Hidden place

Sitakot Vihara

সীতাকোট বিহার

The excavated ground plan of an early Buddhist monastery among fields in Nawabganj upazila.

At a glance

Where: Dinajpur district, Rangpur division
From Dhaka: 335 km to Dinajpur by road, 9–11 hours by bus or car
Best time: winter (Dec–Jan), late autumn (Oct–Nov) and spring (Feb–Mar)
Time needed: About 1 h

Times and costs are estimates from our planner and the prices we collected. Check before you go.

See the place on video

Local legend held that Sita spent her second exile here, and colonial gazetteers took the mound for a walled pond. In 1968 and 1972–73 excavations uncovered a square Buddhist monastery about 65 metres a side, with 41 cells around a central courtyard and an entrance on the north. Bronze images of the Bodhisattvas Padmapani and Manjushri, terracotta toys and ornamental bricks were found. It belongs to the same broad era as Paharpur and Halud Vihara. The site is protected but sees few visitors, and the low brick walls sit quietly among village fields.

How to get there

From Nawabganj upazila town (bus from Dinajpur), take an auto or van to Sitakot in the Fatepur Marash area.

Good to know

There are no facilities; bring water. Combine with Nawabganj National Park and Swapnapuri.

Where to stay in Dinajpur

Common questions

Where is Sitakot Vihara?

Sitakot Vihara is in Dinajpur district, Rangpur division, Bangladesh. Dinajpur is about 335 km from Dhaka by road.

How do you get to Sitakot Vihara from Dhaka?

First get to Dinajpur, roughly 9–11 hours from Dhaka by bus or car. Then: From Nawabganj upazila town (bus from Dinajpur), take an auto or van to Sitakot in the Fatepur Marash area.