View source for Mainamati

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| header            = Moinamoti
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| image1            = ময়নামতি রাণীর কুঠির (Maynamati Ranir Kuthir).jpg
| caption1          = Palace of Queen Moinamoti
| image2            = Shalbon budha bihar2.jpg
| caption2          = Shalban Bihar
| image3            = War Cemetery comilla bangladesh.jpg
| caption3          = [[Mainamati War Cemetery]]
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'''Moinamoti''' ({{Langx|bn|ময়নামতি|translit=Môynamoti}}) is an isolated low, dimpled range of hills, dotted with more than 50 ancient [[Buddhist]] [[vihara|settlements]] dating between the 8th and 12th century [[Common Era|CE]]. It was part of the ancient [[Samatata]] division of [[Bengal]]. It extends through the centre of the district of [[Comilla District|Comilla]] in [[Bangladesh]]. Moinamoti is located almost 8 miles or 12 km from the city of [[Comilla]]. It is the home of one of the most important [[Buddhist]] [[archaeological site]]s in the region. [[Comilla Cantonment]] is located nearby and houses a beautiful colonial era [[Maynamati War Cemetery|cemetery]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLA3AAAAIAAJ&dq=ancient+Khulna&pg=PA171 | title=The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture | publisher=Brill Archive | author=Susan L. Huntington | year=1984 | pages=164 | isbn=9789004068568}}</ref> Mainamati is named for the [[Chandra dynasty|Chandra]] queen of the same name, mother of the king [[Govindachandra (Chandra dynasty)|'''Govindachandra''']]. According historian Bisweswar Chakravarti that the dynasty had relation with [[Mahishya]] king '''''Harish Pala'''''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhandarkar |first=Devadatta Ramkrishna |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.33098/page/n122/mode/1up |title=Indian Culture  Vol. 6 |date=1939 |pages=114}}</ref> According to the folk song of [[Comilla]], 'Mainamatir Gan' mentioned that Raja [[Govindachandra (Chandra dynasty)|Govindachandra]] was married Raja Harish Pala's two daughter named 'Aduna' and 'Poduna'. Mainamati is 114&nbsp; kilometers or 70 miles from [[Dhaka]] city through National Highway 1 and is nearly 162 kilometers or 100 miles from [[Chittagong]]. There is also a Buddhist temple located beside it.

==Buddhist Monuments==
{{see also|History of Bangladesh}}
* '''[[Shalban Vihara]]''': At the centre piece of the Buddhist sites at Mainamati is the [[Shalban vihara]], almost in the middle of the Mainamati-Lalmai hill range consists of 115 cells, built around a spacious courtyard with a [[cruciform]] temple in the centre, facing its only gateway complex to the north, resembling that of the [[Sompur Bihara]]. It is clearly a Vihara, or an educational centre with residential facilities.
* '''[[Kutila Mura]]''': Situated on a flattened hillock, about 5&nbsp;km north of Shalban Vihara inside the [[Comilla Cantonment]] is a picturesque Buddhist establishment. Here, three [[stupa]]s are found side by side representing the Buddhist "Trinity" or three jewels, i.e. the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]], [[Dharma]] and [[Sangha (Buddhism)|Sangha]].
* '''Charpatra Mura''': This is an isolated small oblong shrine situated about 2.5&nbsp;km. north-west of Kotila Mura stupas. The only approach to the shrine is from the east through a gateway, which leads to a spacious hall. A number of shrines can be found here.
* '''Mainamati Ranir Badi''': The Mainamati site Museum, situated next to Shavian Vihara, houses a good collection of artifacts found at these sites. The Museum has a rich and varied collection of copper plates, gold and silver coins and 86 bronze objects. Over 150 bronze statues have been recovered mostly from the monastic cells. Bronze stupas, stone sculptures and hundreds of terracotta plaques each measuring on an average of 9" inches high and 8" to 12" inches wide.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons}}
* {{cite book |last=Rashid |first=M. Harunur |year=2012 |chapter=Mainamati |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Mainamati |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}

{{Non-extant Bengal places}}
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[[Category:Archaeological sites in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Cumilla]]
[[Category:Buddhism in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Bangladesh]]


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