Somapura Mahavihara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bangladesh, dating back to the 8th century. It is the second largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas, covering over 8 acres and serving as a center for Jains, Hindus, and Buddhists. The site was abandoned in the 12th century and forgotten until excavation began in the 1920s. It is located in rural Bangladesh and is not overrun with tourists, offering a peaceful experience. A museum near the site contains ornaments, relics, and coins discovered at the site.
Somapura Mahavihara is a large monastery in Bangladesh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been since 1985. Somapura Mahavihara is an incredibly important site in Bangladesh and is one of the most famous monasteries in Southeast Asia.
Somapura Mahavihara dates back to the 8th century and is perhaps most notable for its staggering size. It is the second largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas, with the complex itself covering more than 8 acres, nearly one million square feet (20 square meters). The Somapura Mahavihara is important to the three major historical religions of the region, serving as a center for Jains, Hindus and Buddhists.
The Somapura Mahavihara consists of 177 distinct cells, with a number of stupas and temples accompanying the main complex. The whole thing is surrounded by large walls which have various ornaments, testifying the Jains, Hindus and Buddhists who used to inhabit the monastery. Each of the four sides of the Somapura Mahavihara is exactly 922 feet (281m) long, built around a huge inner courtyard which houses the inner sanctum.
The Somapura Mahavihara was built by King Dharmapala of the Pala dynasty at the end of the 8th century. The Somapura Mahavihara was permanently inhabited for a few centuries before being abandoned in the 12th century following repeated attacks and almost burnt to the ground in the 11th century by the Vanga army. Over the following centuries the Somapura Mahavihara steadily decayed and disintegrated, left abandoned by the new Muslim rulers of the area, until it reached its current state of decay.
The Somapura Mahavihara was entirely covered with grass in the centuries following its abandonment, and was more or less forgotten by then. The site is often referred to as Paharpur, which simply means hill city, reflecting the fact that the site was often thought to be simply a hill. In the 1920s the site began to be excavated, and more and more were discovered over the following decades. Work increased dramatically after independence and by the early 1990s the site was at roughly the current level of excavation.
The site is deep in the Bangladeshi countryside and many people find it one of the most enjoyable experiences of their visit to travel so far into rural Bengali life. Due to its relatively remote location, Somapura Mahavihara is not overrun with tourists and it is possible to have a peaceful and quite uninterrupted experience of the place. The entire site can be taken in a few hours for those on a tight schedule, but the various terracotta images can easily take up a full day or more for those who want to delve into the site.
There is also a museum near the site, to give visitors a little more information about the Somapura Mahavihara. The museum contains a number of ornaments, relics and coins that have been discovered at the site. Guides are available, and guided tours can help you gain a better understanding of the site.
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