TANGENTSBy Ihtisham Kabir
Mainamati
Shalban Bihar. Photo: Ihtisham Kabir
My imagination runs away the moment I enter the immaculately restored Shalban Bihar in Mainamati. This was once a self-contained Buddhist monastery where, a thousand years ago, monks lived, studied and prayed. Its square shape - sides measuring 169 metres - was surrounded by a wall 3 metres thick with only one entrance. The monks lived in 115 tiny rooms laid out along the square's edges; they prayed at a central temple. Standing on top of the temple's remains, I could see all these and more. An ancient Buddhist civilisation preceded Muslims, Hindus and British in Bangladesh. Remains of this civilisation are spread nationwide; the ones in Mainamati are probably closest to Dhaka. We had started southbound on Chittagong highway at 8:30am on a Saturday. The ruins lie northwest of Comilla, to the right of the highway. It took us three hours from Dhaka to reach the main attraction: Shalban Bihar and its adjoining museum. Originally, the monastery was called Bhavadev Bihar after the king, but today the Shalban name comes from a grove of Shal (shorea robusta) trees just outside. You can relax in this peaceful grove while sipping tea. The adventurous can even enjoy a horseback ride. Behind Mainamati's idyllic setting is a sad story. During the Second World War, the British military decided to build an airport in Comilla. Their contractors discovered an unexpected windfall: they could get all the bricks they needed for construction from ancient ruins in nearby Mainamati hills. Thus Comilla's airport and British military buildings were made from thousand year old bricks. The plunder was stopped when a government Archaeology official heard about it but by then much damage was done. Indeed, bricks intrude my thoughts as my friends and I explore Shalban Bihar. Their size and relatively new condition remind me that reconstruction has taken place. Reconstructing ancient structures to their original specification is common in many sites including Angkor Wat and even parts of Rome. This is called Anastylosis. While I admire the splendid large-scale job done here, part of me longs for a few imperfections. Near the temple, a dozen college boys and girls sit on the grass, talking. I photograph them and just as I turn towards other subjects, a girl breaks into a Nazrul song. Her voice is sweet and so my other subjects have to wait. Stepping out of Shalban Bihar, we head towards two other nearby sites. Itakhola Mura is in two parts and somehow feels more authentic. The second site is Rupbaner Mura. Its large stupa dominates the surroundings. On one side, I peek into a tiny, pyramidal prayer room - reconstructed fully - and feel unsettled. At least twenty other spots nearby can be visited given time. The closeness of the sites and their lush environment make Mainamati a perfect place to explore by bicycle. For a late but delicious lunch, we stop at Highway Inn, half an hour south on the highway. The drive home takes four hours, making Mainamati a long - but richly rewarding - day-trip from Dhaka.
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