Bhasu Vihara
written by – Labanaya Barua
Bhasu Vihara is known locally as Narapatir Dhap. It’s an important part of the Buddhist heritage of Bangladesh and there are remains here from several significant monastery buildings. is a complex of two rectangular monasteries and a semi-cruciform shrine of the Post-Gupta period. It is located at about 6 km west of Mahasthangarh on the northern part of village Bihar, under Bihar union of Shibganj upazila in Bogra district, about 500m west of the Nagar river.
During Cunningham’s tour, he identified this site six kilometers north-west of Mahasthangarh. Excavations have exposed two large Buddhist monasteries and a medium-sized Buddhist shrine. In 1970-80s further excavations revealed a small monastery consisting of 37 small rooms. Three of the five mounds of the site have been fully excavated. They have revealed two monasteries and a shrine from either the pre-Pala period or the post-Gupta period. The large monastery has an open space in the centre and rooms for the monks surrounding it. The smaller monastery has a similar layout, with a veranda at the front.
Reference
- Bogra: Vasu Bihar. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.alonelytraveler.com/2010/06/bogra-vasu-bihar.html
- (2019). Retrieved from http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
- World Heritage Journeys Buddha. (2019). Retrieved from https://visitworldheritage.com/en/buddha
- Buddhist archaeological sites in Bangladesh | daily sun. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/307344/2018/05/08/Buddhist-archaeological-sites-in-Bangladesh
