Archaeologists in the Naogaon district of Bangladesh have excavated a previously unknown Buddhist Vihara (monastery) that served as a major center for learning during the Pala Empire. The site includes a central sanctum, thirty-two monk cells, and a large communal hall.
The discovery of bronze Buddha statues and terracotta plaques depicting everyday life suggests that the monastery had close ties to the famous Nalanda and Vikramshila universities. This site adds another critical node to the map of the ancient Buddhist circuit in Bengal.