Swarna Mandir
Buddha Dhatu Jadi: The sacred tourist spot and its trouble
Bandarban’s famed ‘Swarna Mandir’ (golden temple) Buddha Dhatu Jadi, one of the largest Theravada Buddhist temples in Bangladesh, draws a large number of visitors throughout the year.
Located on top of a hill nine kilometers off Bandarban town near Balaghata, the temple gives a grand view of the area.
The temple was founded by U Pannya Jota Mahathero in 1995 to provide a prayer spot for the local Marma community. In 2004, the construction was finished, making it one of the largest Hinayana Buddhist temples in South Asia.
Buddha Dhatu Jadi is a shrine of Buddha’s relic (Dhatu) which is considered sacred and worshipped by the Buddhist community. The temple also holds the second largest Buddha statue of the country – an exemplary piece of woodwork done by craftsmen from Myanmar.
4 years ago