Somapura Mahavihara in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Naogaon District, Bangladesh (25°1'51.83"N, 88°58'37.15"E) is among the best known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archeological sites in the country. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
A number of monasteries grew up during the Pāla period in ancient Bengal and Magadha. According to Tibetan sources, five great Mahaviharas stood out: Vikramashila, the premier university of the era; Nalanda, past its prime but still illustrious, Somapura Mahavihara, Odantapurā, and Jaggadala. The five monasteries formed a network; "all of them were under state supervision" and there existed "a system of co-ordination among them . . it seems from the evidence that the different seats of Buddhist learning that functioned in eastern India under the Pāla were regarded together as forming a network, an interlinked group of institutions," and it was common for great scholars to move easily from position to position among them.
Sompur Bihar at Paharpur is about 270 km by road from Dhaka and it will take about 6 hours to reach Paharpur by bus/taxi/private car if no major stops are made along the way. If one starts from Dhaka, the route shall be Dhaka - Savar - Chandra - Tangail - Jamuna Bridge - Hatikamrul - Bogra - Joypurhat - Paharpur. The best way to tour the site is to first reach Bogra and visit Mahasthangarh and stay at Parjatan Hotel overnight and then hire a taxi to go to Paharpur via Joypurhat on the next day. Sompur Bihar is about 68 km from Bogra via Joypurhat and it will take about two hours to reach the site by taxi.
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