Mahasthangar: The ancient name of Mahastangar is Pundranagara. What we now see in Mahastangar are the ruined citadel or fortified part of Pundranagara, and a few Buddhist structures around that citadel. Citadel means a fortress or a castle protecting a town or a city. People can take shelter in it during war or danger.

   How old is the civilization in Mahastangar? How old was the city? It is said that the Pundranagara civilization belongs to 3rd-4th century BC. In the beginning of 6th century BC Gautama Buddha visited Pundranagara and spent six months in that city. It proves that the city is much older than it is said. The findings of excavations at the site, being conducted by a joint Bangladesh-French team since 1995(?) have revealed that the Pundranagara Civilization is as old as the Mohenjodaro, Harappa Civilization. Mohenjodaro Civilization is 5000 years old.

   Almost every ancient city had a citadel, whether it is Athens in Greece or Jericho in Palestine. The area of the citadel of Mahasthangar is about 2 sq. miles, 4 and half meters or 15 feet above the surrounding land. The extension of the semi-circled suburbs of the city was 5 mile in radius from the citadel. We can easily imagine how vast the city was.

   As like as Gauda, a great fire destroyed the city in 15th century AD, and we have lost another heritage city.

   We already have come to know that a great fire destroyed London in 1666 when it was a small township, having had an area of 540 acres. London was rebuilt after that great fire, but the Pundranagara was not rebuilt after its destruction by a fire.


Paharpur Mahavihara: Paharpur Monastery is the largest Buddhist monastery in the world. The Nalanda Mahavihara in the Indian State of Bihar has one Chayta, three temples and eleven monasteries on 14 hectares of land. In Paharpur a single monastery with a central shrine covers 11 hectares of land, so it is said to be the largest monastery in the world. The Paharpur Monastery is now a World Heritage declared by the UNESCO in 1985. The Monastery was built during the later half of the 8th century AD, on a site of a Jain monastery of 5th Century AD, by a Bengali monarch, Dharmapala, who was a Buddhist by faith.

   The quadrangular Paharpur Monastery measures 922 feet north-south and 919 feet east-west. It was a multistoried monastery, having 177 monastic cells in each floor. The thickness of the enclosure wall is 16 feet. The central temple of the monastery is 72 feet high in its present ruined state.

   In the beginning of the 11th Century Divya or Divyoka, a Hindu chieftain from the East Bengal, rebelled against the 12th Pala King, Mahipala-II. He killed the King and set fire to the Paharpur Monastery. Kumarapala, the nephew of the slain King was able to regain Varendra or north Bengal from Vima, the successor of Divya. He rebuilt the Monastery.

   In the middle of the 12th Century AD, the Senas ousted Palas from power and established their sway over Bengal. The Senas were Hindu by faith and during their rule, Buddhist sculptures and terracotta plaques of the Paharpur Monastery were replaced by the sculptures and terracotta plaques of Hindu gods and goddesses.

   The Turk came next in the beginning of the 13th Century, to Bengal. They conquered Varendra from the Senas. Turks were Muslim by faith. During their reign, due to lack of royal patronage, maintaining such a huge monastery as Paharpur Vihara became very difficult. Soon it was abandoned by its ever decreasing inmates and gradually got lost in oblivion. A thick jungle covered the monastery. Archaeological excavation at the site of the monastery started in 1923 and ended, with intermissions, in 1934.

   It is said by some people that Bakhtiar Kalji destroyed Paharpur monastery. Turk, Bakhtiar partially destroyed Nalanda Monastery. When he conquered Bihar, he took the monastery as a fort, and thought enormous wealth would be available in it. So his army sacked it, but got nothing there except books, bowls and saffron clothes. So no question arises that the same Turk would make the same mistakes again at Paharpur.


Suggestive Itinerary

Day 01: Leave Dhaka by reserved car/coach for Bogra via the Jamuna Bridge (4.8 km) – the 11 th longest bridge in the world. Visit Mahasthan Garh – the ancient archaeological sites (03 rd centuries BC). Stay overnight at the Parjatan Hotel in Bogra.

Day 02: After breakfast leave Bogra for Rajshahi. On the way, visit the Puthia Jamindar's palace and Hindu Shiva & Terracotta Temples. Transfer to the Parjatan Hotel in Rajshahi. After Lunch visit the famous river Padma and Barendra Research Museum . Overnight at Rajshahi.

Day 03: After breakfast leave Rajshahi for Dinajpur. On the way, visit Bagha Mosque and the famous `PAHARAPUR– the Single Largest Buddhist Monesrty in the world. Stay overnight at the Parjatan Motel in Dinajpur / Rangpur.

Day 04: In this day, visit the Ramsagar Lake/ Jaminder`s Palace and Kantajee's Temple – the only Ornamental Terracotta plaques temple in Bangladesh. Stay overnigh at the Parjatan Hotel in Dinajpur / Rangpur.

Day 05: After breakfast drive back to Dhaka.

Tour Ends.