Paharpur, The World Heritage Site -পাহাড়পুর, বিশ্ব ঐতিহ্য 5.27

The Paharpur monastery was built by the Pala Emperor Dharmapala (ca. 770-810 AD). During the Pala period many Buddhist temples, monasteries and stupas were built under the royal patronage and Bengal became the center of Buddhist religion and culture. Somapura Mahavihara was one of such institutions. In the last quarter of the 9th century AD the Pala empire received a major setback by foreign invaders. However, Mahipala I was able to establish the second Pala Empire towards the end of the 10th century AD and restored many Buddhist establishments in the country including Somapura Mahavihara. After Mahipala I and his son Navapala, the fortune of Pala dynasty again suffered reverse and Bengal was overrun in turn by the foreign invaders and a local Kaivarta chief named Divya and the Somapura Vihara was burnt by the Vangala army. In the last quarter of the 11th century the Pala dynasty was reestablished but in the 12th century the sovereignty of Bengal passed over to the Senas of South India, and the monuments at Paharpur suffered decline and disintegration never to be revived again.

The monastery of Paharpur is a quadrangle measuring externally 281m on each side. In plan the monastery consists of rows of cells facing in each direction opening, on a spacious verandah round, and approached from the inner courtyard by flight of steps provided in the middle of each of the four wings. In the middle of each of the wings except north there exists a special block, consisting of three cells and a passage around them.

There are 45 cells on the north and 44 in each of the other three sides, making a total number of 177 monastic cells along the enclosure walls on the four sides. Each cell measures 4.26m x 4.11 m in average. In the middle of the northern wing exists the imposing gateway complex with pillared exterior hall, interior hall, strong rooms and staircases set in a grand front facade projecting outward. There was a subsidiary gate on the same side in between the main gateway complex and the north-east corner.