Listed by
UNESCO, both of our World Cultural Heritage is idividually unique in
their own archaeological integrity which was sincere outcome of
year-long devotions of the builders, designers and the persons who
sanctioned it. There are two archaeological sites in Bangladesh that are
enlisted as World Cultural Heritage. These are:
- Historic Mosque city of Bagerhat
- Paharpur Buddhist Vihara
Historic Mosque city of Bagerhat
The
present day town of Bagerhat is about 20 km southeast of Khulna
divisional headquarters and 250 km southwest of capital city of Dhaka.
Khan-e-Jahan Ulugh Khan by title, a saint-warrior, established a
township here in the 15the century AD. It can be approached from Dhaka,
Khulna and Barisal by motor way. From Dhaka one can reach there by a
steamer also via Barisal and Khulna which usually takes a longer time.
Port of Mongla is about 20km south of Bagerhat which is easily
approachable by motorway.
Most of
the establishments of his township have disappeared with the passage of
time. Only a few survive most of which are religious buildings like
mosque and mausoleum. Not a single secular structure excepting road is
visible now. Water tanks may be related to both types of establishments.
The traceable evidences of Bagerhat and Kalifatabad can be distinctly
divisible into two groups: surviving monument and structural ruins
buried in the earth. The former group comprises Shat Gombuj Masjid
(Sixty Dome Mosque), Singara Mosque, Bibi Begni’s Mosque, The Chunakhola
Mosque, Noy Gombuj Masjid (Nine dome Mosque), Ronvijoypur Mosque,
Rezakodha Masjid (Six-Domed Mosque), Zindapir Masjid, Sabekdanga
Monument and Khan Jahan’s Tomb. In the latter group there are many
structural ruins scattered in and around Bagerhat town. A few of them
are in the form of low mounds while some others are almost leveled down
to the surrounding land surface. Some of them are Khan Jahaner
Vasatbati, Bara Azina Masjid, Jahajghata, Kotwali Chawtara etc. This
township has been inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List in 1985
by UNESCO under the title ‘Historic Mosque city of Bagerhat’. The
important monuments and mound as follows:
Shat Gombuj Masjid
The
most spectacular and magnificent monument of Khalifatabad, stands on
the eastern bank of a large water tank, locally known as Ghora dighi. It
is about 7km west of Bagerhat town. Khulna-Bagerhat high way passes to
the south of the mosque. This most imposing brick-built mosque is
commonly known by its highly misleading name of Shat Gambuj Masjid or
Sixty Dome Mosque. Actually this is roofed over with 77 squat domes
including 7 chauchala or four segmented hut shaped domes in the central
row.
It is the
largest mosque of medieval Bangladesh with its external dimension 49
meter long and 33 meter wide. The large prayer chamber is provided with
11 arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and south. The
interior of the mosque is divided into 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep
bays by 60 stones columns of which five are brick piers. Rows of
endless diminishing arches spring from these pillars. These arches
support the domes. Recent restoration works have covered those stone
columns excepting one.
There are
ten concave mihrabs on the western wall of which the central one is of
stone while the flanking 9 mihrabs are decorated with terracotta motifs.
There is a small arched doorway in the western wall close to the
central mihrab. The corner turrets are raised above the slightly curved
parapet capped by rounded cupolas. The eastern turrets are tall and have
entrances from the anterior of the mosque through staircases while the
western turrets are dwarfish without staircases. The facade is relieved
with usual curved cornice. Besides, over the central arched doorway
there existed a small triangular pediment. After repair this pediment is
not seen.
Tomb of Khan Jahan
The
second important monument of Khalifatabad is the single domed mausoleum
of Khan Jahan (Pl.23) located on the northern embankment of a large
tank locally known as Thakur dighi. It is about 2km east-southeast of
Sixty Dome Mosque.
The tomb
is a square building measuring 13.70 meter each side. At the base of the
brick wall 5 courses of black Stones have been used. There is an arched
entrance in the middle of each side of which the northern one is now
closed. The corner towers are faceted at regular intervals with seven
brick moldings and crowned with ribbed cupolas. The walls are 2.5 meter
thick. Each wall is relieved with two multi cusped arched niches.
The tomb
accommodates a stone built sarcophagus in the middle of the floor and
actual, grave underneath. The floor was richly embellished with colored
glazed tiles which are now missing.
The
sarcophagus is profusely engraved with the verses from the holy Quran,
Persian expressions and date (27 Zilhaz, 863 AH [24-25 October 1459 AD])
of the demise of the saint Khan-ul-Azam Ulugh Khan-i-Jahan by title.
The walls of the crypt, which is now closed, are also full with
inscriptions. An attempt to decipher those inscriptions may help to get
the Khan Jahan’s identity and also to reconstruct the history of the
region.
On the
close west of this tomb there is another stone sarcophagus known as Peer
Alt Taheerer Majar who was close associate of Khan Jahan. Further west
there is an identical but smaller single domed mosque.
The tomb
is enclosed by an inner and outer compound. The inner boundary wall
accommodates three gateways, one in each side except north. The main
gateway in the west is now closed. The outer enclosure has six entrances
in it.
Nine-Domed Mosque, Khalifatabad
The
mosque is located on the western embankment of the Thakur Dighi and to
the southwest of the mausoleum of Khan Jahan. The square mosque (15.1
meter) is roofed over with nine hemispherical domes rest on four free-
standing stone columns.
It has
three pointed arched openings on the north, south and east sides
bordered within tall rectangular frames. Above the arches there are
horizontal rows of moldings.
The
western wall is relieved with three semicircular mihrabs of which the
central one is larger and is projected to the west. The multi-cusped
mihrabs are decorated with terracotta floral, scroll and foliage
patterns within rectangular panels. Center of each mihrab is decorated
with chain and bell motif. Apexes of the arches have diaper designs and
large rosettes at the spandrels. Rest three walls are relieved with only
two niches in each.
The corner
turrets are round and are faceted by eight bands of moldings. The
exterior walls are relieved with vertical panels. The curved cornice is
very prominent.
Khan Jahan’s Residence, Khalifatabad
A low
locally known as Khan Jahan’s Vasatbati (Khan Jahan’s Residence) is
situated about 600 north of Shat Gombuj Bus Station and 200m north of
Sixty Dome Mosque.
The site
is located in Bajeapti-Sundlarghona area under the union of Shaitgumbad
on the southern bank of Magra Khal (canal). There are three adjacent and
two small tanks known as Bis Pukur and Andhi Pukur respectively.
A small
scale excavation carried out by the Department of Archaeology in 2002 in
the large revealed some nondescript walls, floors, stone columns,
potsherds and porcelains. The exposed remains indicate that probably
there was a mosque and residence also which had been repaired several
times. Further investigation is required to confirm it and to expose the
remains fully.
About 50
meter south of this excavated site a low lies which is locally known as
Sona Masjid. This has now been almost leveled to the ground. But the
huge potsherds and top of the damaged walls visible clearly indicates
that this entire area^ was Sickly inhabited. Extensive excavation will
certainly yield important information which will help to reconstruct the
history of Ulugh Khan Jahan.
Nearly 200
meter north of Khan Jahan’s residence along an ancient road overlooking
the meandering of moriband Bhairab there lies a site locally known as
Jahajghata or Port of Khan Jahan or Pathar Ghata. An ornamental stone
column is firmly embedded in the ground which supports the people’s
common belief. An image of an eight handed Mahismardini Durga (c.
llth/12th century AD) is engraved in this stone column. Probably this
was subsequently brought here.
How to go
From
DHAKA, you can go by Bus such as SHOHAG , HANIF, EGAL for go to DHAKA to
KHULNA. From Khulna city the distance is around 7km. So you can go by
RICKSHAW or Microbus.
Accommodation
If you want to stay there, some hotels are ready to help you. Here’s the list of hotels:
Sagorika
Rahmot hotel
Mohana hotel
Rahat hotel
Paharpur Buddhist Vihara, Badalgachi, Naogaon
According
to the Bengali Vocabulary, the name Paharpur (Pahar = hill, pur =
locality) means a locality of hill. It is a village in Badalgachi
Upazila of Naogaon District. The nearest railway station of Jamalganj
that lies on the Khulna-Parvatipur rail tract and is connected with
Paharpur by a 5km long brick metalled bye-way. Paharpur can also be
reached from its nearest airport, Sayedpur, following a metalled road
via Joypurhat. The village contains the ruins of a Buddhist monastery
which was called Somapura Mahavihara (the great monastery situated in
the locality of moon) in the ancient Buddhist World. It is now a World
Cultural Heritage (BGD. 292)
The
monastery is square in plan, being 281m on each side. Built by
Dharmapala (781-821 AD) the second ruler of the Pala dynasty, and
reconstructed at least twice by his descendants, each of its with has
thick exterior wall with two entrance provisions on the north and one in
the east. Besides, there has a row of monastic cells, fronted by a
running corridor, abutting the exterior wall. Some of the cells contain
solid pedestals. There has also a sub-worshipping point in the mid-most
part of each wing excepting the north one. Each worshipping point,
excepting the southern one, has a staircase connection with the
monastery courtyard in front. In the center of the open courtyard of the
monastery there stands the residual vestige of a four-faced shrine.
The
central shrine is a terraced structure springing from a cruciform ground
plan and expanding from a mid-pile of square configuration. The upper
terrace has in its each side a sanctum fronted by an ante-chamber with
circumambulatory passage around. Each of the second and first terraces
has nothing but a circumambulatory passage. The passages of the lower
terrace, however, are now covered under recently accumulated soil. Its
wall has 63 inches at plinth level, each being provided with a stone
sculpture. Whereas the un-plastered wall surfaces of the lower two
terraces are decorated with friezes containing terracotta plaques
showing different scenes. The cornices of all terraces are turgent and
lavishly relieved with carved bricks showing chain, petal, pyramidal,
dental, net and lozenge motifs. Moreover, at the juncture of the
cornices there are stone gargoyles ended in grinning lion faces.
The
courtyard around the central shrine is dotted with several units of
straggling structural ruins. Of them, Panchavede > a group of five
votive stupas>near the south-eastern comer, a kitchen towards west of
Panchavedi, a long paved dinning arrangement towards north-west of
Panchavedi and a model of the central shrine on the north of Panchavedi
are a few to note. The northeast comer is also occupied by another group
of structures, They appear to have been related to office
establishments. Close to the basement of the central shrine a number of
wells, votive stupas, vedika cruciform model etc. are noticed. The
western half of the courtyard is relatively barren in structural
finding.
A good
number of objects cultural have been salvaged from Paharpur, They
include sculptural pieces, terracotta plaques, pottery, domestic tools,
ornaments, coins, seals, ceilings, votive stupas etc. They are now
housed in Asutosh Museum Kolkata, Bangladesh National Museum , Varendra
Museum, Paharpur Museum and other site museums in Bangladesh.
Of these
antiquities sculptural pieces as well as sculptured plaques are
artistically most alluring. Most of the sculptural pieces are medium in
size and a few are smaller. All of them are wrought on stone save a few
of metal. Stucco sculptural pieces are, however, not altogether lacking.
Among the metal sculptures, the fragmentary bust of a Buddha is worth
noted because of its artistic excellence. Only one stone sculpture is
related to Mahayana order, the remaining being Hindu. In dating
parlance, they may be placed in the 7th-12th AD time-bracket.
The next
group of alluring art objects is represented by terracotta plaques. They
are at least 2800 in number and appear to be contemporaneous to the 1st
constructional period of the Pala monastery. Their sizes vary between
40cm x 30cm x 6cm and 18cm square. They depict diverse scenes reflecting
the then socio-political, economic and martial aspects.
How to go
From
Bogura, take a bus to Jaipurhat (approximately 44 km). From Jaipurhat,
buses leave regularly between 4 pm to 7 pm for Paharpur from Jaipurhat.
Then to get to the sights from Paharpur village take a rickshaw or a
three wheeler. And to get back to Jaipurhat you can get tempo.
Bus Services
Hanif Enterprise
Phone: 02-9120116, 8114442
Shyamoli Paribahan
Phone: 02-9333803
Train Service
Bangladesh Railway
Phone: 02-9358634, 8315857
Accommodation
There are a
few accommodation and restaurant facilities at Joypurhat. But a good
number of accommodation and restaurants are available in Bogra town.
Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation owns a luxurious motel with restaurant
facilities in Bogra town, a number of private hotels, guest and
rest-houses are available for tourists. Name and address of some motels
are as follows:
Parjatan Motel, Bogra
Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Sherpur Road, Banani, Bogra
Hotel Naz Garden
Slimpur, Bogra
Tel: 051-66655, 73888, 62468 Tel: 051-66753, 67024-7
Motel Safeway Int’l (Pvt.) Ltd.
Charmatha, Santahar Road, Bogra Tel: 051-66087
Motel North Way
Chinese restaurant and residential facility, Latifpur Colony,Bogra
Tel: 051-66824, Mobile: 0171-385036
Visiting Hours at Paharpur Museum
1st April – 30th September
Monday – Thursday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (Break 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm)
Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Break 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm)
1st October – 30th March
Monday – Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Break 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm)
Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Break 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm)
