Mainamati :

Built by the Bhuddist Chandra Kings between 8th and 11th centuries, the Mainamati archeological remainings are the most extensive archeologic excavated area in Bengal. An isolated, 11 mile long spur of dimpled hill-range, known as the Mainamatilalmai range, stretches through the middle of the Comilla district. Exploration on this range has revealed over 50 ancient sites dotting the hills, mostly containing Buddhist remains of the eighth to twelfth centuries. Excavation on a number of sites, locally known as Salban Vihara, Kotila Mura, Ananda Rajar Badi, Charpatra Mura and Mainamati Ranir Badi has, besides, exposing many Buddhist monasteries, temples and stupas, also yielded a rich collection of stone and bronze sculptures of various gods and goddesses, coins, royal copper-plate grants, terra cotta plaques, jewellery, potsand pansand other miscellaneousobjectsofdaily usewhich eloquently speaks of the glorious cultural attainment of the period. From a dozen of royal copperplate grants and coins it has been possible to reconstruct the complete genealogy and military exploits of the independent Deva and Chandra rulers of Samatata, hitherto unknown.

At Kotila Murasite, three stupas have been found in a row, representing the Buddhist 'Trinity' or the Three Jewels, i.e., the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha, built in the traditional square plan with circular drums and hemispherical domes and seems to be a rare architectural example in the subcontinent.

At Salban Vihara a well-planned 550' square monastery of the Paharpur type, consisting of 115 1iving cells for monks, built around a spacious coUrtyard with a cruciform temple in the centre facing its only gateway complex on north, was discovered recently. From this and others of this type of monasteries discovered at Ananda Vihara, Paharpur, Vasu-Bihar and Sitakot (Dinajpur) it seems clear that these represent a relatively late development of these institutions, erected under royal patronage. These systematically planned, self-contained and massively built monasteries resemble more to defensive fortresses than purely religious establishments where the concern for security was an important factor in architecture.