Ashrafpur Mosque

Charpatra Mura is a small but interesting archaeological site in Mainamati. It is situated in the northern part of the Lalmai ridge at about the center of the Comilla Cantonment area. A small Hindu shrine, 45.7m × 16.8m, was uncovered here. The shape and architectural design and decoration are unique; differing basically both from the Buddhist architecture of Mainamati and the traditional Hindu temple architecture of the Gupta or other Indian types. It appears to represent a synthetic Bengal type that has evolved gradually by assimilating certain elements and features of local Buddhist architecture.

The temple has two distinct parts, an open pillared hall in the badly damaged front part and a cell at the back in the west. The latter part was found less damaged and decayed, that is to say, better preserved and undisturbed. It could therefore be properly excavated and uncovered. The exterior of this cella or temple proper at the back shows a fantastically complex and variegated shape produced by a multiplicity of angles and corners resulting from a combination of symmetrical projections and offsets at lateral and vertical planes, maintaining, nevertheless, a delicate balance between exotic growth and basic strength and proportions of the original form and the traditional plan. The overall effect is highly pleasing.

A few very significant objects were discovered in this monument. These are a bronze relic casket and four copperplate grants - three of them issued by the last two kings of the chandra dynasty and the fourth by a Later-Deva king, all in favor of a Ladaha Madhava (Visnu) temple situated in devaparvata. One record identifies the locality as Pattikeraka. On the basis of our present knowledge and information, it may be stated with absolute certainty that this new settlement was definitely located in the Lalmai -Mainamati area, and occupied a part or the whole of the old city of Devaparvata, and that the Ladaha Madhava temple of the inscriptions may reasonably be identified with the excavated Charpatra Mura temple.

The temple was probably reconstructed, if not originally built, by the Chandra King Shri-Ladahachandra (c 1000-1020 AD) who derived his name from that of the consecrated deity. Alternatively, the deity derived its name from that of the builder king who appears to have been especially devoted to him. This king issued two of the four grants found here. The appellation, Charpatra Mura, is related to the discovery of four copperplates.

Written by: M Harunur Rashid

Nateshwar Buddhist temple is one of the ancient Buddha temple in Bangladesh. Very recent years, Archaeologist discovered it by conducting recurring excavations. Joint team of archaeologists from Bangladesh and China has unearthed this ancient Buddhist temple with unique architectural features at the village Nateshwar in Munshiganj.

It is believed that this discovery will offer interesting glimpses into the early life of Atish Dipankar. A renowned Buddhist saint and scholar in Asia, who was born in this area over a thousand years ago. In the year of 2015, A 50-day excavation has been conducted in Nateshwar, which was started in 2013 by Agrasar Vikrampur Foundation.

Important Findings: Recent excavation has unearthed several valuable features from this renowned archaeological site. A massive octagonal stupa and a pair of stupas with a four-meter wide wall which are the first of their kinds in the history of the country's archaeological excavations. Discoveries of two roads and a 2.75 meters wide wall to the site's southeast side speak of a rich urban area of a bygone era.

Besides, other important relics including ash pits and pottery items have also been recovered from the site, they added. Archaeologists from both the countries expressed hope that these finds would reveal many hitherto unrevealed sides of Atish Diponkor life as well as shedding light on the advent and decline of Buddhism in this region.

Panam Nagar (পানাম নগর), ancient Painam, a locality now in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj district. It is about 2.5 kilometre to the north of Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Mograpara point. It is said to have been the site of Hindu capital city of Sonargaon emerging in the seventh decade of the thirteenth century. The Panam area formed part of the Muslim metropolis developed on the south of the old city, and perhaps constituted the place of residence of the early Muslim governors'. After the Mughal conquest of Sonargaon (1611) the Panam area was connected with the ruling metropolis by construction of highways and bridges. Panam still possesses three brick bridges belonging to the Mughal period: Panam Bridge, Dalalpur Bridge and Panamnagar Bridge.

The existence of these bridges, and the canals enclosing the site on three sides is indicative of its being a suburban area of the medieval city. The pucca road which leads from the Mograpara crossing on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in the direction of Panam extending up to the Neel-Kuthi looks like a dividing line between medieval Sonargaon and the present Panamnagar, the only surviving relics of the Panam area. The Panam township stands on the east of this road opposite Aminpur, and a one-arched humped bridge leads from the same road over a narrow canal to the main street of Panamnagar.

In all probability the present Panamnagar grew as a by-product of the commercial activities of the english east india company and of the Permanent Settlement. The East India Company established their factory in Panam for the purchase of muslin and other cotton fabrics. The Company, for the purchase of muslin, used to distribute annually to the weavers from their factory in Panam as much as a lakh of rupees as dadni (dadni system advance), and it is estimated that there were then 1400 families of Hindu and Muslim weavers in and around Panam.

Sonargaon developed into a center of trade in cotton fabrics, chiefly English piece goods, during the colonial period, and thereby grew the new township of Panamnagar. A group of Hindu talukdars, who came into being from among the traders in the nineteenth century, chose this site for their residence. The existing brick buildings of Panamnagar, obviously the residence of the Hindu merchant-talukdars, can be dated back to early nineteenth, and the later ones to late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Panamnagar which developed in the nineteenth century, continued to flourish till the end of the Second World War.

Panamnagar, a unique township, stretched in a single street 5 meter wide on the average and 600 meter in length. All the buildings have the character of urban street front houses and are lined up on either side of this street which ends up at the Panam bazar. Fifty-two houses exist in dilapidated and disused condition having 31 in the north side of the street and 21 on the south. Panamnagar appears to be well protected by artificial canals all around. Two fairly wide canals run parallel to the street on its either side and joined by a narrow canal on the western side over which is the entrance bridge (Panamnagar Bridge). On the eastern side, the canal on the south swerves rightward and goes eastward crossing the north-south road that passes through the Panam bazar. The northern canal, the Pankhiraj Khal, runs eastward to meet the Meghna-Menikhali stream.

Alexander Castle is one of the most amazing and renowned structure in Mymensingh District. It was built by Maharaja Suryo Kanta Acharya Chowdhury(মহারাজ সুর্যকান্ত আচার্য চৌধুরী) in 1879 in the memory of the 1st zilla magistrate of Mymensingh Mr. N .S Alexander at the time of Jubili festival. It covers an area of 27.155 acres.

It is a nice small archaic building having two Greek statue at both sides of the front gate. Though the arms of those statues are currently broken, but still those looks great. The whole building is placed over a high plinth, probably to avoid the flood from the nearness river.

It cost 45000 taka at that time. Alexander Castle is a two storied building made by metals and woods in a high concrete base. This building was used as a rest house for the guests of Maharaja Maharaja Soshi Kanta Acharya Chowdhury. Many great personalities of the world stayed at this castle when visiting Mymensingh city. Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore arrived in Mymensingh around the midday of 15 February 1926. He stayed in the Alexander Castle as a guest for 4days. Mahatma Gandhi also stayed in this castle in 1926.

Lord carzon, Chittaranjan Das, Nawab Sir Salimullah, Kamal Pasha also visited Alexander Castle. This house was decorated by royal furnitures and items at that time. There is a big field in front of this house. You can see two fascinating silver statue which makes the place more beautiful. There is also a big garden and a pond still remains behind the castle. It is said that Maharaja used to keep big cats in his garden so he surrounded the garden with big still cages.At present this house is being used as library of teachers training college(male) in Mymensingh.