09/09/2011
Mainamati-Lalmai Range:
The place covers 19 km long and 3 km wide area at its broadest points with a typical height of 20m against the plain grassy field around. It is formed of ferruginous that containing a precious metals. Moreover, researchers from both country and abroad have also reported a number of prehistoric tools along with slivers and chips from the different corners of its surface. They contain mostly hand axes and scrapers worked on fossilized wood. Thus the place shows itself a geographical as well as historical jargon.
By digging this protected monuments and sites, Department of Archeology have been exposed a number of structural ruins and a considerable volume of movable antiques. They found nine copper plate land grants. They also discovered inscriptional specimens’ coins. From the texts and legends of these kinds of findings it is now almost clear that Mainamati-Lalmai was a part of a principality which was called “Samatata” in the 6th-11th century AD. A series of empires named Khadga, Deva, Chandra, Harikela Deva and Pattikera Deva ruled successively in this area. They had their capital in or around Mainamati-Lalmai. Most of the kings of those capitals were Buddhist by faith.
Shalvana Viahara, Ananda Bihar & Bhoja Vihara:
One of the interesting structural vestiges, mention may first be made of Sri Bhava Deva Mahavihara, the monastery built by King Bhava Deva. It is, however, at present popularly known as Shalvana Vihara because of its situation in the village of the same name. Constructed on a 167.6m square ground, the monastery has shown marks of six building-rebuilding ages. It is made of four rows of residential cells, a courtyard containing several outhouses and a centrally sited north-facing temple. Each row, of its residential cells, was raised adjoining its perimeter walls in each wing. In all there are 115 cells. Each cells was open, through a doorway, only to a frontal running corridors that runs all along the four wings of the courtyard. Moreover, in a cell in the northeast corner of the monastery are to be seen some unprepared marks of a lost staircase bespoken of a two storied configuration. Outhouses representing the idea of chapels, votive stupas, abbot’s office, kitchen and dining hall.
Another conspicuous monastery named Ananda Vihara which is placed about 2.2 km to the north of the Shalvana Vihara. After excavating of this monastery, experts have revealed several kinds of Buddhist religious structural designs including the cruciflorms type. The Ananda Vihara was named after the 3rd Deva King Ananda, who, it now seems, had ruled sometime in the middle of the 8th century. Among the cruciform temples, it was the earliest, and perhaps it was even earlier than the ones in Paharpur. The Terracotta plaques found in Ananda Vihara are fashioned after similar ones found in Burma, Siam and Java, representing carvings of divine, semi-divine human & animal forms. The signs are also put on show in the Mainamoti museum. Another evidence of the similar kind of monastery, named Bhoja Vihara has recently been exposed 400m to the south east of Ananda Vihara. From the close surrounding area of Bhoja Vihara, a few years back, a metallic bell of gigantic size was unintentionally discovered. It is now housed in the Mainamati Museum. The other full-size metallic effigy may be made of exquisitely beautiful seated ‘Vajrasattva’ from Bhoja Vihara and a seated ‘Avolokitesvara’ from Ananda Vihara. They are the symbol of exceeding metallurgic skill that Bengali artificer achieved in the 8th-11th centuries AD centralizing Mainamati-Lalmai.
Muras or Mounds:
Among other exposed structural vestiges of Mainamati-Lalmai, it is necessary to mention the name of some Mura( mura means mound). Some of the mura’s named Charpatra Mura Mandir, a temple containing copper plate grants; Kotila Mura also known as Tri-ratna Stupa, , where three stupas are found side by side representing the Buddhist “Trinity” or three jewels i.e. the Buddha(knowledge), Dharma(creed)
and Samgha (fraternity); Latikola Mura Vihara, a mound containing a monastery without a central temple; Itakhola Mura Vihara and Mandir, a mound named Itakhola containing a monastery as like as Latikot Mura and a temple in its area that shows several periods of construction and re-construction; Rupavana Mura Vihara-stupa-Mandir; Ranirbangla Mura and Mainamati Ek Mura etc. Along with the other findings, the most movable things discovered here are a large and full size sandstone Buddha from Rupavana Mura and a copper plate grants from Itakhola Mura are a few to note. Moreover, a life size Akshobhya( now headless) in stucco is still situated in the temple of Itakhola Mura.
Apart from the above mounds, Mainamati-Lalmai land area holds some more points of archeological significance. Of them Rupavana Kanyar Bari (152 m north of Bhoja Vihara), Ujirpara Mura, Pakka Mura, Chila Mura, Chandi Mura, Balagazir Mura and Mainamati Mura. Mainamati-Lalmai has also uncovered a prolific number of terracotta plaques and ornamental cut-bricks. The archeologists were also discovered coin, sculptural pieces and other daily use items. Most of the coins were shaped on silver coated base metal inscribed with a trident, a recumbent bull and legends in Devanagari scripts. There are some gold coins exposed in these areas. They are depicted with statue and signs.
Mainamati Museum:
Most of the related antiquities, recovered during excavation, are now housed in a site museum located near Sri Bhava Deva Mahavihara. It is a museum with plenty of resources. The Muaeum has almost all the visitors Facilities.The Mainamati Museum has a loaded and mixed collection of copper plates, gold and silver coins and 86 bronze objects. Over 150 bronze effigies have been discovered mostly from the monastic cells, bronze stupas, stone sculptures and hundreds of terracotta plaques each determining on an average of 9" high and 8" to 12" wide.
