Class 5 result of Bangladesh/ Class 5 Scholarship Result 2009
Open Result
Gumti River
Gumti River originates from Dumur in the northeastern hilly region of Tripura state of India. From its source it flows about 150 km along a meandering course through the hills, turns west and enters Bangladesh near Katak Bazar (Comilla Sadar). Then it takes a meandering course again and passes through the northern side of Comilla town and east of mainamati. Keeping Burichang upazila on the north, it cuts through Debidwar upazila and reaches Companiganj Bazar. The distance from Mainamati to Companiganj Bazar is about 60 km. From Companiganj it turns west and finally falls into the meghna at Shapta in Daudkandi upazila. The segment between Companiganj and Daudkandi is about 50 km long. The Gumti is about 135 km long within Bangladesh. The dakatia is one of the important tributaries of the Gumti and the Buri river is its distributary.
The Gumti is a hilly river having a strong current. Its flow varies from 100 to 20,000 cusec at Comilla. During the rains its average breadth is about 100m, it is full from bank to bank and the current is rapid. But during the winter it shrinks and becomes fordable at most places. In a year of normal rainfall the river rises to above 1.5m than the level of the surrounding areas. Flash floods are common phenomena of this river and it occurs at regular intervals. Previously it was known as the 'sorrow of Comilla town'. The bangladesh water development board (BWDB) has taken several measures to tame the river and save Comilla town. Attempts have been made to construct flood embankments and 19 loop-cuts have been made to straighter the river. Despite these measures, several times Comilla town had been seriously menaced by floods. However, after the implementation of a number of BWDB projects, the Gumti appears now to be under control.
The river is not navigable by large boats. Some important places on its banks are Comilla, Mainamati, Burichang, Companiganj, Muradnagar and Daudkandi. The Gumti is influenced by tides up to Daudkandi, but upstream it is free from tidal effects.
Lalmai Hills
Lalmai Hills north-south elongated low hill range of about 17 km long and 1-2.4 km wide and about 8 km westward from Comilla Township is called the Lalmai-Mainamati hill range. The northern extremity of the hill ranges is at Ranir Bungalow whereas the southern extremity ends at Chandimura. The northern part of the hill range is locally known as Mainamati, while the southern part is known as Lalmai. The name Lalmai is probably derived from red soil or from the Lalambi forest (well known for medicinal herbs), close to devaparvata, the capital of the Devas of Samatat, was somewhere in the Mainamati hill.
The Lalmai hill area lies between the latitudes 23°20´N to 23°30´N and longitudes 91°05´E to 91°10´E. It covers an area of about 33 sq km. The hill ranges run through the middle of comilla district. The average height of the hills is about 15m but some peaks rise up to 45m or more. Most of the hilltops are capped by reddish-brown soil, which makes beautiful scenery of the hill range. These capping reddish-brown deposits are called Madhupur Formation of Pleistocene age. This Formation at Lalmai hill ranges is underlain by the dupi tila formation of Plio-Pleistocene age. The Madhupur and Dupi Tila Formations are separated by a gravel bed, which is called Quartz Chalcedony Gravel Bed. This boundary can be seen at Ranir Bungalow section. At the top of the Dupi Tila Formation, silicified woods can be seen at several places of the Lalmai ranges. Some of the hilltops represent table surfaces and deeply incised valleys separate the table surfaces from each other. It is assumed that these hill ranges are the continuation of the Arakan Yoma Hill Ranges. Probably, the Lalmai hills were uplifted in the Middle Pleistocene time during the final orogenic movement of the himalayas. The block upliftment of the hill ranges resulted table surface on some tops of the hills. Most of the ancient Buddhist monasteries are built on the tops of the hillocks of the Lalmai hill range.
Comilla University
Comilla University is a public university located at Kotbari Comilla, Bangladesh. The university was constructed on 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land at Lalmai Bihar, Moynamoti. Comilla University is affiliated by University Grants Commission Bangladesh. Professor Dr. Golam Mowlah is the founder Vice-Chancellor of Comilla University and he was removed from university on July 30 2008 and Zulfikar Ali, a professor of mathematics of the university, was given the charge. The next vice-chancellor of Comilla University, Dr. A.K.M Zehadul Karim declared to resign on 7 October 2009 after violence. Professor Amir Hossen Khan, a professor of Physics department of Jahangirnagar University, was appointed as VC on 22 November 2009. The chancellor of the university is President of Bangladesh Zillur Rahman. Its campus is declared as smoking & politics free. It started with 7 departments and in 2008 another department was added. Now there are a total of 8 departments including Computer Science & Engineering, Mathematics, Accounting & Information Systems, Marketing, Management Studies, Economics, Public Administration and English. Three more departments were announced to be opened from 2009.
Comilla Cadet College (CCC)
Comilla Cadet College (CCC) was founded near the historic Moinamoti Bouddha-bihar in Kotbari, Comilla on 1 July 1983 . It was the youngest of the ten cadet colleges until the recent inaguarations of the two girl's cadet colleges in Feni & Jaipurhat. Like the other five post-1971 liberation war cadet colleges, CCC was also modified from a Residential Model School . The campus was made standard within a mere nine months by a skillful panel of educators and military officials including the founding Principal Lt. Col. Nurul Anwar (now Rtd.), Vice Principal Mr. Ashraf Ali, Mr. Nurul Haque, Taslim Uddin, Akhtar Alam, Humayun Kabir, Abdul Jabbar & Kamal Uddin Mohammad.
The then Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army, Maj. Gen. Abdus Samad P.S.C. officially opened CCC on 7 April 1984 . That very day, CCC greeted 150 cadets in 3 random intakes. On 18 May, fifth intake and on 22 November, second intake followed. The subsequent arrival of sixth intake later in the year satisfied the enrollment need of three hundred and CCC began its journey in full swing.
Despite its short existence so far, CCC is hailed as one of the greatest institutions of pre-university education in Bangladesh . A military preparatory school, CCC has numerous graduates join the country’s armed forces – some even go on to achieve the highest accolades such as Sword of Honor or Osmani Shornopodok at Bangladeshi military institutes. Academically, few other schools in the region have come close. There have been years when CCC cadets secured more than fifteen top positions in national high school tests. This tradition of excellence continues.
CCC is located in Kotbari, Comilla about 8 kilometers from the heart of Comilla town. One single paved road connects the campus to town and to places of interest in the vicinity. Most of the college’s land, properties and buildings are protected by concrete walls and patrolled gates.
CCC owns approximately 52 acres (210,000 m2) of land which includes cadet dormitories known as "House"s, staff quarters, academic buildings, mosque, dining hall, storage facilities, a hospital, one fishpond, sports facilities, administrative offices and so on. The campus is very self sufficient in most aspects. However, critically ill cadets are offered advanced care at the nearby Combined Military Hospital (CMH). Comilla is a major city in Eastern Bangladesh and is home to half a million people. Comilla is known for its scenic beauty, rolling hills, tropical woods, sweet delicacies, high literacy and military garrisons. CCC is located in the nearby suburb of Kotbari and is surrounded by high walls and guarded gates. Around the campus are picnic sites, shalbon forests, the only Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), a World War II cemetery, and the historic Mainamati-Lalmai complex.
Mainamati-Lalmai is the center of a Buddhist civilization that flourished from 7th to 12th century AD. As many as fifty spots have been marked of which some have been dug out from under the soil of a range of low hills known as Mainamati-Lalmai Ridge. The excavations have immense archeological and cultural importance especially in the field of studies of Buddhism. The sites include a museum with a collection of historical artifacts found at the excavation sites. Besides occasional tours, the cadets can see the museum and the historic site from their dorms. On a windy day, the smell of picnic meals and faint music from the shalbon woods would join the vista and slice open the high college walls – a brush of freedom, an early taste of vacation.
Comilla Medical College
Comilla Medical College is a medical college located in Comilla, Bangladesh. It is a Government medical college and admits 100 students into the 5 year MBBS degree programme.It was established in 1992. Till August 2008,12 batches have completed their Bachelors degree. A number of students from abroad are also studying in this institution.
Comilla Zilla School
Comilla Zilla School is a boy's school in Comilla, a city in Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest schools in the country.
The school, situated in the center of Comilla, was established in 1837 by an English named H. G. Legister. It was governmentalized as a high school by the Government of British India for teaching English literature and Science and named as Comilla Zilla School. In the 1850s the school building expanded and improved its teaching structure.
This is a boy's school. Initially the school conducted only one shift. From 1991 two shifts were introduced: morning and day. Presently all the classes from 5 to 10 are running. There are six sections in each of the classes-‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ for class five to eight where ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ are in morning shift and day shift. There are Two sectionsin nine & ten,they are "A"and "B" And 60 students in each of the sections according to the present system. For class nine and ten students are distributed into four sections following the same structure with a larger number of students in a class. Almost 1400 students are studying in the school with 53 teachers.
The uniform is white shirt with white full trousers and white shoes. The school monogram is be printed on the shirt pocket.
Usually students are admitted in class 5 and 6. Admission can be considered in other classes if a vacancy is available or if someone is transferred from some other government school. The admission test is usually taken in the first week of January.
Comilla Victoria College
Comilla Victoria College founded by Roy Bahadur Ananda Chandra Roy in 1899 and named after Queen Victoria. Mr. Satyandra Nath Basu was its first principal. Until 1947, the college was affiliated to Calcutta University. Between 1925 and 1947 it offered three-year honours programmes in English, Mathematics, Sanskrit, Politics, Economics and Arabic. The college introduced Bachelor of Science courses in 1942 and Bachelor of Commerce courses in 1956. Honours courses in Political Science, Physics, Chemistry, Accounting and Management were introduced in 1971-72. Masters Programme in Bangla and Economics started in 1973.
In 1962-63, the degree section of the college was shifted to its new campus at Dharmapur, which is three kilometers away from the old campus at Ranir Dighi. The old campus now houses the offices of the principal and vice-principal, teachers' room, principal's residence, gymnasium, auditorium, library, and science laboratories. The new campus has four new buildings and these are used for academic activities. The college was nationalised in 1968. In 1984-85, it became a postgraduate college. In 1996, the college had honours courses in 16 subjects.
At present, the college has 11,000 students and 125 teachers, of whom 20 are women. It has five dormitories - four for boys and one for girls. About one thousand students reside in these dormitories.
Comilla Victoria College has produced a large number of scholars, teachers, civil servants, physicians, engineers, politicians and social activists. Many students and teachers of the college took part in the war of liberation. Students of this college now take part in Rover Scouting and Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) activities. They also take part in inter-college tournaments and competitions.
BARD
Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) an autonomous national institution for training, research and experiment on rural development. Established in 1959 in Comilla, the institution is governed by a Board of Governors with the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives as its chairman. The director general is the chief executive of the institution. One of the mandatory functions of BARD is to provide training for both officials and non-officials. During 1959-1988, a total of about 1,18,000 participants attended various training courses, visit programmes, workshops and seminars conducted by the Academy. Located at Kotbari, 10 km off Comilla town, BARD has a very entertaining campus of 156 acres of land in natural surroundings.
It has a 63-multi disciplinary faculty under nine divisions. There are five hostels, four conference rooms, and a beautiful mosque, a library with a rich collection of books, a health clinic, sports complex, two cafeterias and a primary school on the academy campus.
The Academy's research is aimed at collection of socio-economic data for the purpose of planning and project preparation. Research findings are used as training materials in the Academy and as information materials by ministries, the planning commission, and policy makers for drawing up development programmes. The Academy is also engaged in evaluating major national rural development programmes either independently or jointly with government agencies, universities and research organisations.
BARD has undertaken experimental projects to evolve models for improved institutions, administrative structures, coordination and methods of production. Project activities have involved villagers, village institutions, local councils, and government officials. Since its inception, the Academy has conducted about 48 experimental projects on various aspects of rural development. In the early 1960s the Academy evolved a new system of rural cooperatives. The small farmers of Comilla sadar thana were organised into primary cooperatives. Great emphasis was given on member training, regular weekly meetings and thrift deposit, as well as adoption of new technologies like high yielding variety of seed, fertiliser, irrigation, etc. Village based primary cooperatives were federated at the thana level and the federation was called Thana Central Cooperative Association. The federation was designed to provide training and credit support to the village level primary cooperatives, and to undertake ventures such as storage, processing, marketing, mechanisation, etc. This two-tier cooperative was found viable and was adopted by the government in 1972 and has been replicated all over the country under the Bangladesh Rural Development Board.
The Thana Training and Development Centre (TTDC) was designed as a model of decentralised and coordinated rural administration for the sake of development. TTDC aims at effective coordination between nation-building departments and organisations of the rural people (local councils, cooperatives, etc). The people and the government are partners of development, and TTDC provides the institutional mechanism to promote this partnership. Replication of TTDC in phases throughout the country was accepted as a programme by the government in 1963, and was gradually replicated in all the thanas. TTDC was used as a base for introducing a decentralised administration system under the thana parishad in 1982. The Academy involved villagers and local councils in the development of physical infrastructures through an experimental project, which later came to be called Rural Works Programme (RWP). In addition to providing flood protection and facilitating communication, the projects generated employment for landless in the lean periods. The success of the programme led to its nationwide replication in 1962-63.
Development of market centres, bridges, culverts, sluice gates, and the construction of TTDC and union parishad buildings have marked the expansion of the scope of RWP in recent years. In Bangladesh, the period from December to March normally remains dry. In the absence of irrigation arrangement no agricultural operation could be taken up during this period in the past even though water remained available in canals, rivers and underground. The simple operation of lifting surface and underground water and channelling it through canals remained unrealised due to lack of technology and appropriate organisation. The Academy's experiment in its laboratory area (Comilla sadar thana) to use surface water through lift pumps and underground water through tubewells with the management of village cooperatives led to a new rice cultivation season (Boro) during this period. As implementation of the experimental programme as well as operation of the irrigation technology required collaborative efforts of cooperators and thana level officers, a new institutional arrangement emerged which became known nationwide as the Thana Irrigation Programme in 1969.
The family planning programme of the government launched in 1965 was more or less based on the results of experiments at Comilla. The institutional infrastructure of cooperative, the administrative infrastructure of TTDC, and the physical infrastructure of the Rural Works Programme and the Thana Irrigation Programme constituted a single united approach to rural development. This approach was an integrated framework, which in its totality can be called the comilla model of rural development. The model was initiated, cradled and brought to replicable maturity by akhter hameed khan, the founder-director of BARD, and his colleagues.
Rupban Mura
Rupban Mura an important archaeological site of mainamati lying on a hillock just between the modern BARD and BDR establishments in the Kotbari area on the south of the Comilla-Kalirbazar road. Excavations have revealed here the remains of a remarkable semi-cruciform shrine of medium size (28.2m east - west, 28m north - south), together with a number of subsidiary structures, including an octagonal stupa and another one on a square base. A boundary wall within the oblong stupa courtyard encloses all these. Its regular entrance is on the east, facing the monastery entrance. Deep diggings have revealed three main periods of building and repairs and rebuilding, the earliest corresponding to c.6th-7th centuries AD. Very few remains of the latest period (10th-11th century AD) survive now in this very heavily disturbed site.
The Cruciform Shrine Originally built as a solid stupa on a square base, it was subsequently converted into a semi-cruciform shrine in the second period (8th century AD). It has a peculiarity not noticed elsewhere. Instead of a single chapel built in each of the long arm of the cross, a group of three long narrow chapels was built in the eastern (front) side of the shrine.
In the middle chapel the colossal stone Buddha, now exhibited in Mainamati Museum, was discovered. The same peculiarity is noticed in the adjacent Itakhola Mura grand stupa, also on the eastern side facing the entrance. Fragments of bronze images found in other chapels suggest installation of such images there
The Monastery The small 34.1m square monastery of the site was built separately, 31m. south-east of the cruciform stupa. It has a prominent gateway complex (12.5m x 6.9m) projecting outwards in the middle of the northern wing. Built in the usual square plan, it originally had a total of 24 cells in four wings, subsequently reduced to 18 in the second period. The southern wing, occupying an area of 11.7m, was abandoned, due certainly to irreparable damages, and a row of new cells was built in its front, thus making the shape of the monastery oblong (34.1m x 24.8m). Corbelled niches and brick-built bedsteads can be noticed in the 2nd period cells. A broad corbelled drain was built in the courtyard to drain out rainwater.
Significant discoveries from the site include, besides the colossal stone Buddha, five debased gold coins of Balabhatta, the Khadga ruler.
Itakhola Mura
Itakhola Mura an archaeological site in mainamati. The site, like that of the kutila mura, is one of the most impressive ruins. It lies in three terraces on adjacent hillocks just opposite the rupban mura site across the Kotbari road, Comilla. It served for a long time as a quarry for ancient bricks, hence the name. Excavations have revealed here a grand stupa complex with an attached monastery, located 42m to its north. The cultural phases of the site are stated (or overstated) to be five; the earlier three being still buried underneath the later remains.
The Stupa Complex was originally built as a solid stupa in the traditional style on a 13.1m square basement. However, it has one peculiarity; a small sanctum (2.4m x 2.1m) built in the centre of its eastern or front side.
Here a damaged life-size stucco image of Aksobhya was found in situ. This part of the monument was fairly well preserved, but unfortunately, its jungle-covered top was sliced off by the military a few decades back to build a rest house here.
Subsequently, the shrine was enlarged and elaborated by additions and alterations, especially by adding three long narrow chapels in the eastern side after blocking the old sanctum; thus giving the structure an oblong shape (41.4m x 24m). In this particular feature, it is strikingly similar to the Rupban Mura shrine. The side chapels were ultimately blocked up, leaving space for a few cubicles for installing cult images, as in other parts of the shrine. This establishment is surrounded by a 2.6m wide circumambulatory passage and is enclosed by a 1.2m thick boundary wall.
This holy precinct is again enclosed within a much larger, well-defined, and better preserved boundary wall (79 m x 56 m), in the slightly lower second terrace. It contains three interesting subsidiary shrines, two in two corners of the eastern side, and the other, a slightly larger one, at the back in the west. An elaborate entrance with 22 broad steps at the centre of the eastern side leads to the much lower third terrace. The outer face of its damaged boundary wall in this front side is excellently decorated with offsets, sunken panels, and ornamental designs.
Five votive stupas lie at the base of the long staircase, three of them in a northsouth row within a well-defined enclosure, all semi-cruciform in shape, like that of the larger subsidiary shrines in the western side of the second terrace. They certainly represent an experimental early stage in the development of the cruciform style in Buddhist architecture that we see in mature form at shalvan vihara, paharpur, Vikramashila and many other sites. These structures may reasonably be dated as belonging to 7th-8th centuries AD.
The Monastery This medium sized monastery of the usual square shape with 19 cells and one entrance hall was built around an open courtyard, 16.2m. square, on a separate mound. Its monumental gateway complex, 17.6m x 8.5m, projecting outwards, lies at the centre of the eastern wing. Some of the cells have brick-built bedsteads. This structure was badly damaged by brick-hunters in 1944-45.
Mentionable antiquities from the site, besides the stucco image, are three round pellets of solid gold, (19 tolas), and a copperplate inscription, discovered during clearance work after the excavations. The copperplate has not yet been deciphered.
Ananda Vihara
Ananda Vihara situated in the archaeologically rich Kotbari area near Comilla, is the largest of the mainamati monuments. It also has the largest water tank in the area. This Vihara complex was built by Anandadeva, the third ruler of the Early deva dynasty, at the end of the 7th or the beginning of 8th century AD. The contractors and brick hunters damaged this great establishment beyond recognition in 1944-45; the builders of the Cantonment did more damage to it in subsequent years.
The excavations carried out here are incomplete. The work done so far has revealed the outlines of a large shalvan vihara type monastery, 198m square in size. The Vihara has similar rows of monastic cells arranged in four wings around a large cruciform shrine that stands majestically in the centre of a wide open courtyard.
Its imposing single entrance in the middle of the north side is set in a broad and massive front facade projected outwards. It is larger and more elaborate than that of Shalvan Vihara. The massive outer wall is also more pleasing due to the decorations of offsets and mouldings. The inner verandah wall is also decorated with mouldings and ornamental bricks. A few cells in the northern wing and a section of the southern part of the central shrine have been cleared. They show clear evidence of intensive occupation of the site for a long time.
Much work remains to be done yet. But the excavations did not continue beyond the initial stage. Its large size, earlier discoveries of a copperplate inscription, a hoard of 63 silver coins, many bronze images, terracotta sculptured plaques and pottery kilns outside the monastery indicate the potential importance of the site.
Mainamati
Mainamati an isolated ridge of low hills in the eastern margins of deltaic Bangladesh, about 8 km to the west of Comilla town is a very familiar name in our cultural heritage, where archaeological excavations have revealed very significant materials. A landmark of our ancient history, it represents a small mass of quasi-lateritic old alluvium. The ridge, set in the vast expanse of the fertile lower Meghna basin, extends for about 17 km north-south from Mainamati village on the Gumti River to Chandi Mura near the Lalmai railway station. In its widest parts, the ridge is about 4.5 km across and its highest peaks attain a height of about 45 metres. These highlands were once thickly wooded with an abundance of wild life, but modern developments have rudely disturbed its serene and idyllic setting.
With an ever-expanding Cantonment at Mainamati, in the northern half of the ridge, and a fast growing township at Kotbari in about its centre, the fairy-tale beauty of the place is already a thing of the past.
The twin names - Lalmai- Mainamati - of the place have significant link with the past: Lalmai or the southern part is identical with Lalambi-vana of the Chandra epigraphs, while the northern part recalls the name of the legendary Chandra queen 'Maynamati', mentioned in local ballads and folk-songs. The archaeological finds have now established beyond any doubt that the cultural and political centre of ancient Vanga-Samatata (southeast Bengal) was located here. The glory and magnitude of that remarkable past is emphatically manifest in the innumerable monuments, mounds and excavated remains, adequately supplemented by an impressive array of stray finds from the area. Mainamati today is, however, better known for its Buddhist remains exposed by excavations. Here, indeed, lies the greatest assemblage of ancient Buddhist remains in Bangladesh.
The Discovery During the course of rebuilding the old axial road through these hills in 1875, workers accidentally uncovered the ruins of what at that time was thought to be 'a small brick fort'. It was actually a Buddhist monastery. Some 72 years earlier (1803), from the same area, was discovered the first Mainamati relic, the copperplate of Ranavankamalla Harikaladeva, dated 1220 AD, which records a description of the capital city of Pattikera as 'adorned with forts and monasteries'. The name now survives in the modern Patikara pargana of the locality.
The Mainamati ruins were rediscovered during the Second World War. While setting up an advance camp, the military came across ancient remains at a number of points in the ridge. In the hurried survey that followed, 18 sites were recognised and protected by the government. In more regular and systematic surveys undertaken between 1955 and 1957, when the entire ridge was undisturbed by human occupation, more than 50 sites were located. Most of those sites lie in the northern half of the ridge, now within the Cantonment. Archaeological excavations started in January 1955. In several phases of excavation of the 50 odd sites nine have so far been exposed. Though the excavations have not yet been completed and have been limited in many respects, the results so far obtained and the information gained provide a sound archaeological basis for the reconstruction of the history and culture of the early period of this hitherto obscure region.
Shalvan Vihara
Shalvan Vihara a tourist centre noted for antiquity. Salvan Vihara is among the most important excavated sites in mainamati. It lies about the middle of the Lalmai ridge in the vicinity of the present day bangladesh academy for rural development at Kotbari near Comilla. Excavations have exposed a large paharpur type Buddhist monastery and other material objects datable from the 7th to 12th centuries AD. Formally arranged in four wings around a central shrine, this 167.6m square monastery contains a total of 155 cells.
Its single entrance in the middle of the north wing is set in a grand 22.6m wide front facade with guardrooms projected outwards. All the walls of the monastery are solid and massive, the back wall being the most massive, 5m thick. This feature, together with the forbidding character of the single gateway with its guardrooms, and the dreary look of the massive outer wall, must have given it the appearance and utility of a citadel necessitated by the increasing wealth of these establishments and the insecurity of the period.
Deep diggings in the monastery have revealed four repair and rebuilding phases, the earliest corresponding to Period III of the central shrine (7th-8th century AD). No monastery remains corresponding to Periods II and I have yet been found.
During the next two phases, that is to say, Periods IV and V (9th to 10th century AD), new floors and thresholds were built on top of earlier remains. Fireplace and ornamental brick pedestals, two interesting features noticed inside the cells, were added later during these phases. They do not belong to the original plan. They, evidently, relate to individual cooking and cult worship inside the cells by a few resident monks. There was, of course, a community kitchen and a great shrine in the establishment for all monks. Other interesting features noticed are a few flight of steps in the courtyard, grand staircases in the corner rooms, chapels in the central cells, and three corbelled niches in each cell for keeping votive images, lamps, and reading and writing materials.
The Central Shrine The central shrine at Shalvan Vihara consists not of one but six different structures built successively on the same spot in different periods and on different plans. They provide interesting evidence of the evolution and gradual transformation of traditional Buddhist stupa architecture into that of the Hindu temple. The remains of the first two periods are hidden below the Period III cruciform shrine built with the monastery as a single complex.
The Cruciform Shrine It is an exceedingly interesting piece of architecture resembling in ground plan a Greek cross, 51.8m long, with chapels built in the projecting arms. Its basement walls are embellished with a stringcourse of delightfully sculptured terracotta plaques set within parallel bands of ornamental bricks. This shrine bears a striking resemblance with that of Paharpur and represents a fully developed and finished example of the 7th-8th century Buddhist temple architecture of Bengal. Since the Mainamati monuments are unquestionably earlier in date by about a century, and as there are a number of early and intermediary stages of development in this evolutionary process clearly traceable in Mainamati, it is reasonable to assume that Mainamati supplied prototypes of cruciform shrines not only for Paharpur and Vikramashila in eastern India but also for subsequent developments in Burma, Indonesia and Indochina.
The next two periods (IV and V) witnessed further interesting developments in the plan of the central shrine. In these periods, the cruciform shape has been replaced by an oblong one. Fully open, spacious and functional, it is much nearer to a Hindu temple. In these structural changes may lie the primary reason for discontinuing traditional terracotta decorations in the basement walls of Buddhist shrines. The main attraction in these evolved shrines shifted from the outer walls around the ambulatory path to the inner chambers where the images, sculptures and architectural decorations lie.
The Subsidiary Structures Excavations have also exposed here a number of subsidiary structures including a community dining establishment, smaller oblong, pillared and square shrines, votive stupas with excellently moulded plinth and base, and a variety of other buildings both inside and outside the monastic quadrangle. The interesting medium-sized outer shrine looks more like a classical peristyle temple representing an individual style not hitherto observed in any other site.
Other Discoveries Important discoveries from this site include eight copperplate inscriptions, about 400 gold and silver coins, many terracotta and baked clay seals and sealings, and a large number of sculptures in stone, bronze and terracotta found in situ or otherwise.
This grand monastery together with the cruciform central shrine was built by Shri Bhavadeva, the fourth ruler of the Early deva dynasty of devaparvata, some time in the end of the 7th or beginning of the 8th century AD.
Kutila Mura
Kutila Mura stupas stand majestically on top of the highest mound in the northeastern part of the Lalmai ridge near ananda vihara. The stupas are among the best preserved and most attractive monuments in mainamati. In form and style, they differ from those of shalvan vihara and other sites. They represent the traditional style, while Shalvan Vihara and others reveal an evolved style. The three main stupas here, standing north south in a row, apparently symbolise the 'three jewels' of Buddhism (tri-ratna): Buddha (knowledge), Dharma (morality) and Sanggha (discipline). The foundation of the middle stupa was laid in the form of a Dharma-chakra, its hub being represented by a deep shaft, while the spokes were formed by eight box-chambers where innumerable tiny terracotta and clay votive stupas and sealing were enshrined together with large pieces of a class of fine Buddhist sculptures in soft grey shale. The foundation shafts of other stupas also contained similar relics, but no sculptures.
Evidence from the excavations suggests 7th century as the probable date of the earliest of these monuments; the latest perhaps dates to13th century AD, as indicated by an Abbasid gold coin recovered from an upper level of the site. Five ancient epigraphic records discovered in the Mainamati area refer to two Ratna-traya shrines in devaparvata. It may reasonably be inferred that the Kutila Mura establishment was one of them.
Titas River
Titas River is a trans-boundary river of south-eastern Bangladesh. It originates in the state of Tripura in India where it is known as Haora River in Bengali and Saidra in the local Kokborok language. Flowing near Agartala, (India), it enters Bangladesh through Akhaura Upazila in the Brahmanbaria District of Bangladesh, then merges with the Meghna River to the south near Ashuganj. The length of the river is about 98 km. There is another river of the same name which starts as a distributary of the Meghna and flows back into it.
Meghna River
The Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh by the joining of different rivers originating from the hilly regions of eastern India. The Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh above Bhairab Bazar by the combination of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers. Down to Chandpur, Meghna is hydrographically referred to as the Upper Meghna. After the Padma joins, it is referred to as the Lower Meghna.
Near Muladhuli in Barisal district, the Safipur River is an offshoot of the Surma that creates one of the main rivers in South Bengal. 1.5 km wide, this river is one of the widest in the country as well.[citation needed]
At Ghatalpur of Brahmanbaria District, the river Titas emerges from Meghna and after circling two large bends by 240 km, falls into the Meghna again near Nabinagar Upazila. Titas forms as a single stream but braids into two distinct streams which remain separate before re-joining the Meghna.
In Daudkandi, Comilla, Meghna is joined by the great river Gomoti, created by the combination of many streams. This river reinforces Meghna a lot and increases the waterflow considerably. The pair of bridges over Meghna and Gomoty are two of the country's largest bridges. The Dakatua River is also part of the river system in Comilla district.
Meghna is reinforced by the Dhaleshwari before Chandpur as well. The name for the largest distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh is the Padma River. When the Padma joins with the Jamuna River, the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra, and they join with the Meghna in Chandpur District, the result in Bangladesh is called the Lower Meghna. When the brown and hazy water of the Padma mix with the clear water of the Upper Meghna, the two streams do not mix but flow in parallel down to the sea - making half of the river clear and the other half brown. This peculiarity of the river is always a great attraction for people.
After Chandpur, when the river has the combined flow of the Padma and Jamuna it moves down to the Bay of Bengal in an almost straight line. In her course from Chandpur to Bay of Bengal, the Meghna braids into a number of little rivers including the Pagli, Katalia, Dhonagoda, Matlab and Udhamodi. All of these rivers flow out from the Meghna and rejoin again at points downstream.
Near Bhola, just before flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the river divides into two main streams in the Ganges delta and separates an island from both sides of the mainland. The western stream is called Ilsha and the eastern one is called Bamni.
Dakatia River
Dakatia River one of the trans-boundary rivers of Bangladesh. It enters the country from India's tripura state at Bagsara of comilla district. It is a tributary of the Meghna. The main source of flow of this river was the Kakrai, but the Little Feni cuts back and captured its upper portion. The Dakatia now has its source in Chauddagram Khal, which connects it with the Little Feni. The Dakatia sends out a channel southward, which forms the Noakhali Khal. The main channel meanders westward to Shekherhat, from where the old course goes south to join the Meghna at Raipur, and the new and stronger channel passes through Chandpur Khal to join the Meghna west of Chandpur town. Total length of the Dakatia is about 207 km. Tidal currents feed the Dakatia through the Meghna for three-fourths of the year.
Transport
Comilla has good communication network. It is known as the hub of road communication of eastern part of Bangladesh . One of the oldest highways of the Indian Sub-continent, 'The Grand Trunk Road' has approached through the city. At present, the most important Dhaka-Chittagong highway bypass the city from the cantonment to Poduar Bazar. Comilla is located at 97 kilometers from the capital city, Dhaka. This can be travelled by road or railway. The trains has to travel 197 kilometers and takes over 3 hours to Comilla, however buses take about 2 hours only. Hundreds of trucks & lorries travel to or from Comilla with goods. Prominent bus services to Comilla are Tisha, Asia Line, Prince etc.As Public Goods Carrier Messey ferguson Tractor Used last 30 years.Mr Hazi Mohiuddin one of pionear Transport Businessman who first started Machenery Cultivation Tractor & Rotavetor in 1981.
Road networks are administered by RHD, LGED and Municipalitis. RHD and LGED have regional headquarters in Comilla. RHD is responsible for National Highways, Regional Highways and District Roads; LGED is responsible for Upazila Roads and Union Roads; where as Municipalities are responsible for municipal roads.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 1219 km, mud road 587 km; railways 108 km; airport 1.
Traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart, dhuri and bhari. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.
Demographics and culture
Comilla is famous for different types of sweets and Batik printed cloth. The people of Comilla are multiethnic. To some extent, there is more Afghan and British heritage in Comilla. Green or hazel eyes are more common in Comilla than in other parts of Bangladesh.
It is a highly Muslim dominated area and one can find many economically backward people. But it is home district of many educated Bangladeshis who have achieved great success in their career as Bangladeshi expatriates or in other parts of the Nation. The majority of the denizens lead an agrarian lifestyle, depending on their fields for their livelihood. A much smaller number of Hindus are present in this area. Every Muslim festival is celebrated in big way. Especially Eid and Ramzan. Most of the Muslims are Sunni and few are Shia. There is electricity in most of the area at present in Comilla.
In the suburb there exists the Commonwealth War Cemetery Memorials, Muktajuddha Museum at Mainamati Cantonment and Bangladesh academy for rural development, Mainamati Museum, Comilla Cadet College at Courtbari. Comilla Town is blessed with the memories of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Nazrul Islam married twice in life, one at Daulatpur of Muradnagar upazila of the district and the other at Comilla Town. Those places have been marked with memorial plates. Poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Comilla twice. Ustad Muhammad Hussain, Fazle Nizami and Kulendu Das have enriched the cultural heritage of the town. Ustad Ayet Ali Khan established a musical institute here.
Marks of rich ancient civilization have been found in Lalmai Mainamati hills. In these hills there are plenty of archaeological sites including Shalvan Vihara, Kutila Mura, Charandra Mura, Rupban Mura, Itakhola Mura, Satera Ratna Mura, Ranir Banglar Pahar, Ananda Bazar Palaces, palaces of Bhoj King, Chandi Mura, etc. Various archaeological relics including images and metalled utensils discovered from these viharas, muras and palaces are now preserved in the Mainamati Museum. Other archaeological heritage and relics include Saptaratna Mandir (Jagannath Mandir), Shah Suja Mosque, Dharmasagar, Chandimata Mandir (on the top of Lalmai Hill of Barura), Chandala Shiva Mandir (Brahmanpara, eighteenth century), Saitshala Jami Mosque (Brahmanpara, 1719), Mazars of Panch Pir (five saints) at Shashidal (Brahmanpara, 1815), Harimangal Math (Brahmanpara, 1822), Ramnagar elongated Math (Brahmanpara, 1705), Saitshala Rammahan Mandir (Brahmanpara, 1805), Hasnabad Math.
Sub-divisions
Comilla district consists of the following upazilas:
Barura Upazila
Brahmanpara Upazila
Burichong Upazila
Chandina Upazila
Chauddagram Upazila
Daudkandi Upazila
Debidwar Upazila
Homna Upazila
Comilla Adarsa Sadar Upazila
Laksam Upazila
Monohorgonj Upazila
Meghna Upazila
Muradnagar Upazila
Nangalkot Upazila
Comilla Sadar South Upazila
Titas Upazila
Prominent educational institutions
*Sonar Bangla College, Estd. 2000, Burichang, Comilla.
*Cantonment College, Comilla
*Debidwar Reaz Uddin Pilot High School EST. 1918, Debidwar.
*Gov't Sujat Ali College, Debidwar.
*Boro Shalghar Adarsha College, Debidwar.
*Comilla University
*Comilla Victoria College, Comilla.
*Comilla Medical College
*Paschimgaon Nowab Faizunnesa Govt Degree College,Laksam.
*Central Medical college
*Eastern Medical college
*Comilla Cadet College (Ex-Residential Model College)
*Adhyapak Abdul Majid College
*Lalmai College
*Barura Govt. College
*Comilla Govt. College
*Comilla Women College
*Comilla Zilla School
*Nowab FaizunnesaGirls' High School
*Our Lady Of Fatima Girl's High School
*Comilla High School
*Homna Adarsha High School
*Shilmuri R.R. High School(Barura)
*Yusoof High School
*Comilla Cantonment High School
*Ispahani Public School & College
*Iswar Pathshala (High School)
*ROSE GARDEN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL(R.G.I.S.) Comilla.
*Comilla Residential School& college
*Chandina Redwan Ahmed Degree College
*Hasan Memorial College, Nangalkot
*AGB College, Hasanpur , Nangalkot.
*Homnabad Adarsha College,Dhalua,Nangalkot.
*Bholain Bazar School & College, Nangalkot.
*Dr Zobaida Hannan Girls' School & College, Nangalkot.
*Ibne Taimiya School & College, Middle Ashrafpur, Tomsombridge, Comilla.
*Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute.(Homna)
*Miahbazar L.N. High School
*Hazatkhola Model Academy ,Sadar Dokkhin
Comilla District
Comilla District is a district of Bangladesh located about 100 kilometers south east of Dhaka. Established as a district of Bengal by the British in 1790, it included the Sub-divisions of Brahmanbaria and Chandpur which eventually became separate districts in 1984.
Comilla is bordered by Brahmanbaria and Narayanganj districts to the north, Noakhali and Feni districts to the south, Tripura of India to the east, and Munshiganj and Chandpur districts to the west.
The headquarters of Comilla are located in the city of Comilla which has a total area of 11.47 square kilometers. It consists of 18 mouzas and 3 wards. Comilla thana was officially converted into an upazilla in 1983 which contains one municipality 18 wards, 19 union parishads, 452 mouzas and 458 villages.
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