Raw data
Xuanzang visited this site in the seventh century. It was in decline, with only 10 monasteries and 1000 monks. The number had dropped by 1/2 since the visit of Fa Hien two centuries earlier. The modern location is the port town of Tamluk in the Midnapur district of Bengal.
Pilgrim accounts - Fa-Hien (406 CE), Xuanzang (c. 625 CE), Yijing (c. 680 CE).
Src: India
Input by: Stewart Gordon, Aug 25, 2009
See D.C. Ahir, Buddhist Sites and Shrines in India: History, Art and Architecture (Delhi: Inian Books Centre, 2003) p. 279.
"In the fifth Century AD, the Chinese pilgrim, Fa Hsien visited Tamralipti (west Bengal, India) and found 24 Buddhist monasteries. In the Seventh Century, Huen –Tsang visited different parts of Bengal. In Samatata (in Noakhali district of present Bangladesh), he found 30 monasteries with over 2000 monks and in Karnasuvarna (Northern Bengal) 10 monasteries with 2000 monks. In addition, in Tamralipti he found 10 monasteries with 1000 monks. In Pundravardhana (Mahastan, in modern Bogra district), he found 20 monasteries with 3000 monks. Archaeological excavations at Mainamati in the Comilla district led to the discovery of Salvana Vihara which constitutes the ruins of the historic Kanakastupa Vihara witnessed by Huen Tsang." - http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/brief-history-of-buddhism-in-bangladesh.html#.URw06KX1ifQ
Input: tmciolek, 14 Feb 2013
"In 1954- 57, military engineers found many ruins at the top of a ridge of hills called Mainamati (in modern Comilla, Bangladesh). An inscription found from there and dated to the late sixth century recorded the donations of vast quantities of uncultivated lands by a Gupta administrator to a Mahayani Buddhist monastic teacher (Shakyabhikshu Acarya) called Shantideva. 88 The deed stipulated that the lands would provide the flowers, lights, incense and perfumes (gandha, pushpa, dop, dhupadi pravarttanaya) used by monks of the Vaivarttika Mahayana Buddhist order who resided in the monastery (sanghavihara), dedicated to the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara." Chatterjee (2011:30)
Input: tmciolek, 17 Jul 2013
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 17 Jul 2013
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Tamralipti monastery, IN.
lat= 22.3000 long=87.9167
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Tamralipti monastery
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- India:State of West Bengal
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Tamralipta
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx., Lat 22.3000 Long 87.9167 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Tamluk.html
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- [missing data]
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- [missing data]
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx., Lat 22.3000 Long 87.9167 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Tamluk.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- [missing data]
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- 400 CE
MBM chrono-tag: 0400-32c - tmciolek 17 Jul 2013
0367-99p 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32p dated-el
12. Date-intermediate
- 600 CE
13. Date-late
- 700 CE
MBM chrono-tag: 0667-99c - tmciolek 17 Jul 2013
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- Three Chinese monks [ven-faxian] [ven-xuanzang] [ven-yijing] from their respective home monasteries in China visited the site.
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- Pilgrim accounts - Fa-Hien (406 CE), Xuanzang (c. 625 CE), Yijing (c. 680 CE).
16. Additional notes
- 1000 monks in c. 680.
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
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