Maināmati-Lalmai range

Maināmati-Lalmai range. Hill range and vast Buddhist archaeological site lying between the villages of Maināmati and Lalmai, in Bangladesh. The site comprises over 50 buildings, most not yet excavated. The earliest of the ruins date to the 6th century ce, and the building of a new monastery (vihāra) was still sponsored here in the 13th century. Among the sites in the Maināmati-Lalami range Salban Vihāra is perhaps the best known. The complex's name derives from a nearby Sal tree forest. This monastery is in the form of a square and was quite large in size, comprising 115 cells. In the middle of its central courtyard rises a large stūpa, which once contained large Buddhist images. Another major site within the Maināmati range is known as Kutila Mura. Here, a massive wall encloses a large area on which stand the remains of three main stūpas together with nine subsidiary stupas. Other sites in the Maināmati-Lalmai range include the so-called Ānanda Vihāra.