Former Site of Atisha Monk

 

Former Site of Atisha Monk

Old Lavani told Agudenba: "In the new edition of Volume 1 of "History of Bangladesh", there is a chapter introducing the historical ancient capital of Viharapur, part of which incorporates the latest data from the China-Bangladesh joint archaeological site of Viharapur. Discovery and research results. Biharapur (now Mengshiganji County) is the hometown of Atisha, a distinguished Buddhist monk in Bangladesh and a cultural exchange envoy between Bangladesh and China. In the 11th century AD, Atisha went to Tibet, China to promote Dharma and passed away in Tibet . He, together with the eminent monk Faxian of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the eminent monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty, are pioneers in the exchanges of history, culture, religion and civilization between China and Bangladesh."

Agudengba said: "Mr. Lavani, I would like to hear your story about Atisha's hometown."

Old Lavani then told the anecdote:

According to Bangladeshi literature, from the early 10th century to the mid-13th century, Viharapur was the "ancient capital of three dynasties" of the Chandhara dynasty, the Varman dynasty and the Shina dynasty, and was also the center of Buddhism in South Asia at that time. As early as the 7th century AD, the Chinese eminent monk Xuanzang visited Biharapur and left records.

Atisha was born in Biharapur more than 1,000 years ago. In 1042, Atisha was invited to spread Buddhism in Tibet and engaged in preaching, writing, and translating scriptures. In 1054, Atisha passed away in Tibet.

Time has passed and time has passed. Venerable Atisha has been sleeping in Nitang Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet for more than 900 years. His hometown is always looking forward to his return.

In 1978, President Zhao Puchu of the Buddhist Association of China led a delegation to escort some of the relics of Venerable Atisha to Dhaka, Bangladesh. They were welcomed by the citizens of Dhaka, and the relics were finally enshrined in Meng Fawang Temple. The great pen of history draws an end to this journey.

The story should have ended peacefully here, but a more secret and great historical clue has emerged.

Bangladesh has historically been an important stop on the ancient Silk Road. Traces of Chinese craftsmanship and design have been found in Bangladesh’s cultural relics dating back more than 2,000 years. The Brahmaputra River originates from China and flows into the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. The various cultural exchanges along the river require more archaeological verification.

In 2014, China's Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology received a mysterious and solemn task to go to Bangladesh to assist Bangladesh in archaeological excavations. The destination was the Natishwar ruins in the ancient city of Viharapur, which is also known as the legendary site. The hometown of Venerable Atisha - the ancient Sahor country.

Bangladeshi literature records that Viharapur was the ancient capital of three dynasties: the Chandhara dynasty, the Varman dynasty, and the Shina dynasty. This place name is also repeatedly mentioned in the copper and stone inscriptions from the Chandhara period unearthed in Bangladesh. Viharapur is also a sacred name in Tibet, China. Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, mentioned it in the opening chapter of "The Lamrim of the Bodhi Path". The Tibetan translator Natso Trichenjewa said in his eulogy to the eminent Bangladeshi monk Atisha: "The eastern resort of Sahorshu is located in a large town called Bihorapur. In the city is the Great King's Palace, a magnificent palace. It is wide and broad, and is called the Golden Shengzhuang Palace."

From December 2014 to January 2019, the China-Bangladesh joint archaeological team conducted six large-scale archaeological excavations at the Natishwar ruins of the ancient city of Viharapur. This was the first joint archaeological excavation cooperation between China and the South Asian subcontinent. .

Through excavations, the China-Bangladesh joint archaeological team revealed that the Natishwar site is a Buddhist temple site and can be divided into two different periods. The first phase of the site is a complex of a huge pagoda and monastery. The central temple is huge and square. The monastery is located on the edge of the monastery and includes four temples, a public house with residential and storage functions, and several monks' houses. It dates from about the end of the 8th century to the middle of the 10th century; the second phase of the site completely reveals a large-scale "ten Glyph" central temple building. This group of architectural remains has four "Buddhist halls" distributed in a "cross shape". Each Buddhist hall has four walls on the east, west, south and north to form a closed "back"-shaped structure. It dates from about the mid-10th century to the 13th century. The beginning of the century. The remains of these two periods reflect the important changes in Buddhist architecture in South Asia. Their complete relics and clear overlapping relationships provide important benchmarks for Buddhist archeology in the South Asian subcontinent.

Biharapur and other Buddhist sites from the 8th to 20th centuries in Bangladesh were the blueprints for early Tibetan monasteries.

From the 8th century to the 12th century, the Pala, Chandala and other dynasties respected Buddhism. In the past 500 years, they experienced major changes from Mahayana Buddhism to Vajrayana. Architecture and statues were unique due to the birth of Vajrayana concept. The Natishwar site preserves complete architectural remains from two periods, from the Mahayana-style open pagoda-style temple, to the closed pagoda-style building with transitional characteristics, to the final mature cross-shaped central temple, vividly interpreting The historical changes from Mahayana Buddhism to Vajrayana Buddhism.

After excavation, the Natishwar ruins showed a magnificent landscape of red brick walls stacked on top of each other. The Tolesoli River and Mogadi artificial canals around the Biharapur city site form the four boundaries of the ancient city. It is about 8 kilometers long from north to south and 5 kilometers to 6 kilometers wide from east to west. No city walls along the river have been found. This situation It is consistent with the two medieval city sites of Bahapur in Rajshahi District and Lalmai-Mainamati in Comilla District, Bangladesh.

The Barbalai ruins are located in the north-central part of the Viharapur city site and should have been the location of the royal palace at that time. The site is a square earthen platform with a side length of about 320 meters and is about 2 to 3 meters higher than the surrounding lowlands. The trenches on all sides of the earthen platform are about 60 meters wide. There is a land road about 30 meters wide on the east and west sides that connects to the outside world. To the north and east of the site, there are old river channels leading to the river respectively, making transportation very convenient. The "Golden Tower Palace" mentioned by Natso Trichenjewa as "in the city", and the "Golden Tower Palace" mentioned in "The Biography of Atisha" as "flat, clean, high and broad" may be the ruins here.

The Rakuropur ruins are located in the central and southwest part of the Biharupur city site. It is a large Buddhist center surrounded by monks' houses. There are many single buildings around it, which together form a huge Buddhist building complex. The Vajrayogini Village 1 km south of the Rakuropur ruins is said to be the birthplace of Atisha. The remains of wooden boats, carved wooden pillars and a large number of stone building components were cleared out. Many stone statues were also found in this area.

Old Lavani said:

The Natishwar ruins are a Buddhist temple ruins and the largest and best-preserved ruins so far excavated in the ancient city of Viharapur. The cross-shaped central hall and octagonal pagoda and other ancillary buildings are typical examples of Vajrayana architecture in Bangladesh. Many pieces of Chinese porcelain have been discovered from various strata, ranging from the Tang and Song Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are types of celadon, white porcelain, blue and white porcelain, etc., vividly showing the close exchanges between China and Bangladesh in the long history. Archaeologists have used their hands to clarify the context of history, and used their feet to measure the dimensions of history, fully demonstrating the Buddhist culture in the history of Bangladesh to the world, and adding a vital link to the historical blueprint of Buddhist cultural exchanges between South Asia and China. Pen.

A large number of pottery vessels unearthed from the site have clear stratigraphic relationships, filling a gap in this research field in Bangladesh. As the Bihorapur ruins gradually become clearer, Atisha, who plays an important role in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, has once again come into view.

Old man Lavani sang a carol "Natishva":

 

Beautiful ancient Natishwar

The special resort of Sahor in the East

Let's unveil Bangladesh

That forgotten history

 

As far back as the seventh to ninth centuries AD

That was the Tang Dynasty in China

The South Asian subcontinent is also very developed

Buddhism was most prosperous at that time

 

This is Biharapur

It is also a capital city in East India.

It is also the birthplace of Atisha

He is the founder of Tibetan Buddhism

 

Atisha goes to Tibet from here

Founded the famous Kadam Sect

This is the source of Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhist sites in Bangladesh

 

The King's Palace in the city is brilliant and spacious

People praise the Golden Shengzhuang Palace

The forgotten medieval city

Now it can be seen again

 

Buddhist ruins in Biharapur

The blueprint of early Tibetan monasteries

Tibetan Buddhism comes into view again

Natishwar is often remembered