Mahasthangarh (মহাস্থানগড়)

Mahasthangarh lies in Shibganj Upazila of Bogura District, about 13 kilometres north of Bogura town, on the west bank of the Karatoya River. It is the earliest urban archaeological site found so far in Bangladesh and is identified with Pundranagara, the capital of the ancient Pundra region.

The site was occupied from at least the third century BC, and it remained an important centre under the Mauryas, Guptas, Palas and later Hindu rulers until about the fifteenth century. In 1931 a limestone slab with a Brahmi inscription was found here, generally dated to the Mauryan period, which records a royal order on famine relief and is among the oldest written records found in Bangladesh.

The core of the site is a walled citadel about 1.5 kilometres long and 1.4 kilometres wide, with earth and brick ramparts that still rise several metres above the surrounding fields. Within and around the walls are mounds and excavated remains of temples, monasteries and palaces, including Bairagir Bhita, Khodar Pathar Bhita, Munir Ghon and Parasuram's palace. A few kilometres to the south stands Gokul Medh, a terraced brick platform also known as Behula's wedding chamber.

The Mahasthangarh site museum displays coins, terracotta plaques, pottery, stone sculpture and inscriptions from the excavations. Next to the citadel is the shrine of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar, a Muslim saint believed to have come to the area in the medieval period, which draws many pilgrims.

The citadel walls can be walked freely, while the museum keeps Department of Archaeology hours and charges a small ticket. Allow half a day to see the main areas.

Measured precisely, the rectangular citadel runs about 1,523 metres north to south and 1,371 metres east to west, enclosing roughly 185 hectares. The Karatoya, which flows along its eastern side, was once a major river but is now a narrow stream. The Brahmi slab found in 1931 has six lines of Prakrit and records a grant made during a time of distress, which is why it is often read as a famine relief order.

Digging began early. K. N. Dikshit of the Archaeological Survey of India excavated here in 1928 and 1929, and a joint Bangladeshi and French team worked on the site from 1992 to 1998. Govinda Bhita, about 185 metres north-east of Jahajghata and opposite the museum, shows remains spanning the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD. A few kilometres north-west, the mounds of Bhasu Vihara (Narapatir Dhap) hold two monasteries and a temple; Alexander Cunningham linked them with the visit of the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang in the 7th century.

The site museum opens Sunday to Thursday, from 10 am to 6 pm between 1 April and 30 September and from 9 am to 5 pm in winter.