ruled in Buddhism for four centuries in ancient Bengal. Originally the central Pala state of Bengal and Bihar, the final phase of succession extended to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the north-west of Pakistan.
The kings of the Palas of ancient times were devout Buddhists. It is believed that the Sompur Buddhist monastery was built in the time of Dharmapala, the second king of the Pala dynasty. However, many also believe that the builder of this monastery was not Dharmapala, his son Raja Devpal. This is because the author of the famous Tibetan history book ‘Pag Sam Zhon Zhang’ very clearly mentions the huge monastery and the high temple built at Sompore by Devpal (810–850), the son of Dharmapala.
The huge structure looks like a mountain from afar, for a long time under pressure. Paharpur Union was named after that. Apart from various places in the Indian subcontinent, Buddhists from countries such as China, Tibet, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, far away, used to come here to practice religion and theology.
In the tenth century, Acharya was the Acharya of Bihar. The fame of the great scholar Aishit reached the border of Bengal, even in Tibet. Conveniently, he went to Tibet to solve the water problem there. The house of this great scholar was in Vajralabini village in Bikrampur, near Dhaka.
It was discovered during the survey of the land during the English period, after nearly a hundred years of lost memory. Approximately at any one time between 1807–1812. Then there was Sir Alexander Cunningham around 1879 and the British Department of Archeology carried out a partial excavation in the 1920s.
After the independence of Bangladesh, its excavation began in full swing in the 1980 and in the 1985, UNESCO declared it as a World Heritage Site.
Sompur Vihar is spread over about 27 acres. It has 177 rooms. The huge temple in the middle basically looks like a mountain from a distance. The basement of this temple is crucified. The length and breadth of each crossbow is 108.3mm and 95.45mm.
In the center there are several additional walls angularly attached, and in the center there is a vacant quadrilateral with no door and window. This room extends from the floor of the temple to the top. The spacious temple is built in the center of this vacant cell.
The current height of the temple is about 21 meters. However, it is believed that the height of this temple may have been more than 30 meters. However, the main temple is going to be debated day by day, such fears are the locals of Naogaon area. In the eighties, excavation was more or less the height of time. Terracotta works can be seen on the walls of the main temple. Terracottas have been created in the form of various idols.
It was believed that the tantric priests and student monks from far-flung places lived in these houses, which were surrounded by temples. The length of the rooms is approximately 4.26 meters and the width is 4.11 meters. The rooms are surrounded by the main temple as a square field. There are 44 in a row on the north and 3 on the other three.
Many Buddhist monasteries developed in Bengal and Bihar during the Pala period, not just Sompur Vihar. According to the Tibetan description, five major monuments during that period, of which Sompur is the remaining four are Vikramshila, Nalanda, Ondantaputra and Jagaddlvihar of Rajshahi. These monasteries were in regular contact with each other, and much like the inter-university co-labors of the day.
The ruins of Sompur Vihar, which was built some 1200 years ago, take a short distance away. Last afternoon, the salty brightness of each brick reminded me of a civilization that was pressing the ground. Perhaps as the temple shrines, many begin to imagine a one-time activity echoing the courtyard. To think about how small the mortal man will be in the great time!
Whatever the reason:
If you want to get into this historic monument of the country, you must first go to Naogaon city. The distance from Dhaka to Naogaon is 260 km. It takes 6 to 8 hours to get on the bus. Naogaon Ghami bus is available at any time from Dhaka’s Abdullahpur, Shyamoli, Kalyanpur or Gabtali bus stand. Non AC bus fares are as high as Rs. The AC bus fare is around Tk 350–450. However, the fare can vary depending on the time and service.
From Naogaon city it is easy to go to Paharpur. Once the team is tied up, renting a microbus can take about 1 hours. The rent will be about Tk. 1500–2000 The distance from the city to Paharpur is approximately 32 km. The surrounding food supply is not very good. So it is better to take food from Naogaon.
Where to stay:
Since Naogaon is a small city and the tourism industry is not yet developed, it is best to book a hotel in advance. Paharpur Archeology Rest House can be ideal for anyone who wants to visit very briefly and spend the night on site. This rest house of the Department of Archeology must be booked in small range within the main reserve area but in advance!
Sources: TRAVELBD, Wikipedia, TravelMate
