Buddhists and Buddhist legacies in Modern Bengal

Abstract

In the ancient period Bengal used to be a seat of Buddhism. The archaeological ruins and the accounts of the foreign travellers bear testimony to the expansion and richness of this heritage in ancient Bengal. Yet it was not before long that the religion degenerated and became almost extinct. There was hardly any trace of Buddhist practices and heritage in the medieval period when Bengal was ruled by Muslim rulers. There has been a revival and resurgence of Buddhism in modern period almost all over India and it has found its reflection in Bengal as well....