SOMAPURA MAHAVIHARA

A number of monasteries grew up throughout the Pāla amount in ancient geographic area and Magadha. in keeping with Tibetan sources, 5 nice Mahaviharas stood out: Vikramashila, the premier university of the era; Nalanda, past its prime however still illustrious, Somapura Mahavihara, Odantapurā, and Jaggadala.The 5 monasteries shaped a network; "all of them were below state supervision" and there existed "a system of co-ordination among them. Somapura Mahavihara  looks from the proof that the various seats of Buddhist learning that functioned in jap Republic of India below the Pāla were regarded along as forming a network, Associate in Nursing interlinked cluster of establishments," and Somapura Mahavihara absolutely was common for excellent students to maneuver simply from position to position among them.

Somapura Mahavihara excavation

 The excavation at Somapura Mahavihara, and also the finding of seals bearing the inscription Shri-Somapure-Shri-Dharmapaladeva-Mahavihariya-bhiksu-sangghasya, has known the Somapura Mahavihara as designed by the second Pala king Dharmapala (circa 781-821) of Pāla family line. Some clay seals from the ruins bear the inscription Shri-Somapure-Shri-Dharmapaladeva-Mahavihariyarya-bhiksu-sangghasya.Tibetan sources, as well as Tibetan translations of Dharmakayavidhi and Madhyamaka Ratnapradipa, Taranatha's history and Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang, mention that Dharmapala's successor Devapala (circa 810—850) designed Somapura Mahavihara when his conquest of Varendra. The Paharpur pillar inscription bears the mention of fifth regnal year of Devapala's successor Mahendrapala (circa 850—854) at the side of the name of Bhiksu Ajayagarbha. Taranatha's Pag guided missile Jon Zang records that the cloister was repaired and restored throughout the reign of Mahipala (circa 995—1043 AD).

Destroyed of Somapura Mahavihara

The Nalanda inscription of Vipulashrimitra records that the cloister was destroyed by fireplace, that additionally killed Vipulashrimitra's ascendant Karunashrimitra, throughout a conquest by the Vanga army within the eleventh century, assumed to be a military of the Varman rulers.A few  century later Vipulashrimitra restored the vihara and additional a temple of town. The restoration work was alluded to as jagatang netraika vishrama bhuh (a singular feast to the eyes of the world).

 Atisha Dipankar Srijnan stayed here for several years and translated the Madhyamaka Ratnapradipa into Tibetan.Over time Atish's religious teacher, Ratnakara Shanti served as a sthavira of the vihara, Mahapanditacharya Bodhibhadra served as a resident monk, and a number of {other|and several other} other students spent some a part of their lives at this cloister as well as Kalamahapada, Viryendra and Karunashrimitra. several Tibetan monks visited the Somapura between ninth and twelfth centuries.

Abandoned of Somapura Mahavihara

During the rule of the Sena family line, referred to as Karnatadeshatagata Brahmaksatriya, within the last half of the twelfth century the vihara began to decline for the last time. Somapura Mahavihara absolutely was finally abandoned throughout the thirteenth century, once the world came below Muslim occupation. One scholar writes, "The ruins of the temple and monasteries at Pāhāpur don't bear any evident marks of large-scale destruction. The downfall of the institution, by desertion or destruction, should are someday within the thick of the widespread unrest and displacement of population ensuing on the Muslim invasion."

Travel of Somapura Mahavihara

Sompura Bihar at Paharpur is regarding 282 ;km by road from national capital and Somapura Mahavihara will take regarding half dozen.5 hours to achieve Paharpur by bus/taxi/private automobile if no major stops area unit created on the method. If one starts from national capital, the route shall be national capital - Savar - Chandra - Tangail - Jamuna Bridge - Naogaon - Badalgachhi - Paharpur. The most effective thanks to tour the Somapura Mahavihara is to initial reach Naogaon and keep there in building or reach Badalgacchi and keep there in Dakbanglo.