Brief
Itakhola Mura is an archaeological site in Mainamati. This site is one of the most impressive ruins. It lies in three terraces on adjacent hillocks just opposite the Rupban Mura site across the Kotbari road in Comilla. Excavations have revealed here a grand stupa complex with an attached monastery, located 42m to its north. The cultural phases of the site are stated (or overstated) to be five; the earlier three being still buried underneath the later remains.
The Stupa Complex was originally built as a solid stupa in the traditional style on a 13.1 meter square basement. However, it has one peculiarity; a small sanctum (2.4 m x 2.1 m) built in the center of its eastern or front side.
Subsequently, the shrine was enlarged and elaborated by additions and alterations, especially by adding three long narrow chapels in the eastern side after blocking the old sanctum; thus giving the structure an oblong shape (41.4 m x 24m). In this particular feature, it is strikingly similar to the Rupban Mura shrine. The side chapels were ultimately blocked up, leaving space for a few cubicles for installing cult images, as in other parts of the shrine. This establishment is surrounded by a 2.6 m wide circumlocutory passage and is enclosed by a 1.2 m thick boundary wall.
This holy precinct is again enclosed within a much larger, well-defined, and better preserved boundary wall (79 m x 56 m), in the slightly lower second terrace. It contains three interesting subsidiary shrines, two in two corners of the eastern side, and the other, a slightly larger one, at the back in the west. An elaborate entrance with 22 broad steps at the Center of the eastern side leads to the much lower third terrace. The outer face of its damaged boundary wall in this front side is excellently decorated with offsets, sunken panels, and ornamental designs.
Five votive stupas lie at the base of the long staircase, three of them in a north south row within a well-defined enclosure, all semi-cruciform in shape, like that of the larger subsidiary shrines in the western side of the second terrace. They certainly represent an experimental early stage in the development of the cruciform style in Buddhist architecture that we see in mature form at shalvan vihara, paharpur, Vikramashila and many other sites. These structures may reasonably be dated as belonging to 7th-8th centuries AD.
The Monastery This medium sized monastery of the usual square shape with 19 cells and one entrance hall was built around an open courtyard, 16.2m. Square, on a separate mound. Its monumental gateway complex, 17.6m x 8.5m, projecting outwards, lies at the Centre of the eastern wing. Some of the cells have brick-built bedsteads. This structure was badly damaged by brick-hunters in 1944-45.
Mentionable antiquities from the site, besides the stucco image, are three round pellets of solid gold, (19 tolas), and a copperplate inscription, discovered during clearance work after the excavations. The copperplate has not yet been deciphered.
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[name] => Shoshi Lodge ( Women Teachers Training College)
[post_id] => 22126
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[post_content] =>
Shoshi Lodge (শশী লজ) is located at the center of Mymensingh city which is also known as the Residential Palace of Moharaja Shoshi Kanto Acharya (মহারাজা শশীকান্ত আচার্য). This palace is very close to the river Brahmaputra which is being used as Women Teachers Training College from the year 1952.
According to the history, most of the rulers from Zamindar family have adopted babies in different era and those adopted child ruled the area later. For example Gourikanta(গৌরীকান্ত) was adopted by Roghunondon(রঘুনন্দন). Son of Gourikanta was Shashikanta(শশীকান্ত) and his wife adopted Surjokanta (সূর্য্যকান্ত) as she was childless. Later, Surjokanto became the prominent Zamindar of Mymensingh district. People used to call him as Moharaja(মহারাজা).
Moharaja Surjokanto Acharya was the Zamindar in Mymensingh region for long 41 years. During the reign of his Zamindari he did so many work for social welfare and made a remarkable change in infrastructural development.
He started to build an unique two storied building on an area of nine acre at the end of nineteenth century. Childless Zamindar Surjokanto named after this building in the name of his adopted son Shoshi Kanto Acharya. After completion of construction this building was extensively damaged by a destructive earth quake on the year 1897. Zamindar Surjokanto was immensely worried at this great loss.
Later Zamindar Shoshi Kanto Acharya re-built this building with many additional features in the year 1905 and did more renovation work in 1911. This unique classical architecture and its surrounding will certainly attract a traveler to explore this place recurrently.
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[name] => Nateshwar Buddhist Temple
[post_id] => 8320
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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.
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[name] => Murapara Zamindar Palace
[post_id] => 11665
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Murapara Zamindar Palace was built during 1890 by Ramratan Banarjee. He was a trusted person of a British Indigo Planter during the British Colonial period. At that time when the indigo planter left the country after the death of his daughter, he gifted plenty of gold and money to Ramratan. Using those, he built this mammoth palace. During the war 1971, many ornate portion of the palace was plundered by people. We came to know that there were two statues of lions at the gate of the palace boundary, and both of them stolen that time. After the war, this palace was used as a refuge camp for the non-bengali people & local people established a college using the building.
This building was renovated several times, and now a days, it just lost all it's heritage. But still you can visit the palace for your weekend or any other holidays. There are two large ponds loacted at the palace premise. One at the front side and another one at the back side. You can take your sit at the bench made from stone (once upon a time, now no stone existing, only brick) to get some fresh air. In addition there is an old temple available inside the palace premise. It’s just in front of the pond . This palace is just beside the highway, and after that you can easily see the river Shitalakkhya (শীতলক্ষ্যা).
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[name] => Mahasthangarh
[post_id] => 1387
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[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Mahasthangarh1-1024x768-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => Mahasthangarh (Bengali:
মহাস্থানগড় Môhasthangôṛ) is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj thana of Bogra District contains the remains of an ancient city which was called Pundranagara or Paundravardhanapura in the territory of Pundravardhana. A limestone slab bearing six lines inPrakrit in Brahmi script, discovered in 1931, dates Mahasthangarh to at least the 3rd century BC. The fortified area was in use till the 18th century AD.
Together with the ancient and medieval ruins, the mazhar (holy tomb) of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar built at the site of a Hindu temple is located at Mahasthangarh. He was a dervish (holy person devoted to Islam) of royal lineage who came to the Mahasthangarh area, with the objective of spreading Islam among non-Muslims. He converted the people of the area to Islam and settled there.
Mahasthan means a place that has excellent sanctity and
garh means fort. Mahasthan was first mentioned in a Sanskrit text of the 13th century entitled
Vallalcharita. It is also mentioned in an anonymous text
Karatoya mahatmya, circumstantially placed in 12th–13th century. The same text also mentions two more names to mean the same place – Pundrakshetra, land of the Pundras, and Pundranagara, city of the Pundras. In 1685, an administrative decree mentioned the place as Mastangarh, a mixture of Sanskrit and Persian meaning fortified place of an auspicious personage. Subsequent discoveries have confirmed that the earlier name was Pundranagara or Paundravardhanapura, and that the present name of Mahasthangarh is of later origin.
Mahasthangarh, the ancient capital of Pundravardhana is located 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Bogra on the Bogra-Rangpur highway, with a feeder road (running along the eastern side of the ramparts of the citadel for 1.5 km) leading to Jahajghata and site museum. Buses are available for Bogra from Dhaka and take 4½ hours for the journey via Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge across the Jamuna River. Buses are available from Bogra to Mahasthangarh. Rickshaws are available for local movement. Hired transport is available at Dhaka/ Bogra. Accommodation is available at Bogra. When travelling in a hired car, one can return to Dhaka the same day, unless somebody has a plan to visit Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur in the district of Naogaon and other places, or engage in a detailed study.
It is believed that the location for the city in the area was decided upon because it is one of the highest areas in Bangladesh. The land in the region is almost 36 metres (118 ft) above sea level, whereas Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is around 6 metres (20 ft) above sea level. Another reason for choosing this place was the position and size of the Karatoya, which as recently as in the 13th century was three times wider than Ganges.
Mahasthangarh stands on the red soil of the Barind Tract which is slightly elevated within the largely alluvium area. The elevation of 15 to 25 metres above the surrounding areas makes it a relatively flood free physiographic unit.
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