Shalban Buddhist Monastery

Benjir Abrar

Natural beauty brings us close to nature. This writing is about a historical place for nature lovers and history enthusiasts. The Shalban Buddhist monastery is an ancient monument located in Comilla district. The monastery is one of the significant ancient installations in Lalmai-Moynamoti archeological site which is identified as a 12th century area.
Located in Lalmai hills adjacent to BARD, Kotbari, the monastery was once surrounded by forest of dense shal _ that’s why it was named Shalban Vihar. The name of the adjacent village is Salabanapur. There is still a small forest. This monastery is like Paharpur’s buddhist monastery, but smaller in size.
It is in the form of a square and 167.7 metre’s long on each side. Four side walls are five metres thick and the door is right in the middle of the north block. In each cell, the walls are 1.5 metre wide. The central temple was in the middle of the monastery’s site.
The monastery has a total of 155 rooms, 8.5 feet wide corridor in front of the rooms and low walls in the end. In each room wall there are three niches. In the niches deities and oil lamps were kept. Buddhist monks lived in those rooms and used to practise education and religion.
Outside the monastery gate there is a hall room in the south- east corner. Based on four side walls and the front four large round columns this room was created as the food hall for monks. The hall room measurement is 10 metre by 20 metre. Around the hall room there are four bricks wide road.
It is believed that from the end part of the 7th century to the first part of the 8th century, the fourth king of Deva dynasties of Bengal, Sribhabadeba, established this Buddhist monastery. Six construction and re-construction phase of Shalban Monastery were known. Within the 8th century, the central temple was constructed in the third phase and it is supposed that all reform took place in that time. The fourth and fifth phase of the construction and renovation work was completed in 9th-10th century.
By archaeological excavations from the ruins of the monastery, eight copper and 400 gold and silver coins, numerous terracotta seal and sculptures have been found. These bear the signature of ancient archaeological traditions of Bangladesh.
There are numerous buses from Dhaka to Comilla. From Syedabad or Jatrabari there are available buses for Comilla Cantonment or Comilla town. It will take two hours only. In front of the city after getting down at Kotbari there is direct way to Shalban monastery through CNG auto-rickshaw or rickshaw. Regular buses are also available for Comilla from different places of the country.

Shalban Buddhist Monastery

Benjir Abrar Natural beauty brings us close to nature. This writing is about a historical place for nature lovers and history enthusiasts. The Shalban Buddhist monastery is an ancient monument located in Comilla district. The monastery is one of the significant ancient installations in Lalmai-Moynamoti archeological site which is identified as a 12th century area. Located in Lalmai hills adjacent to BARD, Kotbari, the monastery was once surrounded by forest of dense shal _ thats why it was named Shalban Vihar. The name of the adjacent village is Salabanapur. There is still a small forest. This monastery is like Paharpurs buddhist monastery, but smaller in size. It is in the form of a square and 167.7 metres long on each side. Four side walls are five metres thick and the door is right in the middle of the north block. In each cell, the walls are 1.5 metre wide. The central temple was in the middle of the monasterys site. The monastery has a total of 155 rooms, 8.5 feet wide corridor in front of the rooms and low walls in the end. In each room wall there are three niches. In the niches deities and oil lamps were kept. Buddhist monks lived in those rooms and used to practise education and religion. Outside the monastery gate there is a hall room in the south- east corner. Based on four side walls and the front four large round columns this room was created as the food hall for monks. The hall room measurement is 10 metre by 20 metre. Around the hall room there are four bricks wide road. It is believed that from the end part of the 7th century to the first part of the 8th century, the fourth king of Deva dynasties of Bengal, Sribhabadeba, established this Buddhist monastery. Six construction and re-construction phase of Shalban Monastery were known. Within the 8th century, the central temple was constructed in the third phase and it is supposed that all reform took place in that time. The fourth and fifth phase of the construction and renovation work was completed in 9th-10th century. By archaeological excavations from the ruins of the monastery, eight copper and 400 gold and silver coins, numerous terracotta seal and sculptures have been found. These bear the signature of ancient archaeological traditions of Bangladesh. There are numerous buses from Dhaka to Comilla. From Syedabad or Jatrabari there are available buses for Comilla Cantonment or Comilla town. It will take two hours only. In front of the city after getting down at Kotbari there is direct way to Shalban monastery through CNG auto-rickshaw or rickshaw. Regular buses are also available for Comilla from different places of the country.