THE PALACES OF NAWABGANJ. KOKIL PAYREE AND OTHERS

The lavish array of riverside pavilions, a mere hour or so from Dhaka, might well be named Nawabganj since it is clear that here dwelt a pretty magnificent family of zamindari, the local ‘rulers’ of areas in Bangladesh under both the Mughals and the British.

In fact will probably take some considerable research, perhaps in the British Library in London where the papers of both the India Office from days of Empire and many of the East India Company papers are stored, to investigate the history that produced this extraordinary array of neoclassical magnificence.

That the Nawabs were Hindu there is no doubt, the ruins of Hindu shrines and temples litter the vast compound, and the area around is also rich in Hindu remains.

The large palace pavilions suggest a large family; it was customary for the incoming zaminder, having acquired at auction the rights and role, to build separate ‘pavilions’ for sons and sometimes even daughters and sons in law.

The names of Kolalopa and Bandura seem to be associated with the location, outside the main compound stands a well maintained ‘palace’ known as the ‘Judges House’ and the neighbouring, ‘Advocates House’, both of which are evidently still occupied by descendants of the original Judge.

'Judge's House' Nawabganj, Bangladesh

Stately columns adorn the well maintained 'Judge's House'

Most of the buildings are now occupied as an Ansar Training Centre, including Vocational Training, and are, inevitably, slowly decaying, although the architectural detail, especially the cement pillars and capitols are in an incredibly good condition for such fine craftsmanship of about 100 years ago.

Architectural details adorn the inside of a room

Cement columns in Nawabganj

Ceramic mosaic was obviously popular in the family, a skill we believe arrived probably in the mid-19^th Century from Chinese labourers and originated in South East Asia where such work is common in shop houses in such places as Singapore and Malacca, and probably originates in Bangladesh from the East India Company period before 1857.

Such mosaic work is still common in Bangladesh, especially on the domes and minarets of mosques.

Andhar Kotha: The Dark Palace. Nawabganj, Bangladesh

The Dark Palace 

Another splendid palace close to the compound is known as ‘Andhar Kotha’, ‘The Dark Place’, positively inviting stories of locked up daughters and the like, but it also fronts the river and may perhaps simply be the residence of a family member who preferred to keep their distance!

Altogether, a destination worth any day trip from the rigors of Dhaka.

Atish Dipankar’s Vihara, Dholagaon, Vikrampur, Bangladesh?

Excavation at Vikrampur, Bangladesh

One of the country’s leading archaeologists has described the vanished city of Vikrampur, at the junction of many rivers that flow into the tidal waters of the Delta, as being represented by ‘over 17 Unions(parishes), you put your spade in the ground and find 18 inches of mud, then brick’.

Digging through mud and brick to unearth Bangladesh's History

Clearly this ancient city, capitol of a large area of historic Bengal, under the benign influence of Buddhist and Hindu kings, then Islamic overlords, was once something of a booming city and trading centre.

Little of which any casual search on Google (who insist on the interchangeable Bhikrampur) would reveal.

One major fact in the city’s history, however, does stand out. That it was both the birthplace and home of Atish Dipankar, widely known in Tibet as ‘The Second Buddha’.

Pagoda built by the People's Republic of China to recognize the contributions of  Atish Dipankar

The Government of the People’s Republic of China have built a Pagoda and Auditorium to commemorate Dipankar’s ‘Social work in China’ close by the present excavation site in Vikrampur.

In the middle of the 11^th Century, it is said that, whilst principal of a large Vihara in Vikrampur with over 8,000 students from across the Buddhist world including China, Japan, Cambodia, Sumatra, Sri Lanka and Thailand, Dipankar was invited by the King of Tibet to go to travel to his kingdom and help restore the Buddhist faith that had fallen into decay.

Could this be the great Vihara of Atish Dipankar?

That he succeeded in this restoration is clear from his nickname as well as Tibet’s current status as the home of Tantra and Yoga, both elements of the liberal Mahayana School of Buddhism.  In fact, the Mahayana School probably developed in the great monastic and teaching tradition of the more than 350 Vihara whose remains are scattered through Bangladesh, as is one of the few Ashokan Pillars marking where the Buddha himself taught.

Archaeologists work to unearth the history of this fascinating site.

Archaeologists in Bangladesh are presently engaged in slowly, lacking as they do many of the modern resources available to the science around the world, excavating what seems to be a huge vihara not far from the site identified as the birthplace of Dipankar.

With solid brick walls, appearing to be the result of at least two periods of development, dating prior to the 11^th Century and measuring in many cases more than 3 or 4 feet thick, as well as some small pieces of Basalt sculpture and a great deal of pottery yet to be evaluated, archaeologists believe they may have finally found Dipankar’s great vihara.

Excavation at Vikrampur is slow work thanks to a lack of modern tools

However, as noticed at Mainamati and many other such sites, vihara come ‘not as single spies’ but in fact by the dozen.  This excavation then may just be the start of a lengthy process. With so little resource and so much to do, compounded by the exponential rate of urban development in this nation with a rapidly growing population, there is always the risk that much of this great history will never again see the light of day.

Categorizing bits of pottery and brick found at Vikrampur, Bangladesh.

An interesting addition to this site, which may well be built over fairly soon, is what appears to be the remains of, perhaps, a Jain Temple, adjoining a nearby British Period farmhouse.

‘COTTON TREES’ IN BANGLADESH!

The official first day of Spring has passed, but this is the season between the chill, dry, winter…easily the most comfortable time to visit this extraordinary country… and the onset of the heat and rain of summer that, despite its discomfort, brings the seasonal magic of new life, followed by oceans of flood waters filling the great rivers and canals, and spreading the seasonal deltaic water borne detritus that is the fertile stuff of the flourishing agriculture of the country.

For us, the sight of the ‘Cotton’ tree, Bombax Ceiba, that produces, long before new leaves, large, bright red, fragrant blossoms on the bare branches, is what lights the way to full spring.

WARI BATESHWAR. FIFTY NEW BUDDHIST SITES.

Excavations at Wari Bateshwar

Presently being excavated near the ancient trading centre at Wari Bateshwar, near Narsingdi, just north of Dhaka, is a small vihara from perhaps the 7^th Century.

It appears to be just one of a number of such ‘mini’ vihara in the area, which has already been identified as being surrounded by up to 50 sites with Buddhist connections.

Archaeologist at Wari Bateshwar, near Narsingdi, have identified a small  Vihara

Each year understanding of this ancient site, which has tangible evidence of occupation dating back about 10,000 years, is improved. It helps, of course, that authorities at Cambridge University identify it with the 2^nd Century Ptolemaic city of Sounagora.  Finds include coinage dated from about 600 BCE as well as material of identifiably Roman origin, leading to the recognition that this was an ancient trading centre of some significance located as it is on the banks of the Brahmaputra River.  The city is enclosed within a 5.3km rampart and has a 600 metre square citadel within.

Digging through history at Wari Bateshwar, Bangladesh

The tally of identifiable Buddhist remains continues to mount, almost monthly, in what many experts now agree was, almost certainly, the ‘Cradle of Buddhism’.