MAINAMATI IN COMILLA

Comilla district (chittagong division) with an area of 3085.17 sq km. is bounded by Brammanbaria and Narayan Gang district on the north, Noakhali and fenni district on the south, Tripura (state of india) on the east, Munsi Gang and Chandpur district on the west. Annual average temperature maximum 34.3?c, minimum 12.7?c; annual rainfall 2551 mm. main rivers Meghna, Gumti and Dakatia.

About 8 km. to the west of comilla town which is situated 114 km. south east of Dhaka lies a range of low hills known as mainamati, lalmai ridge, an extensive centure of Buddhist culture on the slops of these hills lie scattered a treasure of information about the early Buddhist civilization (7th -12th century A.D). At salban in the middle of the ridge, excavations laid bare a large buddhist vihara (monastery) and imposing central sharine. It has revealed valuable information about the rule of the Chandra and Deva dynasties which flourished here from the 7th to 12th century. The whole range of hillocks run for about 18km. and is studded with more than 50 sites.
MAINAMATI MUSEUM : If you are in comilla and already visited lalmai, Mainamati then don't miss to go mainamati museum where you will find the historical things found in lalmai and mainamti of 7th and 8th centuries. 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 from the monastic cells, bronze stupas, stone sculpturies and hundreds of terracotta plaques each measuring on an average of 9" high and 8" to 12" wide. Mainamati is only 114km. from Dhaka city and is just a day's trip by road on way to chittagong. Decidedly untypical of Bangladesh in topography and culture, the chittagong hill tract have steep jungle hills, buddhist tribal peoples and relatively low-density population. The tracts are about 60km. (37mi) east of chittagong. The region comprises a mass of hills, ravins and cliffs covered with dense jungle, bamboo, creepers and shrubs and have four main valleyes formed by the Karnapuli, Fenni, Shangu and Matamuhuri rivers.

               



  
  ITKHOLA MURA : Locally the site is known as Itkhola mura. As a result excavation a ground tempel besides this the remains of small vihare has been exposed on northern side of the temple.

RUBBAN MURA : Locally the site is known as Rubban Mura. But after excavation here brought to light remains of a shrine, a monosery and octagonal votive stupa. Among the antiquities found here are on gupta imitation gold coin, 4 coins of debases metal, 3 silver coin and a buikey sand Buddha image of post gupta period. On the basis of all the original monastery and shrine may be dated prior the 8th century A.D.

KOTILA MURA : It is vocated on the top of a low Hillock in the mainamati cantonmant area and about 5 km. north of shalbon vihar. A wide stair case on the east lead to three rectangular entrance halls. Behind the halls are three stupas representing three jewles namely. the Buddha (orderly), Dharna(discipline) and sangha (unity).
Their square basement are surmounted by circular drums and hemisperical domes. There are nine more stupas at the extreme west side, Archaeological excavation fron 1956 on ward having yielding a large number of broken pieces of stone sculptures, unbaked vitive stupas and sealing of 7th and 8th century A.D. Besides a gold coine of mutasim billah, the last Abbasid calipha (1243-1258) was recovered from the site. This establishment was flourishing in active from 7th century AD. The architectural plan of this site is quite different from other building of this region.