Mainamati Museum
ময়নামতি জাদুঘর
A site museum next to Shalban Vihara holding the finds from 1,000-year-old Buddhist ruins of the Lalmai hills.
At a glance
- Where
- Cumilla district, Chattogram division
- From Dhaka
- 105 km to Cumilla by road, 3–4 hours by bus or car
- Entry / cost
- Small ticket; higher for foreigners
- Best time
- winter (Dec–Jan), spring (Feb–Mar) and monsoon (Jun–Jul)
- Time needed
- About 1 h
Times and costs are estimates from our planner and the prices we collected. Check before you go.
Representative photo from Cumilla district, not of this exact place. Have a photo of your own? Let us know →
The Mainamati Museum stands beside Shalban Vihara at Kotbari and displays what archaeologists dug out of the Mainamati–Lalmai ruins. There are terracotta plaques showing people and animals, bronze Buddhas and Hindu deities, stone sculpture, coins and copper-plate inscriptions from the Deva and Chandra kingdoms of the 8th–12th centuries. Seeing the objects first makes the brick ruins outside far easier to understand. It is small enough to see in under an hour.
How to get there
From Cumilla town take a CNG or bus to Kotbari (about 30 minutes); the museum is beside the Shalban Vihara gate.
Good to know
Like most Archaeology Department sites it is usually closed on Sundays and has short hours on Mondays; check before you go.
Common questions
Where is Mainamati Museum?
Mainamati Museum is in Cumilla district, Chattogram division, Bangladesh. Cumilla is about 105 km from Dhaka by road.
How do you get to Mainamati Museum from Dhaka?
First get to Cumilla, roughly 3–4 hours from Dhaka by bus or car. Then: From Cumilla town take a CNG or bus to Kotbari (about 30 minutes); the museum is beside the Shalban Vihara gate.
How much does it cost to visit Mainamati Museum?
Small ticket; higher for foreigners.
When is the best time to visit Mainamati Museum?
The best time is winter (Dec–Jan), spring (Feb–Mar) and monsoon (Jun–Jul). Allow about 1 h for the visit.
More from Cumilla
District guide →
Place Shalban Vihara
শালবন বিহারThe excavated brick foundations of a large Buddhist monastery from around the 7th–8th century.
Place Mainamati War Cemetery
ময়নামতি ওয়ার সিমেট্রিA calm, beautifully kept Commonwealth cemetery for soldiers who died in the Burma campaign of World War II.
Place Dharmasagar Dighi
ধর্মসাগর দিঘিA huge old tank in the heart of Cumilla, where locals stroll the banks and boats drift at dusk.
Hidden place ▶ Video Rupban Mura
রূপবান মুড়াA lesser-visited Buddhist ruin on a low hill near Kotbari, often empty of people.
Nearby
Hidden place ▶ Video Rupban Mura
Cumilla · রূপবান মুড়াA lesser-visited Buddhist ruin on a low hill near Kotbari, often empty of people.
Place Shalban Vihara
Cumilla · শালবন বিহারThe excavated brick foundations of a large Buddhist monastery from around the 7th–8th century.
Hidden place ▶ Video Ananda Vihara
Cumilla · আনন্দ বিহারThe largest Buddhist monastery ruin at Mainamati, beside a huge old water tank.
Food Cumilla Roshmalai
Cumilla · কুমিল্লার রসমালাইSmall, soft chhana balls soaked in thick, sweet reduced milk, Cumilla's most famous export.