Somapura Mahavihara

Description

Somapura Mahavihara (Bengali: সোমপুর মহাবিহার, romanized: Sōmpur Môhābihār), also known as Paharpur Buddhist Vihara (Bengali: পাহাড়পুর বৌদ্ধবিহার, romanized: Pāhāṛpur Bôuddhôbihār), is a major Buddhist monastery (mahavihara) in Paharpur, Badalgachhi, Naogaon, Bangladesh. It is among the best known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

It is one of the most famous examples of architecture in pre-Islamic Bengali architecture. It dates from a period to the nearby Halud Vihara and to the Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj, Dinajpur.