Mahasthangarh: The Oldest City of the East in the Depths of History

Introduction — A City of Light and Shadow in the Mirror of History

When Bangladesh had not yet been written on the world map, in the womb of the meeting of the Padma–Bangshi–Karatoa was born a city—the first architect of an ancient civilization, the first administration, the first urbanization. The name of that city was Pundranagar. Today we call it Mahasthangarh.

This city, spread over a high hillock, is not only brick-stone, fort walls, or clay structures—it is thousands of years of longing, trade, war, civilization, religious change, and the birthplace of literature. There is no city in the history of Bengal so ancient, so vast, so politically significant.

Naming of Mahasthangarh — From ‘Maha–Sthan’ to ‘Garh’

The word “Mahasthan” comes from the Pali or Sanskrit “Mahasthan” meaning ‘great place’, ‘large settlement’, or ‘holy land’. And ‘Garh’ means fort. That is, Mahasthangarh = Fort city of a great place.

However, another view says—after the Gupta period this region became important as a religious center; hence the naming ‘Mahasthan’.

Ancient Pundranagar — The First Capital of Bengal

The history of Mahasthangarh is at least 2500 years old. In the 4th century BCE the provincial capital of the Maurya Empire was established here. Pundra or Pundravardhan was a large Aryan–non-Aryan settlement of North Bengal.

Maurya Period (4th–2nd century BCE)

During the time of Ashoka there is mention of appointing ‘Dharma Mahamatra’ here. The discovered ‘Mahasthan early stone inscription’ shows orders for supplying rice to a famine-affected region that drifted along the Karatoa River.

Gupta Era (4th–6th century)

Under the Gupta kings, Pundranagar was an important center of trade and administration. Coins, seals, and broken monasteries found on the southern side of the city bear witness to this prosperity.

Pala Empire (8th–12th century)

During this period Buddhism received royal patronage. Throughout then Pundranagar spread monasteries, stupas, monk shelters, and educational centers. “Gobinda Vita”, “Bairagir Vita”, “Khaddal Raja’s House”—all are archaeological marks of the Pala era.

Sena Dynasty (11th–13th century)

The influence of Buddhism declined and Brahmanism strengthened. During Lakshman Sena’s time the fort of Pundranagar was rebuilt. Epics, Devi Mahatmya, and Puranic texts began to be composed here.

⛏️ Excavation History of Mahasthangarh

Archaeological investigation and scientific excavation of Mahasthangarh began in the late nineteenth century, when British archaeologists first realized that this large raised land on the bank of the Karatoa river was not merely a village mound—this was a memorial of a lost urban civilization of Bengal. Later the continuous research by local and foreign archaeologists has today transformed Mahasthangarh into a vast archaeological map.

🔹 1879: Preliminary Survey by Sir Alexander Cunningham

British archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham first identified Mahasthangarh as Pundravardhan city. The brick walls, archaeological objects and local folklore obtained in his survey strengthened the historical identity of Pundravardhan.

🔹 1928–29: Dr. Grayson and Archaeological Survey of India

In 1928–29 the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) first began scientific excavation. They identified the north–south boundary wall, habitation layers, mud-built drainage pipes, and parts of the city’s ancient road. At this stage the size and nature of the city first became clear.

🔹 1961–64: Large-scale Excavation by Pakistan Archaeology Department

In the 1960s the scope of excavation expanded. Discovered were:

• Large parts of ancient fort walls
• Terracotta plaques
• Maurya–Gupta era pottery
• Ruins of religious structures

This phase of excavation brought Mahasthangarh into the center of ancient urban studies of the Indian subcontinent.

🔹 1993–2004: Joint Excavation by Bangladesh and France

The Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh and French archaeological teams jointly conducted excavation for almost ten years. At this stage discovered were:

• Central royal area of Mahasthangarh
• Coins, inscriptions, and revenue-related artifacts
• Two-compartment rooms, long narrow roads

Research proved—this was an ancient example of excellent urban planning.

🔹 2010–Present: Modern Research and 3D Mapping

Through modern ground-penetrating radar (GPR), drone survey, and soil-layer analysis, many more unknown structures of Mahasthangarh are being found. Habitation and road networks found outside the city boundaries indicate—Mahasthangarh was a central hub connected to many sub-cities.

Overall, the excavation history of Mahasthangarh is not just the story of digging an archaeological site; it is a long research expedition to rediscover the great city of Bengal buried under layers of time.

The Map of the Fort City — A Priceless Document of Eastern Urban Planning

Today’s Mahasthangarh is spread across about 5 square kilometers. Around it were ancient fort walls, water bodies, temples, monasteries, shrines, and entryways like the ‘Kajla Gate’ or royal road.

• Gokul Medh: Appears like a huge brick pyramid, inextricably connected with the story of Mansa.



• Vasu Bihar: A city of meditating Buddhist monks where sta...

  

• Bhagbanpur Wall: Rows of ancient brick walls like the Milky Way.



• Dargah of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar: One of the centers of spreading Islam in the medieval period.

Medieval Period and the Fall of Mahasthangarh

After the 13th century, due to the Turkish–Afghan expeditions, the center of royal power shifted toward the Padma–Jamuna valley. Due to floods, river erosion, and administrative changes, the splendor of Pundranagar began to decline.

Later, a Sufi saint—Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar—made this region a spiritual center. His shrine is a major source of the religious identity of Mahasthan.

Archaeology — The Lost Civilization Sleeping Beneath the Soil

In 1808, detailed mention of Mahasthangarh was first found in the travel account of Buchanan Hamilton. Later, in 1928, archaeological excavation began under the leadership of Colonel Codrington. Remains of multiple layers of civilization—Pala, Sena, Gupta, Maurya—were unearthed.

At present, under the special supervision of the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh and UNESCO, Mahasthangarh is being considered as a potential nomination for the World Heritage List.

Behula–Lakhindar — The Folklore of Mahasthangarh

The daughter of Lord Shiva, goddess Mansa, was not worshiped because she was the serpent goddess. Even the other gods had opposed her worship. For that reason, she went to her father, Lord Shiva, and demanded that he introduce her worship. In reply, Lord Shiva said, “If my devoted follower and worshipper Chand Saudagar agrees to worship you, then your worship will become established in the world.” But Shiva’s devotee Chand Saudagar not only refused to worship a mere woman, he even chased Mansa away with a stick. Because of this, Mansa increased the snake infestation in Chand’s Champak Nagar. As a result, one by one, Chand’s six sons died from snakebites. After earning great profit in business, Chand was returning to Champak Nagar with ships loaded with wealth. Filled with intense anger, Mansa created a storm and sank the ships. Barely surviving, Chand took refuge on an island, yet he still refused to worship Mansa.

Returning to Champak Nagar, Chand begins a new life. A son is born to him, and he is named Lakhindar. If Chand does not worship Mansa, then on the wedding night Lakhindar will die from a snakebite. Knowing this, he arranges his son’s marriage with Behula, the daughter of his business associate Saha. To prevent the snakebite, Chand Saudagar has a bridal chamber made of iron crafted by the god Vishwakarma for Behula and Lakhindar. Under pressure from the goddess Mansa, he leaves a small hole in the iron wall. Through that thread-like hole enters the black serpent and bites Lakhindar, killing him.

Returning to Champak Nagar, Chand began a new life. A son was born to him, and he was named Lakhindar. If Chand did not worship Mansa, then on the wedding night Lakhindar would die from a snakebite. Knowing this, he arranged his son’s marriage with Behula, the daughter of his business associate Saha. To prevent the snakebite, Chand Saudagar had a bridal chamber made of iron by the god Vishwakarma for Behula and Lakhindar. Under pressure from the goddess Mansa, he left a small hole in the iron wall. Through that thread-like hole entered a black serpent and bit Lakhindar, killing him.

According to tradition, a person who died from a snakebite was not cremated; instead, the body was floated on a raft on the river. It was believed that the dead person might return through some supernatural power. Following this belief, Lakhindar’s dead body was also floated. Behula herself accompanied her husband on that raft. For six months, she floated from one ghat to another. At one point, Behula realized that if she could appease the gods of heaven, the situation might be resolved. Finally, she reached the divine realm and succeeded in pleasing the gods through her dance and singing.

At the request of the gods, Mansa agrees to give life back to Lakhindar. But she places a condition. She says, "You will get Lakhindar back, only if you can make your father-in-law become my worshipper." Behula explains everything to her mother-in-law. With her help, Behula persuades Chand Saudagar to accept the worship of Mansa. Chand can no longer refuse. But he cannot fully forgive Mansa for the suffering she caused. He performs the worship by turning his face away from the idol with his left hand. Mansa is satisfied with that. Then by divine power, the decayed flesh of Lakhindar returns, and he opens his eyes. Then Lakhindar looks at Behula and smiles. By divine power, Behula and the dead Lakhindar are taken to heaven in an instant. Mansa also restores life to Chand’s six sons. She also returns all of Chand Saudagar’s fourteen sunken ships intact. Chand Saudagar and his family live in peace and happiness.

At the request of the gods, Mansa agreed to give life back to Lakhindar, but she placed a condition. She said, "You will get Lakhindar back only if you can make your father-in-law become my worshipper." Behula explained everything to her mother-in-law. With her help, Behula persuaded Chand Saudagar to accept the worship of Mansa. Chand could no longer refuse, but he could not fully forgive Mansa for the suffering she had caused. He performed the worship by turning his face away from the idol and using his left hand. Mansa was satisfied with that. By divine power, the decayed flesh of Lakhindar was restored, and he opened his eyes. He looked at Behula and smiled. By divine power, Behula and the revived Lakhindar were taken to heaven in an instant. Mansa also restored the lives of Chand’s six sons and returned all fourteen of Chand Saudagar’s sunken ships intact. Chand Saudagar and his family lived in peace and happiness.

After this, the worship of Mansa spread among the wider public. Especially for protection from snakebites and for the blessing of children, Mansa was widely worshipped.