Noapara-Ishanchandranagar

Noapara-Ishanchandranagar is one of the largest unexplored archaeological sites in southeastern Bangladesh. Largely ruins from the Buddhist era in Bengal, many scholars believe that the site of the ruins in these villages represent the lost city of Karmanta Vasaka, the 7th century Khadga capital of Samatata. It is located 3 kilometres north of Chauddagram in the Comilla District, and spreads over an extensive area of more than 9 square kilometres on both sides of the highway connecting Chittagong to Dhaka. The area west of the highway is considered to be the Noapara village, and believed to be smaller in size. The area located east of the highway stretches through 3 villages from south to north: Ishanchandranagar, Rajendrapur and Rangamatia. The ruins spread further north to the village of Sulakia. A short distance from the site to the east lies the international border with India's state of Tripura. These villages, apparently on higher grounds of compact reddish soil, contain ancient ruins. Though much of the ancient remains have disappeared from the surface now, much is still in evidence, and the ancient character of the place is largely undeciphered. Of the three modern villages now occupying the ruins of the main site, Ishanchandranagar, the southern village is the largest and most important. Two ancient water ponds, the larger one on the west facing Noapara, and the smaller on the east facing the Tripura hills, bound it on two sides. Thus confined, the settlement was well defined and well protected in ancient times. It is widely believed to contain the ruins of a palace and administrative complex of an ancient capital city. Everywhere in these villages, heaps of ancient bricks and debris are noticeable on the surface but no valuable or significant cultural objects are in evidence.