Somapura Mahavihara

Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Paharpur Vihara
State Party Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, vi
Reference 322
Region** Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 1985  (9th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Somapura Mahavihara (Bengali: সোমপুর মহাবিহার Shompur Môhabihar) in Paharpur, Naogaon, Bangladesh is among the best known Buddhist viharas in South Asia and is one of the most important archeological sites in the country. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Since then, a series of UNESCO missions has regularly visited the site and helped with the project. Moreover, the UN body also prepared a master plan, involving 5.6 million dollars. [1][2][3]

Contents

Architecture

The quadrangular structure consists of 177 cells and a traditional Buddhist stupa in the center. The rooms were used by the monks for accommodation and meditation. In addition to the large number of stupas and shrines of various sizes and shapes, terracotta plaques, stone sculptures, inscriptions, coins, ceramics etc. have been discovered.

The site houses the architectural remains of a vast Buddhist monastery, Somapura Mahavihara, covering 27 acres. It was an important intellectual centre for Buddhists, Jains and Hindus alike.[4] The 21 acre (85,000 m²) complex has 177 cells, viharas, numerous stupas, temples and a number of other ancillary buildings.[5] The outside walls with ornamental terracotta palques still display the influence of these three religions.

History

Bottom of Central Shrine

The excavation at Paharpur, and the finding of seals bearing the inscription Shri-Somapure-Shri-Dharmapaladeva-Mahavihariyarya-bhiksu-sangghasya, has identified the Somapura Mahavihara as built by the second Pala king Dharmapala (circa 781-821) of Pala Dynasty. Some clay seals from the ruins bear the inscription Shri-Somapure-Shri-Dharmapaladeva-Mahavihariyarya-bhiksu-sangghasya.[6] Tibetan sources, including Tibetan translations of Dharmakayavidhi and Madhyamaka Ratnapradipa, Taranatha's history and Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang, mention that Dharmapala's successor Devapala (circa 810—850) built it after his conquest of Varendra[6]. The Paharpur pillar inscription bears the mention of 5th regnal year of Devapala's successor Mahendrapala (circa 850—854) along with the name of Bhiksu Ajayagarbha[6]. Taranatha's Pag Sam Jon Zang records that the monastery was repaired and renovated during the reign of Mahipala (circa 995—1043 AD)[6].

The Nalanda inscription of Vipulashrimitra records that the monastery was destroyed by fire, which also killed Vipulashrimitra's ancestor Karunashrimitra, during a conquest by the Vanga army in the 11th century, assumed to be an army of the Varman rulers[6]. About a century later Vipulashrimitra renovated the vihara and added a temple of Tara. The restoration work was alluded to as jagatang netraika vishrama bhuh (a singular feast to the eyes of the world)[6]. During the Sena rulers, known as Karnatadeshatagata Brahmaksatriya, in the second half of the 12th century the vihara started to decline for the last time. It was finally abandoned during the 13th century, when the area came under Muslim occupation[6].

Atisha Dipankar Srijnan stayed here for many years and translated the Madhyamaka Ratnapradipa into Tibetan[6]. Over time Atish's spiritual preceptor, Ratnakara Shanti served as a sthavira of the vihara, Mahapanditacharya Bodhibhadra served as a resident monk, and several other scholars spent some part of their lives at this monastery including Kalamahapada, Viryendra and Karunashrimitra[6]. Many Tibetan monks visited the Somapura between 9th and 12th centuries[6].

References

  1. ↑ Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur, UNESCO.
  2. ↑ UNESCO Dhaka
  3. ↑ Article on Somapura Mahavihara, from Encyclopedia Britannica.
  4. ↑ Singh, Sheo Kumar (1982). History and Philosophy of Buddhism. Delhi: Associated Book Agency. pp. 44. 
  5. ↑ A. K. M. Masud Alam, Shucheng Xie, Dilip Kumar Saha, Sifatul Quader Chowdhury, Clay mineralogy of archaeological soil: an approach to paleoclimatic and environmental reconstruction of the archaeological sites of the Paharpur area, 2007, Springer Berlin/Heidelberg
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Somapura Mahavihara, Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Retrieved: 2007-08-25

See also

External links

World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh

Historic Mosque city of Bagerhat · Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur · The Sundarbans
Flag of Bangladesh
Places in Bengal that no longer exist

Chandraketugarh · Devkot · Gobindapur · Gaur (Lakhsmanabati) · Kalikata · Mahasthangarh · Mainamati · Noapara-Ishanchandranagar · Paharpur (Somapura Mahavihara) · Pandua · Saptagram · Sonargaon · Sutanuti · Tamralipta · Wari-Bateshwar