SOME IMPORTANT MOUND AND MONUMENTS OF BANGLADESH

Bangladesh has been the cradle of civilization, a center of cultural diffusion, since the dawn of history of mankind. It was the meeting ground of various peoples in different states of civilization, the most primitive as well as the most advanced. The cultural history of Bangladesh is one of the greatest and glorious heritages which every Bangladeshi is legitimately proud of. Each phase of the history of Bangladesh has its distinct characteristics and every race of people who came and settled here, left its individual racial, religions or cultural impacts in the form of temples, stupas, monasteries and mosques along with their associated objects.Time the great effacer, has already obliterated many of our historical mile posts: the changing course of the rivers have washed away many cities, and capitals. The inexorable monsoons have caused the molding and decay of much archival material; floods, tidal-bores, epidemics & famines have ravaged vast communities along with the despoliation of the arts and artifact that sustained the life of such communities. The silent process of erosion continues. Add to these the political upheavals, riots, global wars and the war of independence all to which have brought destruction, mass migration and over all dislocation in its trail. We are not sufficiently aware of what is being lost nor of the harm it is
doing to us.

ABOUT BANGLADESH ARCHAEOLOGY

The sulptures found with our hard excavation and exploration works are unbelievably rich and complex
heritage of Bangladesh. Benefiting from recent archaeological research helps us to show works from the Maurya period
and go on until the 19th century. And thus we will retrace history whilst emphasising on a certain number of major sites.
As a matter of fact, one of the characteristics of this heritage is that a lot of the pieces are well documented and
enable us to situate the same in their precise historical and artistic context. The four great religions, Buddhism, Hinduism,
Jainism and Islam that determine the history of Bangladesh will be duly represented.

Bangladesh possesses an immensely important cultural heritage, this arising from the fact that the eastern half
of Bengal has been one of the cultural richest regions of the Indian world; a vision far from the catastrophic
one that the western world often tends to favour. The region is associated with the art of the Pala and Sena
dynasties (8th – 13th century). Archaeological study has however revealed vestiges that are more ancient like
the Mahasthan site which stands on what used to be Pundravardhana, and goes back to the Maurya and Sunga periods
(3rd – 1st century BC). It has also revealed vestiges from the Gupta period (4th – 6th century).
Pundravardhana-Mahasthan is, to this day, the oldest Indian city known to be in the east. But Bangladesh also
harbours the oldest Buddhist monastery of the Indian world, Paharpur, which has now been listed on the UNESCO’s
list of protected monuments. Sculptures of a impressive dimension have been recently unearthed: a bronze Buddha
measuring 1,3 metres in Paharpur in 1982, a Gupta Buddha (from Sarnath) sculpted on both sides at Mahasthan in 1992,
a bronze Vajrasattva, 1,40 metres in height, at Mainamati in 1995, and finally an Avalokitesvara found on the same
site of the same material and size. These pieces are the real proud of Bangladesh Archaeology.

ARCHAEOLOGIST.BD

Shat Gumbad Mosque and, Paharpur, which has now been listed on the UNESCO’slist of protected monuments.But these Monuments are being less cared due to financial condition of the Country.These are the heritage of not only for the Bangladesh,it is the Treasure of the World.So we must take Care of these. Bangladesh possesses an immensely important cultural heritage, this arising from the fact that the eastern half of Bengal has been one of the cultural richest regions of the Indian world; a vision far from the catastrophic one that the western world often tends to favour. The region is associated with the art of the Pala and Sena dynasties (8th – 13th century). Archaeological study has however revealed vestiges that are more ancient like the Mahasthan site which stands on what used to be Pundravardhana, and goes back to the Maurya and Sunga periods (3rd – 1st century BC). It has also revealed vestiges from the Gupta period (4th – 6th century). Pundravardhana-Mahasthan is, to this day, the oldest Indian city known to be in the east.
Location: BANGLADESH