Paharpur Buddhist Bihar By S.M. MAHMUD AL FUAD Introduction: Paharpur a significant archeological site in Bangladesh, is arranged in a town named Paharpur (Pahadpur) under the Badalgachhi Upazila of the Naogaon region. It was proclaimed as a World Heritage site in 1985. The town is associated with the close by Railway station Jamalganj, the locale town Naogaon and Jaipurhat town by metalled streets. It is amidst the alluvial level plain of northern Bangladesh. As opposed to the repetitive level of the plain, stands the remains of the grand (about 24m high from the encompassing level) old sanctuary which was covered with wilderness, privately considered Pahar or slope from which the royal residence got the name of Paharpur. • Address: Paharpur Bihar Museum, Naogaon, Bangladesh • Elevation: 80′ 0″ • Built: 8th century AD It is a little town 5 km west of Jamalganj rail station. Here the remaining parts of the biggest known cloister south of the Himalayas have been exhumed. This seventh-century archeological discovery covers around a territory of 27 sections of land. The whole foundation involves a quadrangular court estimating more than 900 sq ft and from 12 ft to 15 ft in stature. With expound door complex on the north, there are 45 cells on the north and 44 in every one of the other three sides with an all outnumber of 177 rooms. The design of the pyramidal cruciform sanctuary is significantly affected by those of Southeast Asia, particularly Myanmar and Java. It took its name from a high hill, which resembled Pahar or hillock. A site exhibition hall fabricated as of late houses the delegate assortment of items recuperated from the territory. History of Paharpur: Various religious communities grew up during the Pāla time frame in old India in the eastern areas of the Indian subcontinent, containing Bengal and Magadha. As per Tibetan sources, five extraordinary Mahaviharas (colleges) stuck out: Vikramashila, the chief college of the period; Nalanda, over the hill yet distinguished; Somapura Mahavihara; Odantapurā; and Jaggadala. The maha viharas shaped an organization; "every one of them was under state watch" and there existed "an arrangement of co-appointment among them. It appears from the proof that the various seats of Buddhist discovering that worked in eastern India under the Pāla were viewed together as framing an organization, an interlinked gathering of foundations," and it was regular for incredible researchers to move effectively from one situation to another among them. Xuanzang of China was a prominent researcher who lived at the Somapura Mahavihara (the biggest college in old India), and Atisa went from Bengal to Tibet to lecture Buddhism. The soonest type of the Bengali language started to arise during the eighth century. The unearthing at Paharpur, and the finding of seals bearing the engraving Shri Somapure-Shri-Dharmapaladeva-Mahavihariyarya-bhiksu-sangghasya, has distinguished the Somapura Mahavihara as worked continuously Pala lord Dharmapala (around 781–821) of Pāla Dynasty. Tibetan sources, including Tibetan interpretations of Dharmakayavidhi and Madhyamaka Ratnapradipa, Taranatha's set of experiences, and Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang, notice that Dharmapala's replacement Devapala (around 810–850) fabricated it after his victory of Varendra. The Paharpur column engraving bears the notice of the fifth regnal year of Devapala's replacement Mahendrapala (around 850–854) alongside the name of Bhiksu Ajayagarbha. Taranatha's Pag Sam Jon Zang records that the cloister was fixed during the rule of Mahipala (around 995–1043 AD). The Nalanda engraving of Vipulashrimitra records that the religious community was annihilated by fire, which additionally slaughtered Vipulashrimitra's predecessor Karunashrimitra, during a victory by the Vanga armed force in the eleventh century. After some time Atisha's otherworldly preceptor, Ratnakara Shanti, filled in as a sthavira of the vihara, Mahapanditacharya Bodhibhadra filled in as an occupant priest, and different researchers spent a piece of their lives at the cloister, including Kalamahapada, Virendra, and Karunashrimitra. Many Tibetan priests visited the Somapura between the ninth and twelfth hundreds of years. During the standard of the Sena administration, known as Karnatadeshatagata Brahmaksatriya, in the second 50% of the twelfth century, the vihara began to decrease for the last time. One researcher expresses, "The remains of the sanctuary and cloisters at Pāhāpur don't bear any clear signs of enormous scope obliteration. The ruin of the foundation, by abandonment or obliteration, probably been at some point amidst the broad turmoil and uprooting of populace resulting on the Muslim attack." A copperplate dated to 159 Gupta Era (479 AD) found in 1927 in the upper east corner of the cloister, refers to the gift of a Brahmin couple to Jain Acharya Guhanandi of Pancha-stupa Nikaya at Vata Gohli, recognizable as the adjoining town of Goalapara Overall Situation Analysis Preservation methods of the site: 1. Authority can provide enough dustbin for ensuring cleanliness. 2. Government can provide enough law enforcement agencies members for ensuring security. 3. Authority can plant more trees in the area of the central temple. 4. Authority can provide enough picnic spots for ignoring chaos. 5. They can give a handbill & enough billboard for informing the history of the vihara. Current situation: 1. For lacking dustbin that place was not enough clean. 2. Tourists are not using dustbins for dust. 3. Tourists don’t know the history. 4. There were not enough shops & restaurants. 5. There was not any residential hotel for a night stay or taking a rest. 6. Food quality of local foods was too unhygienic. 7. There was not any market for buying something which can represent Paharpur in our memories. 8. Member of Law enforcement agency was only 3 when I visited the vihara. 9. Authority was not strict. But there was a good time for visiting the place for ensuring safety which was very good. 10.There was not enough tourist just because of a pandemic. 11.There was a specific season for the tour according to locals. They informed me that winter season is a too good time for visitors & they face very pressure from tourist on that time. 12.For minimum shops & restaurant local people earn a good amount of money every day. 13.Behaviour of tourists was not satisfying. 14.Some tourists doing smoke openly. 15.Local politicians created syndicates against new businessmen. Financial Situation of the locals: There was a very certain amount of shops & restaurants. For this reason, the owner of those shops & restaurants earns a good amount of money. But, still maximum people of that locality dependent on agro. If they want they can start relating business of tourists. Perhaps, a syndicate of local politicians is the only barrier to their business. Scope for Betterment and Improving: 1. More good restaurants should be made whose are ensure good, healthy & hygienic foods. 2. Need residential hotels for foreign tourists & visitors. 3. Need to develop local markets. 4. Need to inform practical knowledge to the youth who represents Paharpur globally in the future. 5. Need a strong authority to ensure the security & proper use of the dustbin. 6. Need to make enough picnic spots for a study tour. 7. Custodian(chief of that site) are not allowed to talk with journalists. It is very bad. 8. There always should stay enough law enforcement agency members for protecting the tourist from any kind of occurrence. 9. Authority must take a step against local politicians whose are created syndicate. Conclusion: Paharpur Buddhist Vihara is one of the ancient civilizations of Bangladesh. We should take more steps to make this site attractive to local & foreign tourists. We have to keep this place always neat & clean. We have to ensure the safety of peoples. We can invite people of our community to visit the place & gain knowledge on our history. Picture of Central Temple: Collected From: Wikipedia.