Karnasuvarna or Karnasubarna was an ancient city, located in the present day
Berhampore CD block in the
Berhampore subdivision
Berhampore subdivision is an administrative subdivision of Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Overview
The Bhagirathi River splits the district into two natural physiographic regions – Rarh on the west and Bagri on th ...
of
Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Karnasuvarna is located at .
Area overview
The area shown in the map alongside, covering
Berhampore and
Kandi subdivisions, is spread across both the natural physiographic regions of the district,
Rarh
Rarh region () is a toponym for an area in the Indian subcontinent that lies between the Chota Nagpur Plateau on the West and the Ganges Delta on the East. Although the boundaries of the region have been defined differently according to various ...
and Bagri. The headquarters of Murshidabad district,
Berhampore, is in this area. The ruins of
Karnasubarna
Karnasuvarna or Karnasubarna was an ancient city, located in the present day Berhampore CD block in the Berhampore subdivision of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Karnasuvarna is located at .
Area overview
The a ...
, the capital of
Shashanka
Shashanka (IAST: Śaśāṃka) was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom and is a major figure in Bengali history. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his rule between circ ...
, the first important king of ancient
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
who ruled in the 7th century, is located south-west of Berhampore. The entire area is overwhelmingly rural with over 80% of the population living in the rural areas.
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivisions. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
History
Karnasuvarna (meaning 'made beautiful by
Karna
Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...
') was the capital of
Gauda Kingdom
The Gauḍa Kingdom (Gāuṛ Rājya) or Shashankas, was a classic kingdom during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal (modern-day West Bengal and Bangladesh) in 4th century CE or possibly ea ...
during the reign of
Raja Shashanka, the first important king of ancient
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
who ruled in the 7th century. After Shashanka's death it was the ''Jayaskandhavara'' (camp of victory) of
Bhaskaravarman
Bhaskaravarman () (600–650), the last of the Varman dynasty, was an illustrious king of medieval Kamarupa. After being captured by the Gauda king during the reign of his father, he was able to re-establish the rule of the Varman's. He made ...
, the king of
Kamarupa probably for a short period. This is evident from his
Nidhanpur copper-plate grant. In the mid-7th century, it was the capital of Jayanaga according to his Vappa Ghoshavata copper-plate grant. The ruins of Karnasuvarna have been located at Kansona in the present
Murshidabad district in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
. It is south-west of
Berhampore, headquarters of Murshidabad district.
In the
the following are shown as ASI listed monuments:
*Mounds known as Devil’s Mound and Raja Karna’s Palace at Rangamati (Item No. 118).
*Nil Kuthi Mound at Mouza Chowk, Chandpara (Item No. 128).
Excavations at Rajbaridanga
The famous Chinese traveler
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
mentioned in his travelogues about ''Lo-to-mo-chi'' (Raktamrittika) Mahavihara, an important centre of learning of
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
Buddhists near Karnasuvarna. It has been identified with Rajbaridanga. The archaeological site of Rajbaridanga is about 2.4 km from Karnasuvarna railway station in the bank of the
Bhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī (Pron: /ˌbʌgɪˈɹɑːθɪ/) is a turbulent Himalayan river in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism. In the Hindu fa ...
. Local transport like cycle vans, e-rickshaws (Toto) are available. This site was first excavated by a team from the Department of Archaeology,
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate State university (India), state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered ...
in 1962 under the direction of S.R. Das.
Amongst the findings, the most significant one was a monastic sealing bearing the legend ''Shri Rakta(m)rttika (Ma)havaiharik arya bhikshu (samgha)s(y)a'' (of the community of venerable monks residing in the Shri Raktamrittika Mahavihara). The other significant findings are terracotta figurines and ornamental stucco mouldings including human heads. Two other sites close by have been excavated at Rakshashidanga (in 1929–30 by K.N. Dixit of the Archaeological Survey of India) and Nil Kuthi.
Rakshasi Danga and Rajbari Danga
Mounds locally known as Rakshasi Danga (Devil’s Mound) and Rajbari Danga (Raja Karna’s Palace) have been excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Archaeological Department of the University of Calcutta. The discovery of terracotta seals “bearing the legend Raktamrittika Mahavihara has identified the location of the monastery bearing the same name described in the accounts of
Hiuen Tsang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
”, Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar who visited the place in the 7th cendury AD. The entire area contains “vestiges of ancient remains” from 2nd century AD to 15-16th century AD.
Nilkuthi Mound
Nilkuthi Mound, adjacent to Rajbari Danga, is at a higher level, has yielded antiquities sporadically.
Transport
Karna Subarna railway station (earlier known as Chiruti) is on the
Barharwa-Azimganj-Katwa loop of
Eastern Railway.
Bus services are available to district headquarters Baharampur from Karnasubarna.
Healthcare
Karnasuvarna Block Primary Health Centre, with 15 beds, is a government medical facility in Berhampore CD block.
Gallery
File:Archaeological site of Karnasubarna.jpg, Well, Archaeological site of Karnasuvarna
File:Karnasubarana, a historical place of Murshidabad 02.jpg, Karnasuvarna, Rajbari Danga
File:Karnasubarana, a historical place of Murshidabad 06.jpg, Karnasuvarna
File:কর্ণসুবর্ণ.jpg, ASI Board
References
External links
*
{{Tourist attractions in Murshidabad
Former populated places in India
Archaeological sites in West Bengal
Murshidabad district
Former capital cities in India
Buddhist sites in West Bengal
Tourist attractions in Murshidabad district