Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur

Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur was one of the intellectual powerhouses of Buddhist Asia. Erected under the Pala kings as Mahayana Buddhism rose in Bengal from the 7th century, the vast brick monastery-city drew scholars until the 12th century, its cruciform central shrine ringed by a quadrangle of monks' cells and adorned with terracotta carving. Its harmonious design echoed through Buddhist architecture as far away as Cambodia. UNESCO inscribed the Great Monastery in 1985.