Mahasthangarh (Bengali: মহাস্থানগড় Môhasthangôṛ)
is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj thana of Bogra District contains the remains of
an ancient city which was called Pundranagara or Paundravardhanapura in the
territory of Pundravardhana.A limestone slab bearing six lines
in Prakrit in Brahmi script, discovered in 1931, dates
Mahasthangarh to at least the 3rd century BC. The fortified area was in
use until the 18th century AD.
Together with the ancient and medieval ruins, the mazhar
(holy tomb) of Shah Sultan
Balkhi Mahisawar built at the site of a Hindu temple is located
at Mahasthangarh. He was a dervish (holy
person devoted to Islam) of royal lineage who came to the Mahasthangarh area,
with the objective of spreading Islam among non-Muslims. He converted the
people of the area to Islam and settled there.
Discovery.
Several personalities contributed to the discovery and
identification of the ruins at Mahasthangarh. Francis Buchanan Hamilton was the
first to locate and visit Mahasthangarh in 1808, C.J.O'Donnell, E.V.Westmacott,
and Beveridge followed. Alexander Cunningham was the first to identify the
place as the capital of Pundravardhana. He visited the site in 1879
Geography.
Mahasthangarh, the ancient capital of Pundravardhana is located 11 km
(6.8 mi) north of Bogra on the Bogra-Rangpur highway, with a feeder road
(running along the eastern side of the ramparts of the citadel for 1.5 km)
leading to Jahajghata and site museum. Buses are available for Bogra
from Dhaka and take 4½ hours for the
journey via Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge across
the Jamuna River.
Buses are available from Bogra to Mahasthangarh. Rickshaws are available for
local movement. Hired transport is available at Dhaka/ Bogra. Accommodation is
available at Bogra. When travelling in a hired car, one can return to
Dhaka the same day, unless somebody has a plan to visit Somapura Mahavihara at
Paharpur in the district of Naogaon and other
places, or engage in a detailed study.
It is believed that the location for the city in the area
was decided upon because it is one of the highest areas in Bangladesh. The land
in the region is almost 36 metres (118 ft) above sea level, whereas Dhaka,
the capital of Bangladesh, is around 6 metres (20 ft) above sea level.
Another reason for choosing this place was the position and size of the Karatoya, which as recently as in the 13th
century was three times wider than Ganges.
Mahasthangarh stands on the red soil of the Barind Tract which is slightly
elevated within the largely alluvium area. The elevation of 15 to
25 metres above the surrounding areas makes it a relatively flood free
physiographic unit.
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