Place

Mahasthangarh

মহাস্থানগড়

The walled ruins of ancient Pundranagar, a city whose story goes back more than two thousand years.

Photo: Picture taken by P.K.Niyogi · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mahasthangarh is a raised, rectangular citadel beside the Karatoya River, enclosed by brick ramparts that still run for several kilometres. Excavations have revealed layers from the Maurya period through the Gupta, Pala and later eras, making it one of the oldest known urban sites in Bengal. You can walk along the walls, see temple and monastery foundations, and visit the site museum nearby. The shrine of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar on the mound draws a steady stream of pilgrims.