Sitakot Vihara

Sitacot Vihara
Native name
Bengali: সীতাকোট বিহার
Location Dinajpur, Bangladesh
Built 6th century AD

Sitakot Vihara (Bengali: সীতাকোট বিহার Sitakot Vihara)is an archaeological site located in Nawabganj upazila in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.[1] The site is locally known as the resedence of Sita. Through regular excavations in the years 1968 and 1972-1973, an ancient Buddhist monastery was discovered in the site.[2] The monastery dates from a similar time period to the nearby Somapura Mahavihara and Halud Vihara.

Architecture

The monastery was built on a square area of 65 meter * 65 meter.[2]

In the northern and southern side there was large open space inside the boundary. The outer gateway was in the northern side and there were two guardrooms inside the boundary. The inner gateway entered to an entrance hall. The hall is attached with monastic cells. There were in total 41 cells in this monastery: 8 cells in the northern wing and 11 cells each in the three other wings. The cells were almost equal in size (3.66m by 3.35m). The thickness of the front walls of the cells were 1.07 m, back walls 2.59m and partition walls 0.91-1.22m.[1] Each cell has a doorway in front side and niches on three side walls.[2]

A 2.59 meter wide verandah ran through the perimeter of the monastery and the cells were connected to it through a doorway of 1.68 meter length and 1.07 meter width.[1]

There is a courtyard in the middle of the monastery that measure 42.38 meter *41.16 meter. Three rooms located in the middles of east, west and south wings were used as prayer rooms.[2]

Artifacts found

Two bronze images were found on the site. One is of Bodhisattva Padmapani and the other of Bodhisattva Manjushri.[1] Besides that ink pots, terracotta toys, ornamental bricks and a lot of potsherds were unearthed during the excavation.[2]

Protection

The site is under Protection of Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Bangladesh. The site is not well maintained and restoration work is needed in the site.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rahman, SS Mostafizur. "Banglapedia". Banglapedia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Site Board".
  3. ↑ "The Buddhist Forum".
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