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Travel
Bangladesh : COMILLA
Mainamati
An isolated low, dimpled range of hills, dotted -with
more than 50 ancient Buddhist settlements of the 8th
to 12th century A.D. known as Mainamati-Laimai range
are extended through the centre of the district of
Comilla.
Salban Vihara, almost in the middle of the Mainarnati-Lalmai
hill range consists of 115 cells, built around a spacious
courtyard with cruciform temple in the centre facing
its only gateway complex to the north resembling that
of the Paharpur Monastery.
Kotila Mura situated on a flattened hillock, about
5 km north of Salban Vihara inside the Comilla Cantonment
is a picturesque Buddhist establishment. Here three
stupas are found side by side representing the Buddhist
"Trinity" or three jewels i.e. the Buddha,
Dharma and Sangha.
Charpatra Mura is an isolated small oblong shrine
situated about 2.5 krn. north-west of kotila Mura
stupas. The only approach to the shrine is from the
East through a gateway which leads to a spacious hall.
The Mainamati site Museum has a rich and varied collection
of copper plates, gold and silver coins and 86 bronze
objects. Over 150 bronze statues have been recovered
mostly from the monastic cells, bronze stupas, stone
sculptures and hundreds of terracotta plaques each
measuring on an average of 9" high and 8"
to 12" wide. Mairiamati is only 114 km. from
Dhaka City and is just a day's trip by road on way
to Chittagong. |
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