Somapura Mahavihara

BANGLADESH, Dhaka, Rajshahi

This monastery is also known as the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur. It was built by King Dharmapala (reigned circa 770–810) of Pala. The site was excavated in 1923. A small museum was built in 1957 to house various artifacts retrieved at the site, including Buddha statues, terracotta articles, coins, inscriptions, tiles, and accessories. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
The site is in the form of a square courtyard, with each side measuring 280 m long. The wall surrounding the structure is 5 m thick and varies in height between 3.6 m and 4.5 m. The north gate is the main entrance, although there are also gates on the east side and in the northeast corner. The main building is in the center of the courtyard with 177 cells lining the sides. Within the courtyard there are stupas of different sizes.
The central structure is made of brick and is square with multiple corners. It consists of three terraces, each of which has a circumambulation path. The present center of the building is raised in the form of a mound and there are various theories concerning its original structure. On the third level there are shrines with porticos located at the four cardinal directions. The walls of the bottom level are decorated with approximately 2,800 terracotta plaques depicting social life during the Pala Empire. There are also bricks sculpted in the shape of lotus petals, diamond patterns, and serrated forms. The monastery has a rich collection of decorative carvings demonstrating the artistic achievement of the Pala period.