This project would be the result of 10 months at the end of the thesis presentation. First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my brother in this venture, Dhrubo Antor and Samir Rahman, who helped me conceive of this project, and then to my teacher Mohammad Habib Reza from last semester, who told me that it is possible , Akter Mahmud sir for guiding me through the justification of the project and last but not least Abul Fazal Mahmudun Nobi, sir, for sharing a new perspective on architecture and being a source of constant inspiration throughout my academic tenure. Bangladesh is blessed with rich archaeological wealth, especially from the medieval period, during both Islamic and pre-Muslim rule.
The area of archaeological fieldwork and research has not been given due importance for a long time for various reasons, such as the difficult geography and climate and the remoteness of the main centers of the subcontinent. Few field projects are initiated by the Government of Bangladesh in 1971, including exploration of the previously unexplored areas and ambitious scheme of excavations at selected sites. And by facilitating tourism, special attention will be given to the religious interests of the minority Buddhists in our country.
Bangladesh is young as a state, but its country, people and culture have entered history. Bangladesh's cultural heritage, which reflects the creative genius of its people, was enriched by the great civilizations that flourished in the region for over two thousand years. 9 | K H A N Archeology of Bangladesh has considered the public facilities of Mainamati archaeological site.
Why should the lost heritage be revived?
The overall objective of this project is to create heritage awareness among the common masses as an essential element of heritage conservation and to provide facilities for tourists, archaeologists, young researchers and art enthusiasts. For qualitative analysis, website visits are primarily considered until now along with reading various articles and research papers present as the possible source. On the other hand, for quantitative analysis various reliable, national and international sources are prioritized along my research so far.
Apart from that, going to different offices and talking to different resource persons and last but not least my own course instructors along with my seniors and colleagues are extremely helpful in initiating the research journey.
Project rationale
Therefore, the rationality of the proposed project is determined on the basis of the impact it will have on the society, economy and morphology or existing fabric of the designated area respectively. Our part of the sub-continent which is now Bangladesh was once prominent for its Buddhist reign. Therefore, the proposed project will have substantial contribution by facilitating tourism both domestically and internationally.
With this project or platform, the people of the country will not only know about their glorious past but can also be proud. In addition to direct economic impact, the industry has significant indirect and induced impacts. The proposed project will be no different and will consequently have a direct and indirect impact on the surrounding area.
In addition, the platform provided by the proposed project will host music festivals, fairs and other cultural activities along with primary amenities as designed. This project will provide facilities for tourists, which will increase the number of visitors in the area.
LITERATURE REVIEW
- History of Buddhist architecture and culture in Bengal
- Importance of cultural heritage
- Heritage and tourism
- Present situation of excavation and archaeological sites in Bangladesh Remarkable Buddhist archaeological sites are located in certain places of Bangladesh
It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1985 and described as "pleasure for the eyes of the world". Buddhism in various forms appears to have been widespread at the time of the Turkish conquest in 1202. According to the 1981 census, there were approximately 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, representing less than one percent of the population.
Cultural heritage and tourism have a deeper connection, and the most visible aspect of culture's contribution to local development is enhanced by tourism. 26 | K H A N Vihara and Halud Vihara and the newly excavated site is the Buddhist Vihara at Bikrampur in Dhaka district. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Bangladesh and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
The Shaban Vihara is the center of the Mainamati range and consists of 115 small rooms. Although not as well known to Buddhists, there are likely remains of Gupta and Pala period temples that are remarkable to both Buddhists and Hindus.
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
Brief historical background of the sites
29 | K H A N The excavation at the Buddhist Vihara at Bikrampur of Dhaka district was jointly conducted by the Department of Archeology of Jahangirnagar University and the Agrasar Bikrampur Foundation. And with good reason—Bangladesh is somewhat of a forgotten repository of South Asia's Buddhist heritage, and it's about time its sites were given the attention and care they deserve. With an ever-expanding cantonment at Mainamati, on the northern half of the ridge, and a fast-growing settlement at Kotbari at its center, the fairy-tale beauty of the country is now a thing of the past.
Lalmai or the southern portion is identical with Lalambi-vana in the Chandra epigraphs, while the northern portion recalls the name of the legendary Chandra queen 'Mainamati'. The glory and magnitude of this remarkable past is emphatically expressed in the countless monuments, tall and excavated remains, sufficiently supplemented by an impressive array of stray finds from the area. While setting up an advance camp, the military encountered relics at a number of points on the ridge.
Most of these sites are in the northern half of the ridge, now within the Cantonment. At various stages of excavation of the approximately 50 sites, nine have been uncovered so far. 32 | The information obtained from K H A N provides a good archaeological basis for the reconstruction of the history and culture of the early period of this hitherto obscure area.
Other archaeological sites of Mainamati
- RUPBAN KONNAR BARI
- MAINAMATI MOUNT 1A
- BHOJA VIHARA
- ANANDA VIHARA
- KOTILA MURA
- PAKKA MURA
Site location
The main attraction because of the archaeological sites spread across the Mainamati ridge, the war cemetery and much more. If people knew more about the other archaeological sites, the number of visitors would have been higher. But as the years pass, the growth is promising and the revenue generated is also promising.
This will provide more suitable public facilities and a better research atmosphere for researchers, as many of the ruins are still endangered and unexplored. The site is surrounded by many important architectural interventions and archaeological sites. And the area surrounding the site now consists of many institutional buildings such as BARD, Comilla University, Comilla Cadet College, Technical Training Center etc.
For unplanned housing, there is a need for implementation, which will be handled by the government. Other than these can create heritage awareness and facilitate the public or the tourists through public facilities through architectural means. In addition, public amnesties (Cafeteria, fresh room, information center) are also part of the programmatic arrangement.
Site photos
A new Vihara has been built just behind the site, which creates dialogue with the old Vihara. Loss of the site's heritage value due to lack of proper maintenance and knowledge.
Program derivation
Loss of heritage value of the site due to lack of proper maintenance and knowledge. Excess in the flow of tourists due to the lack of facilities. Loss of soul of the country due to unplanned developments. CHAPTER 04: PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS. Specialized tours and collection of stories/sagas. Religious and historical sagas related to the Buddhist community). Heritage workshops and awareness programme).
Targeted user group
Here, based on research and analysis so far, the intended audience or users of this project are mainly tourists and researchers. Through the service of these target users, the local residents of the area will also be served.
Religious Visitation
CASE STUDIES
Kolumba Museum .1 Background
63 | K H A N Peter Zumthor won the competition with an ambitious and at the same time modest idea: the building completely surrounds the ruins of the church and actually merges with them, while using the upper level and the side wing to accommodate exhibition areas. Zumthor's design gently rises from the ruins of a late Gothic church, respecting the history of the city and preserving its essence. From the outside, the building is characterized by its massiveness, simple and austere composition of warm colored volumes and thus integrates both into its urban context and into the historical city where it is located.
These fragments include the remaining parts of the Gothic church, stone ruins from the Roman and medieval periods and German architect Gottfried Böhm's 1950 chapel for the "Madonna of the Ruins". The texture of thin custom-made gray bricks frames the remains of the old church achieving a remarkable integration between the new and the old. Perforations on the facade, forming a kind of grid made on the basis of the bricks themselves.
65 | K H A N In addition to the chapel, the building includes 16 exhibition rooms on three levels, including the area on top of the church, and at the heart of the building a secret garden courtyard - a quiet and secluded place for reflection. The building also opens the view to some courts designed in a serene Zen minimalism, which house works by famous sculptors such as Richard Serra and Joseph Wolf.
Madinat Al Zahra Museum
A major part of the programs in the proposal is made from a comparative study of these projects.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
- Introduction
- Initial Sketches
- Concept formulation
- Design Intervention
- Plans & Sections
- RENDERED PERSPECTIVES
Form that perspective it does add credibility to the thought that digging inside the earth will recreate an experience that will allow the visitors to have dipper realization and of course the sense of discovery. Standing statue of the Buddha looking towards the old vihara evoked thoughts in my mind. Influences from the existing Shalban vihara is taken into account in order to create the museum complex.
And linking the newly built vihara to the old one through the underground creates series.
CONCLUSION