Raw data
"Mainamati once known as 'Samatata' denotes a land lying almost even with the sea-level. An isolated eleven mile long spur of dimpled low hill range known as the Mainamati Lalmai range runs through the middle of Comilla district from north to south. Excavation on this range has revealed over 50 ancient sites dotting the hills, mostly containing various types of Buddhist remains of the 8th to 12th centuries A.D. Excavations at a number of sites, locally known as Salban Vihara, Kutila Mura, Ananda Rajar Badi, Charpatra Mura, Mainamati Ranir Badi from 1955 till todate, besides exposing many Buddhist monasteries, temples and stupas, have also yielded a rich collection of stones and bronze sculptures of various gods and goddesses, coins, reliquaries, royal copper plate grants, terracotta plaques, jewellery, pots and pans and other miscellaneous objects of daily use which eloquently speak of the glorious cultural attainments of the period.
Salban Vihara is an extensive centre of Buddhist culture of 8th to 12th century. The attractions include Buddhist Vihara (monastery) with imposing central shrine, Kotila Mura, another Buddhist establishment 5 km. north of Salban Vihara."
http://www.mocat.gov.bd/att_location.php?type_id=1
"The Mainamati Archaeological Museum and some of the accessible sites are about six miles (10 km) west of Comilla town. […] Most of the sites contain various types of Buddhist structures dating from between the eighth and 12th centuries, consisting of monasteries, temples and stupas, which have produced a rich collection of archaeological remains.
Close to the site museum is Salban Vihara, a Buddhist monastery which had 115 cells built around a spacious courtyard with a cruciform temple in the middle. Deep excavations have revealed as many as six rebuilding phases, four of which have intelligible plan forms. In the early periods it was very similar to Paharpur, being built of brick and with scores of terra-cotta plaques adorning the circumambulatories. The monastery was probably constructed at the beginning of the eighth century by Bhava Deva, the fourth ruler of the Deva Dynasty.
About three miles (five km) north of Salban Vihara, is a unique group of Buddhist brick monuments known as the Kutila Mura. They consist of three stupas, possibly representing the Buddhist trinity or three jewels Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The Charpatra Mura is about two miles to the northwest, and several of its important finds can be seen in the museum. The largest of the ridge sites, the Ananda Vihara, another Buddhist monastery, is only about a half-mile away. It probably derives its name from Anandadeva, the third and greatest ruler of the early Deva Dynasty. All these sites are out of bounds unless prior permission is received from the army."
http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/bd_tour_chittagong.html
Mainamati, Bangladesh Page
Other names: Maynamati,Mayn?mati
World:Bangladesh:Chittagong Division
Lat 23.5106 Long 91.1067
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BG/80/Mainamati.html
Comilla, Bangladesh Page
Other names: Kumill?,Kumilla
World:Bangladesh:Chittagong Division
Lat 23.4578 Long 91.2044
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BG/80/Comilla.html
Shalvan
"Very interesting and important structural complexes have been discovered at Mainamati (Comilla district, Bangladesh). Remains of quite a few viharas have been unearthed here and the most elaborate is the Shalvan vihara. The complex consists of a fairly large vihara of the usual plan of four ranges of monastic cells round a central court, with a temple in cruciform plan situated in the centre. According to a legend on a seal (discovered at the site) the founder of the monastery was Bhavadeva, a ruler of Deva dynasty."
http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:5t0BxqG_YxAJ:banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/B_0644.htm
"Hieun Tsang toured India for 16 years from 629 to 645 AD. […] He visited Samatata region in 639 AD in present-day Comilla and recorded in his travel diary as having seen 30 Sangharams or monasteries here inhabited by 2000 monks of Thervada school." Barua (2005)
Buddhist Viharas in Bangladesh
Salban Vihara (W. of border with Tripura)
http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/Maps/MB_0644.GIF
Input by: tmciolek, Aug 20, 2009
Final data (and their sources)
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Salban monastery, BD.
lat=23.4962 long=91.1072
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Salban monastery
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- Bangladesh (BD):Chittagong Division
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Salban Vihara - http://www.mocat.gov.bd/att_location.php?type_id=1
- Shalvan Vihara - http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:5t0BxqG_YxAJ:banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/B_0644.htm
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Estimated from Mainamati coords (Lat 23.5106 Long 91.1067http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BG/80/Mainamati.html) AND maps.google.com the exact coords are Lat: 23.4962 Long 91.1072 - tmc, 20 Aug 2009.
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- The nearby Ananda monastery.
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Exactly, Lat 23.5106 Long 91.1067 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BG/80/Mainamati.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Theravada - Barua (2005)
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
final data ….
11. Date-early
- 8th c. AD - http://www.mocat.gov.bd/att_location.php?type_id=1.
12. Date-intermediate
final data ….
13. Date-late
- 12th c. AD - http://www.mocat.gov.bd/att_location.php?type_id=1.
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
final data ….
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
final data ….
16. Additional notes
final data (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)….
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
final data ….
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