Somapura Mahavihara

Built in the late eighth century under the Pala dynasty, Somapura was one of the largest Buddhist monasteries south of the Himalaya and a centre of learning drawing students from across Asia. What survives is its footprint at full scale: a quadrangle roughly 280 metres on a side, lined with 177 cells where monks lived, enclosing an enormous cruciform temple that rises in terraces from the courtyard. The brickwork carries hundreds of terracotta plaques showing deities, animals, dancers and daily scenes, a folk-art record pressed into the walls. The design influenced monastic architecture as far as Myanmar and Java. It stands in flat farmland with almost no other visitors, and the sense of scale in an empty landscape is the lasting impression.

History

The monastery is generally credited to the second Pala king, Dharmapala (about 781-821), though Tibetan sources name his successor Devapala, who is said to have built it after conquering Varendra. In the 11th century part of it burned in a fire set by the army of Jatavarman of the Varman dynasty, and the scholar Atisha lived here for a time; under the Sena dynasty, in the second half of the 12th century, it began its final decline. A copperplate was found in the north-east corner of the monastery in 1927, and the site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 (Wikipedia, Somapura Mahavihara).

The main sights

• The central temple - the terraced cruciform structure at the heart of the quadrangle.
• The 177 cells - the monks' rooms lining all four sides of the enclosure.
• Terracotta plaques - hundreds of moulded brick panels on the temple walls.
• The site museum - sculpture and finds from the excavation.

When to go

November to February is cool and dry and by far the most comfortable. Summer is intensely hot and the monsoon from June brings heavy rain to this region.

Good to know

It is a long way from Dhaka, several hours by road from the nearest sizeable city, and there is no tourist infrastructure at the site beyond a museum and a car park. Interpretation is minimal and largely in Bengali. The plaques are weathered and many of the best are in museums rather than in place. There is almost no shade.

Nearby

Mahasthangarh, the country's oldest known city site, is near Bogra; Rajshahi lies south.

Key facts