Lesson 3/55 min
Mainamati and Uari-Bateshwar
Mainamati
- Location: Cumilla (Kotbari)
- Named after Queen Mainamati, wife of King Manikchandra (tradition)
- A capital in the Buddhist rulers' time in the medieval period; remains of Buddhist civilisation
- Excavation began in 1955 (January 1955 in the book)
- The largest number of copper-plate grants have been found here
- According to the book, the Lalmai hills were formed in the Pleistocene epoch
- Zubair's book lists: Buddhist temple, dharmashala or vihara, and a museum
Viharas of Mainamati
| Vihara | Facts |
|---|---|
| Shalban Vihara | Built by Bhavadeva of the Deva dynasty, c. end of 7th or early 8th century; earlier name Bhavadeva Mahavihara |
| Ananda Vihara | At the foot of the Lalmai hills, Cumilla; King Ananda Deva; 7th or 8th century; copper-plate grants found |
| Bhoj Vihara | Kotbari, Cumilla; a famous site of Buddhist civilisation |
Watch out: Khandokar's book calls Shalban “the oldest Buddhist vihara of Bangladesh”, yet a printed exam answer says the oldest is Sitakot Vihara (Nababganj, Dinajpur). Both claims are in the books, so decide by the options. The book places Ananda Vihara in the Pala period, but King Ananda Deva belongs to the Deva dynasty; one printed exam answer calls Mainamati Pala-period, while Zubair's book ties it to the Deva kings.
Uari-Bateshwar
- Location: Belabo, Narsingdi
- Very old archaeological remains; sources date them to several centuries BCE
- Muhammad Hanif Pathan brought its importance to light (in the 1930s; the book says 1933)
- On the bank of the Old Brahmaputra (the book says ‘Koyra river’)
- Punch-marked coins and evidence of cotton textile production have been found
Watch out: The book dates the remains of Uari-Bateshwar to 450 BCE. Other sources give anywhere from 450 to 100 BCE, and some even earlier layers, so the year is not firm. The river is ‘Koyra’ in the book but the Old Brahmaputra in other sources.
Check yourself
In which district is Uari-Bateshwar?
At a glance
- 1
Mainamati is in Cumilla (Kotbari); named after Queen Mainamati; excavation began in 1955.
- 2
Shalban Vihara is at Mainamati, built by Bhavadeva of the Deva dynasty; Ananda Vihara was built by Ananda Deva.
- 3
The most copper-plate grants were found at Mainamati; Bhoj Vihara is at Kotbari.
- 4
Uari-Bateshwar is at Belabo, Narsingdi; brought to light by Muhammad Hanif Pathan.