Mainamati
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Mainamati (Bangla: ময়নামতি Môenamoti) is located almost 8 miles from the town of Comilla, Bangladesh. It is the home of one of the most important Buddhist archaeological sites of the region. There are a number of Buddhist sites in this region, dating approximately from 7th to 12th centuries CE. Comilla Cantonment is located nearby and houses a beautiful colonial era cemetery.
[edit] Buddhist monuments
Also see: History of Bangladesh
The center piece of Buddhist sites at Mainamati is the Salban Vihara, almost in the middle of the Mainamati-Lalmai hill range. It is clearly a Vihara, or an educational center with reasidential facilities. It consists of 115 cells, built around a spacious courtyard with cruciform temple in the center facing its only gateway complex to the north resembling that of the Sompur Bihara.
Kutila Mura situated on a platue, about 5 kilometers north to Salban Vihara is another important Buddhist establishment. Here three stupas are found side by side representing the Buddhist "Trinity" or three jewels i.e. the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Charpatra Mura is another 2.5 km. north-west of Kutila Mura stupas. Here a number of shrines can be found.
The Mainamati site Museum, situated next to Salvan Bihara, houses a good collection of things found from these sites.
