The city ramparts
Earth lines over the fields.
Wiki Ruhan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Farruk Ahmed Bhuiyan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zaheed Sarwer Khan — CC BY 4.0 · Aashaa — CC0 · Aashaa — CC0
Mahasthangarh is the earliest urban archaeological site discovered so far in Bangladesh, in Mahasthan village, Bogra District. It holds the remains of an ancient city called Pundranagara, in the territory of Pundravardhana. Its name means fort of great sanctity. History lovers come to see the walls of the oldest city in the country, set among green fields and quiet countryside. The site is dated to at least the 3rd century BC by a limestone slab found in 1931, with six lines of Prakrit in Brahmi script recording a land grant. It was an important city under the Maurya Empire, and its fortified area stayed in use until the 8th century AD. Its name is mentioned in a 13th-century Sanskrit text. You see earth ramparts and lines of brick marking out the city, with raised paths above the fields. A short way off are the Jahajghata site and the museum with its neat garden, showing stone pieces and old carved doorframes. The parts lie apart and need a small vehicle, so agree a full tour with a local driver. It is about 12 km in a straight line from Bogra and about 39 km from Somapura Mahavihara. Most of the site is open, while the museum is ticketed. Bring a hat and water, and visit in winter if you can.
Earth lines over the fields.
Nearby excavations.
Stones and carved doorframes.
Mahasthan village, Shibganj, Bogra District, Bangladesh
It is the earliest urban site found in Bangladesh, dating to at least the 3rd century BC.
By small vehicle with a local driver, as its parts lie apart.