Archaeological site, Cumilla
Rupban Muraরূপবান মুড়া
- Time needed
- Half an hour.
- best months
- Oct–Mar
- Cost
- Free.
A monastery-and-shrine mound on the Kotbari road opposite Itakhola, dug in the 1990s: a semi-circular temple with a seated stone Buddha, among the oldest finds on the ridge (6th–7th century).
At a glance
- Period
- 6th–7th century
About
Rupban Mura stands on a rise beside the BARD campus. Excavation uncovered a small monastery of about 34 by 25 metres and a shrine with a rounded (apsidal) end, a plan rare in Bengal. Inside sat a large sandstone Buddha, now in the museum, and the coins found here belong to the Gupta and Chandra periods, which makes it earlier than Shalban. Three building phases were traced in the brickwork.
It is a ten-minute walk from Shalban Vihara and is usually empty.
Getting there: On the Kotbari road beside BARD, a short walk from Shalban Vihara.
Things to do
- Pair it with Itakhola across the road.
Good to know
- There is no ticket office or guard; keep off the walls.
