Somapura Mahavihara
| Ruins of the Vihara (Buddhist Monastery) of Baharpur | |
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UNESCO world heritage 
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| Somapura Vihara |
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| National territory: |
 Bangladesh
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| Type: | Culture |
| Criteria : | (i), (ii), (iv) |
| Reference No .: | 322 |
| UNESCO region : | Asia and Pacific |
| History of enrollment | |
| Enrollment: | 1985 (session 9.) |
Somapura Mahavihara ( Bengali : সোমপুর মহাবিহার Somapur Mahābihār ) is a major Buddhist ruins in Bangladesh , which since 1985 to UNESCO - World Heritage belongs. The place was built during the Pala dynasty of Mahayana - Buddhists inhabited and was then an important cultural and study center.
location
The archaeological site is located near the village of Paharpur in the Naogaon district in northwest Bangladesh at a height of about 20 m .
history
The Buddhist monastery was the largest on the subcontinent. It was probably built under King Dharmapala (ruled around 775–810) from the Pala dynasty; Tibetan sources, however, name his successor Devapala (ruled around 810–850) as the builder of the complex. An inscription on pillars dates from the time of King Mahendrapala (ruled approx. 850–860). The facility may have been destroyed by competing Vangala armies as early as the 11th century. The Islamic invasion of Bengal (around 1205) put an end to previous religious life at the latest.
The entire site was covered by a layer of earth and grass when British-Indian archaeologists under the direction of the Archaeological Survey of India began excavations in the 1920s.
architecture
Only one staircase led into the square walled inner courtyard with a side length of approx. 307 m, in the center of which the ruins of a stupa rise. The overall conception of the monastery complex ( vihara ) , built entirely of bricks , does not even begin to resemble an Indian temple of the time, nor does it resemble any of the early Buddhist monasteries in India (e.g. Nalanda ); rather, the builders of the mandala- like complex were probably in mutual artistic exchange with the builders of the also Buddhist Borobodur sanctuary on the island of Java . On the inside of the outer walls of the courtyard there were 177 cells that were used by the monks for living and for private meditation exercises.
The central stupa consists of three terraces of different heights, one above the other. Today it reaches a height of approx. 22 m; however, its original height is estimated to be around 30 m. In the uppermost terrace there is a shaft, on the bottom of which relics were probably originally deposited.
Excavations
In addition to a large number of stupas and shrines of various sizes and shapes, terracotta tablets, stone sculptures, inscriptions, coins, ceramics and other items were excavated on the site.
meaning
The importance of the site lies in its influence on Buddhist architecture throughout Southeast Asia . It was an important intellectual center for Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus . The outer walls with ornamental terracotta panels still show the influence of these three religions today.
Web links
- Banglapedia article (English)
- Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
Coordinates: 25 ° 1 '52 " N , 88 ° 58' 37" E
Cultural heritage: Historic mosque town of Bagerhat (1985) | Ruins of the Vihara (Buddhist monastery) of Baharpur (1985)
Natural heritage: Sundarbans mangrove forests (1997)