The most glorious place of interest in Badalgachhi Upazila i.e. Naogaon District is Sompur Bihar or Paharpur Buddhist Monastery. Paharpur Buddhist Monastery is located in Paharpur village under the present Paharpur Union Parishad. The name Paharpur is modern and the ancient name is Sompur. The Buddhist Pala dynasty was established in Bangladesh in the 7th century (70-810 AD). In the eighth and ninth centuries AD, Dharmapala, the second and third kings of the Pala dynasty, and his son Devpala established vast empires as far as Bengal, Bihar and Kannauj. This Paharpur monastery and temple were built in Bangladesh under their patronage during the period of extreme excellence of Buddhism. Although this monastery was reduced to rubble due to historical and geographical reasons, this magnificent monastery still stands proudly as the largest Buddhist monastery in Asia.
Paharpur Buddhist Monastery had 16 rooms for Buddhist monks. Paharpur Buddhist Monastery is located on a total land of 70.31 acres. At present the Bangladesh Archaeological Department has built a museum, a rest house and several administrative buildings here. As a result of excavations up to 1934 AD, the Archaeological Department discovered the rooms and the entire ruins surrounding the Vita of Satyapir and the temple on the east side of the monastery. In the center of the main monastery and around it are 196 living rooms, wide entrances, numerous entertainment stupas, small temples, ponds. The temple is 358 feet long from north to south and 314 feet wide from east to west. The main monastery is located in the middle of it. The evening was the daughter of the king here. Today, Paharpur Buddhist Monastery is recognized as one of the oldest cultural heritage in the world due to its large size and historical significance. It has recently been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
63 idols can be seen in the stone gravel of Paharpur. Statues of many animals are also found in the temple. The height of the monastery from the mainland is about 72 feet. Paharpur can be identified as a mini version of the ancient Nalanda University. Every year many domestic and foreign tourists and common people gather here.
How to get there: From Naogaon Baludanga bus terminal you can take a direct bus to historic Paharpur. Approximate distance approx. 32 km. Bus fare - 30-40 rupees.
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