Somapura Mahavihara

Somapura Mahavihara - Paharpur Tourist Information

Somapura Mahavihara was one among the foremost celebrated Buddhist monastic establishments of ancient geographic area. The excavated monastic advanced at paharpur has been known with the Somapura Mahavihara engineered by the second Pala king dharmapala (c 781-821 AD). Some clay seals from the ruins bear the inscription Shri-Somapure-Shri-Dharmapaladeva-Mahavihariyarya-bhiksu-sangghasya. Taranatha and different Tibetan sources mention that devapala engineered it once his conquest of varendra. presumably what Dharmapala undertook might have received finishing touches throughout the reign of his successor Devapala. The Pala rulers were devout Buddhists and that they based variety of monasteries throughout their growing empire. a number of them became nice centres of learning and their name quickly unfold throughout the length and breadth of Asia. Somapura Mahavihara's shut relationship with the ruling phratry silent that it shared the political ups and downs of its benefactors.

The Paharpur pillar inscription of the fifth regnal year of Mahendrapala, found within the ruins of the most temple, records the name of Bhiksu Ajayagarbha. Mahendrapala of this inscription must be known with the king of identical name, whose recently discovered jagjivanpur copperplate has place it absolutely that he belonged to the pala phratry, son and successor of Devapala. therefore it's proved  that Mahendrapala continued  patronage to the present religious residence. The religious residence was repaired and restored throughout the reign of mahipala i (c 995-1043 AD), and it's recorded within the Tibetan work, Pag surface-to-air missile Jon Zang that identical king accustomed visit Somapura Vihara to supply his deference to that.

The religious residence flourished till the eleventh century AD once it had been destroyed by hearth throughout associate invasion by a vangala army, presumably the military of the Varman rulers of vanga. this can be recorded within the Nalanda inscription of Vipulashrimitra, wherever it's conjointly recorded that Karunashrimitra, relation of Vipulasrimitra, lost his life within the hearth as he refused to depart the religious residence. a couple of century later Vipulasrimitra fixed up the previous glory of the Vihara through renovation work and by building a temple of Tara. once the renovation the magnificence of the temple is alluded by the expression jagatang netraika vishrama bhuh (a singular feast to the eyes of the world).

It looks that the appearance of the Karnatadeshatagata Brahmaksatriya Senas within the last half of the twelfth century marked the start of the tip of the Buddhist religious residence. Somapura Mahavihara bit by bit declined and was finally abandoned throughout the thirteenth century, once the realm came below Muslim occupation.

Tibetan works (Tibetan translations of Dharmakayavidhi and Madhyamaka Ratnapradipa, Taranatha's history and Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang) record the glory of Somapura Mahavihara. several Tibetan monks visited the religious residence throughout the amount between ninth and twelfth century AD. atish dipankar srijnan stayed here for several years and translated the Madhyamaka Ratnapradipa into Tibetan. His religious instructor, Ratnakara Shanti was the sthavira of the vihara. Mahapanditacharya Bodhibhadra was a resident monk of this vihara. many different students like Kalamahapada, Viryendra and Karunashrimitra spent some a part of their lives at this religious residence.