PAHARPUR-ARCHITECTURAL REMAINS OF THE POST-LIBERATION EXCAVATIONS

Gandheswari Temple

To the southwest ghat at a distance of 12.20m there lies an isolated structure locally known as the Temple as the Temple of Gandhesvari. the russet, and bricks with floral pattern used in the front wall and also the mortar used between the joints of bricks clearly indicates that this building was erected during the Muslim period. It is a rectangular hall measuring 6.70m E-W and 3.35m N-S with an octagonal pillar base in the centre. There is a projection in the middle of the western wall consisting of a small room about 1.5m square. In front of the building there is a circular platform 7.3m in diameter with a brick-on-edge floor.

Satyapir Bhita

A cluster of structural remains, locally called Satyapir Bhita is situated about 300m east of the eastern wing of the monastery. The compound is trapezoidal in shape being the north, south, east and west boundaries are 57m, 47m, 76m, and 91m in length, respectively. The vita contains the remains of a Tara temple and the vast number of votive stupas around it. The approach to the area and to the main temple was on the south, now missing. The main temple lies in the northern region of the compound. The oblong south facing building measures 24.38m N-S and 14.6 E-W. It consists of two parts, the main shrine or sanctum in the north and a pillared hall or mandapa on the south. An ambulatory passage was built around the latter one. Beyond this there was a porch from which a flight of stairs led to the paved to the court in front. The temple was reconstructed several times, the last one being in Muslim period. In course of the reconstruction some early structures were covered, buttress walls were built and a new concrete floor was laid almost throughout the courtyard and over the main temple. Around the main temple there are 132 votive stupas. They present a wide variety of square, rectangular and circular structures of various dimensions and scheme of decoration. The largest one is a circular stupa of about 7.5 diameter to the northwest of original temple while the smallest one is only 80cm in diameter. In the eastern side there are two rows of 14 and 7 stupas respectively, of identical size (3.4) and shape with a narrow pathway between them. To the south of the main temple there is another row containing 9 stupas. It is assumed that pilgrims in course of their visit to perform their ritual performances built these votive stupas. Among the movable antiquities, unearthed at Satyapirer Bhita, the following are of immense value. They are figurines of mother goddesses resembling to Tara and god Jambala, seals and sealings bearing Mahayana creed, balls and beads made of semi-precious stones, fragmentary terracotta plaques, terracotta finials belonging to votive stupas, ornamental brick pieces, sherds of multicrome glaze tiles bearing floral as well as creeper designs in either violet or white colors. The discovery of the figurines of Tara, particularly Sitatpatra Tara, and sealing’s bearing Mahayana slokas coupled with the records found in a Nalanda copper plate evince that the building located at satyapir Bhita was originally a temple built in honour o Tara by some Vipulesrimitra who, according to the reading of some Nalanda inscriptional reading of some A Nalanda inscriptional evidences, lived in the 12th century AD.

Architectural Remains Of The Post-Liberation Excavations

Apart from confirming Dikshit’s findings in the cells, the Post-Liberation excavations have yielded some new and unexpected results which are very fascinating and important. Firstly, the remains of another phase of the monastery, probably the monastery of an earlier period, have been unearthed below Dikshit’s original monastery. It appears that the dimension as well as the alignment of the earlier monastery was same as that of the later vihara. The builders used this original monastery for quite some time. But subsequently the earlier floors were totally removed and the partition walls were destroyed and new ones were built. Thus at one time the whole arrangement of the cells was changed. In course of this reconstruction either at places the builders almost entirely almost entirely removed the earlier partition walls and built completely new ones or damaged the earlier ones at their upper levels and kept the lower parts undisturbed over which built new ones.The earlier cells measured 4.87m.×3.96m in average. It clearly indicates that the cells of the earlier structure were larger than those of the upper i.e., Dikshit’s first phase monastery. Thus in later period the number of cells was increased. Secondly, in some limited areas the structural remains (brick walls, terracotta ring wells) and cultural materials (huge number of ceramics) were brought to light underlying the monastery as well as temple. Due to very restricted exposure of these remains their nature could not be ascertained. It is worth quoting that Dikshit discovered 3 periods in the monastic cells and 4 periods in the central temple. Ther recent excavations have discovered 1 more period in the monastery. Hence total 4 periods of the monastery (one of original and three of later period) correspond with those of the central temple. Now, the question arises: which monastery was built by Dharmapala? Is the recently exposed earlier period monastery or the monastery discovered by Dikshit? Here it is interesting to note that, Dikshit believed that originally there was a Jaina monastery at Paharpur of which no traces have survived. The Somapura Mahavihara founded by King Dharmapala in the last quarter of the 8th century AD would then have succeeded this Jaina institution. Almost all subsequent authors have accepted this hypothesis of Dikshit. Could it therefore now be suggested that these recently discovered remains underlying the monastery belong to the Jaina establishment To ascertain it we need further extensive excavation inside and outside the monastic complex.

Antiquities

The excavations have yielded a rich collection of antiquities. Of them the most important ones are copper plate, inscribed stone pillars, coins, stone sculptures, terracotta plaques, stucco heads, clay seals and sealings, ornamental bricks, semi-precious stone beads and pottery. Their brief description is given below.

Terracotta Plaques

The numerous specimens of antiquity from the site were the terracotta plaques, the majority of which, about 2000, were in situ on the temple wall and about 800 were registered loose during excavation. Recently 907 original plaques have been replaced in the walls by the new ones. Majority of the plaques is contemporaneous with the building. These plaques played the most important role in the scheme of decoration of the temple walls. But they are set in the walls without any coherent sequence. Size and shape of the plaques are not uniform. Some are square (18cm) while most of them are rectangular in shape. Some are unusually 40×30×6 cm. These plaques primarily represent the folk art of Bangladesh. Their subject matter includes Buddhist and Barhminical deities, mythology, divine and semi-divine beings, men, women, and children engaged in various activities, musicians, dancers, warriors, acrobats, ploughmen, animals, birds, fishes trees, plants, and flowers and a variety of other objects. It appears that the artisans were fully responsive to their environment and almost every conceivable subject of ordinary life has been depicted on the plaques. The Brahmanical as well as the Buddhist gods are equally illustrated in the plaques. They are the principal varieties of Siva and other Brahmanical gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesa and Surya. Buddhist deities, mostly of the Mahayana School of Buddhism, including Boshisattava Padamapani, Manjusri and Tara are found at various spots. Well-known stories from the Panchatantra, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata also are well represented. The post liberation excavation at the site yielded a terracotta head of Gupta idiom.

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PAHARPUR - ARCHITECTURAL REMAINS OF PRE-LIBERATION EXCAVATION

The monastery or Sangarama exposed at Paharpur is a quandrangle measuring externally 281m on each side. This gigantic monument is the second biggest single monastery that was ever erected in the south of the Himalayas. In plan the monastery consists of rows of cells facing in each direction opening on a spacious verandah round, and approached from the inner courtyard by flight of steps provided in the middle of each of the four wings. In the middle of each wings except north there exists a special block, consisting of three cells and a passage around them. In the middle of the northern wing exists the imposing gateway complex with pillared exterior hall, interior hall, strong rooms and staircases set in a grand front facade projecting outwards. There was a subsidiary gate on the same side in between the main gateway complex and the north-east corner. In all there are 177 cells excluding the cells in the central blocks in each wing. Each cell measures 4.6m X 4.11m in average. The exterior wall is about 5m thick and survives from 3.5 to 4.5 m in height. The massive wall indicates that the structure was storeyed commensurate with the lofty shrine, in cell No. 96 three floors have been discovered. here the level of the last one (upper) is within 30cm from the ground level, that of the second 1m, while the third (lowest) is about 1.5m from the surface. It appears that this sequence has been generalized in all the cells of the monastery. In the original monastery the cells were used as living room by the monk, but in later period at least 92 cells were converted into private worship or ceremonial chambers by providing each of them with an ornamental brick pedestal. Some of the other cells were provided with niches resembling to receptacles on their walls The discovery of everyday use from many cells indicates that those cells were used as living rooms in later period monastery. Apart from the central shrine in the courtyard, there are many other ancillary building remains which were built in different phases of occupation. Most of them are located in the eastern half of the courtyard The important ones are a number of votive stupas, a model of central temple, five shrines ( Panchavedi), kitchen and refectory, masonry drain and wells, there are some other structures whose features are not precisely known, The miniature model of the central shrine is located on the south of the central block of the eastern wing. In this model the plan has been perfected and made more symmetrical. Another important structure in this area is a flight of stairs 4m in width projecting for a distance of 9.75m towards the courtyard of the frontage of the central block of the eastern wing. The last 6 steps are covered with stone block. The votive stupas were built either a group or as a single unit. In plan too they show variations: rectangular, roundish, cruciform and star-like. One group of such votive stupas is locally called Panchavedi > a group of five of five pedestals. It is located near the south-east corner of the open courtyard. In its close vicinity, on the north-west, is a masonry well of medium size. The kitchen and the long refectory hall (bhojasala) of the monastery are also situated in this area. A masonry drain in between the refectory and the kitchen has been traced to a length of over 46m northward. To its west, there are three large wells in a row, which might have served both the kitchen and refectory. There are some important structures enclosed within a regular brick wall that runs from the verandah against rooms 162 to 174 ( in the north-east part of the courtyard. There are rectangular weep wholes at regular intervals in the enclosure wall, so that the eater may flow out from inside the enclosure. The most important structure in this area is a brick structure in which the lower part consists of three channels separated by walling and closed on the top by corbelled brick wall. The largest votive stupa has been exposed in the adjoining area on the north-east corner of the central temple which appears as another model of the central temple.

THE MONASTERY

Central Shrine

In the centre of the vast open courtyard of the monastery stands a lofty shrine, the remains of which still 21m high and covers 27sqm area. It was built on a cruciform plan that rises in three gradually diminishing terraces. The shape of the terminal structure is not yet precisely known. A centrally placed hollow square right at the top of the terraces provides the moot point for the conception of the whole plan of the spectacular form and feature of this stupendous monument. In order to relive monotony and to utilize the colossal structure to serve its basic purpose, provision was made in the second as well as in the first terrace for a projection, consisting of an antechamber and a mandapa on each face, leaving out a portion of the whole length of the square at each of the four corners. The ambulatory passage with the parapet wall was made to run parallel to the outline of this plan. This arrangement resulted in a cruciform shape with projecting angles between the arms of the cross. An enclosure wall strictly conforming to the basement plan, with only a slight deviation near the main staircase, runs round near the main staircase, runs round the monument. There is ample evidence that this complete plan, from the basement to the top, along with different components belonged to a single period of construction, but the later repairs, additions and alteration did not fundamentally affect the general alignment and plan. The basement wall of the temple is embellished with 63 stone bas reliefs which were inserted at most angles of the projection and at intervals in specially built recesses in the middle. They represent mostly cult deities belonging to Hindu pantheons as well as Tantric order of pre-Pala period. The walls of the temple were built of well-burnt bricks laid in mud mortar. The plainness of the walls is relieved on the outer face by projecting cornices of ornamented bricks containing twisted rope, stepped pyramid, lotus-petal, dog-tooth, dog-tooth, floral, chain, and chess-board pattern. Below the cornices bands of terracotta plaques, set in recessed panels, run in a single row all around the basement and in double rows around the ambulatory passage in the upper terraces. As a well planned drainage system each juncture of the crosses and angles is provided with an exquisitely beautiful stone gargoyle representing roaring lion face. The monastery was built mainly in bricks of different sizes and in mud bonding material. Sandstone blocks were used as lintel, doorjamb, doorsill, pillar, pedestal and for some other purposes. The bricks are of roughly cut well-burnt variety. The sandstone is of fine Chunar variety and at place appears to be of reused class. For joining two pieces of stone together, iron fasteners ere used. Traces of lime in case of floor are not all together lacking

STRUCTURAL REMAINS OUTSIDE THE MONASTERY AREA

In the surroundings of the monastery, there are a number of sporadic structural ruins. They vary in nature, type and function.

Open Platform

At a distance of 27m from the outer wall of the southern wing stands an open platform which measures 32×8m and runs parallel to the monastery. It is about 3.5m high from the adjoining ground level and is accessible from a raised 5m wide gangway across cell No. 102. Beneath the gangway and close to the wall of the monastery there is a vaulted channel running parallel to the wall probably for the free passage of people outside the back wall of the monastery from one side to another and for smooth drainage of water too. Its vaulted construction is of much importance as it proves that vaults were known in the region before the advent of the Muslims. The entire southern face of the platform is marked with a series of water-chutes, each 30cm wide and 1.30m long, occurring at 1.2m intervals. The water-chutes are provided with fine jointed brickwork. Some of them were subsequently blocked and new ones were built. The platform was used probably for the purpose of both ablution and toilet.

Bathing Ghat

There is bath bathing ghat at a distance of 49m to the south-east of the south-east corner of the monastery. On the either of it there is a parallel wall paved brick-on-edge and concrete. The head of the ghat laid with huge stone blocks along with brickworks, 3.69m in length. It descends in a gradual slope to 12.5m, where occurs a band of lime stone slabs. The bed of the ghat was covered with sand which indicates the existence of a stream near by. A tradition in association with the ghat is still n current among the local people Sandhyabati, the daughter of King Mahidalan, used to bath at the ghat everyday and she is supposed be the mother of Satyapir through Immaculate Conception.

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PAHARPUR - THE INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The archaeological remains of Paharpur represent the most spectacular and magnificent monument in Bangladesh and the second largest single Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas. This immense quadrangular monastery consists of 177 cells in its 4 Wings with a pyramidal central shrine and numerous subsidiary structures in the vast courtyard and a number of subsidiary structures outside.

  

Situation

The site lies in the village of Paharpur  (25°02’ N Lat. and 89°03’E Long.) of Badalgachi upazilla under the district of Naogaon in the North West Bangladesh. It is 5 km west of Jamalganj railway station, 14 km of Jaypurhat, and 28 km north of Naogaon district headquarters. One can approach the site from either of those places through axial metalled roads. Such religious institutions were usually established at a suitable distance from large towns in order to ensure peaceful surroundings for the monks. At the same time they were reasonably accessible. The location of Somapura Mahavihara halfway on the old road between Pundranagar (present Mahasthan), the ancient capital of Pundravardhana, and the secondary capital at Kotivarsa (modern Bangarh) seemed ideal to the founder of the monastery.

Origin of the Name

Occupying about 8 hectares of land, the vast site is located in a flat countryside amidst an unspoiled peaceful agrarian landscape. Before the archaeological expedition, the undulating and lofty mound was covered with dense forest whose central portion was much higher (24m) than the peripheral zones. In the midst of the vast flood plain, the mound appeared as a landmark in the countryside for kilometers around. The entire site was full of bricks, brickbats, potsherds and stone bits. Due to its hilly configuration in contrast to its flood plain, surroundings the local people called it a Pahar or Hill. Hence, the name of the village is Paharpur i.e., the locality of hill as the word Pahar denotes hill and the Pur locality.

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