Panchari Shantipur Aranya Kutir is a well-known place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It is on a 65- acre site in the deep forested forest called Shantipur in Ultachhari Union, five kilometers south-west of Panchhari Upazila located in khagrachari district surrounded by hilly trees. Panchhari Shantipur Aranya Kutir has the second largest Buddha statue in South Asia and the largest in Bangladesh. The largest buddha statue in Bangladesh was built in 1999, the 50- foot-tall Buddha statue took 3-4 years to build. In front of the largest statue of Gautam Buddha has a well-arranged place for prayers.
On either side of it there are the Sibhali temple and the Upagupta wooden temple. On the south side of the kutir is the residence of Mahasthavir Bhante(boro bhante), and the other residence are for other Bhantes. Tourists are not allowed to enter the back of the largest Buddha statue. Because, Bhante's are sits in solitude in the 13 inner meditation hut's and does meditation day after day for avoiding any disturbance during meditation the authority made this strict rule.
The monastery was founded by Shrimat Shasan Rokhito Mahasthavir Bhante one of the disciple's of Sadhana Nanda Mahasthavir Banabhante. Mahasthavira Bhante took upasampada from Banabhante in1996, Mahasthavir Bhante decided to went Panchhari Shantipur Khagrachari for meditated in a beautiful greenery surrounded by lush green, fresh, vibrant and in a deep forest Every morning in the Shantipur area, he does Pindcharan and does deep austeritiesi thisuninhabited place without eating. When the news spread around Shantipur area, the people’s of Shantipur first made a tent with polythene for Bhante's meditation place.
The travelers who wants to visit have to make a trip from Khagrachari to Panchari upozilla by public bus or a private vehicle. From Panchari they can hire auto rickshaw to go after thatthey can see the Shantipur Aranya kutir standing in the bosom of nature. It will take maximum thirty minutes to go from Khagrachhari Sadar to Panchhari.
Tourists will see more than 20,000 agarwood trees, mahogany trees, rubber trees, bayleaves and 35,000 forest and many more fruit trees. Hundreds of pilgrims and tourists come here every day from Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Dhaka and Chittagong. Everyyear on the Buddha Purnima, Asadhi and Pravarana Purnima, Buddha Puja or festival is held here. But the most important and interesting festival is the kothin chibor dan.More than 50,000 devotees came here for this festival. On the same day, thousands of menand women from the hilly areas took part in weaving clothes from Cotton.
Written by Athina Chakma
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