Name of Monument: Takht Bhai Monastery
Location: Takht Bhai, District Mardan
Date of Construction: 1st to 3rd Century AD
The Buddhist Ruins of Takhi-i-Bahi (Throne of Origins) are a monastic complex, founded in the early 1st century A.D., is spectacularly positioned on various hilltops ranging from 120 feet to 500 feet in height, typical for Buddhist sites. The complexes cover an area of around 33ha.
The Buddhist monastery was in continual use until the 7th century AD. It is composed of an assemblage of buildings and is the most complete Buddhist monastery in Pakistan. In addition, the complex comprises of the main court of stupas, cells where the monks meditated, meeting halls, and covered passages. The buildings were constructed of stone in diaper style using local dressed and semi-dressed stone blocks set in a lime and mud mortar. Today the ruins comprise a main stupa court, votive stupas court, a group of three stupas, the monastic quadrangle with meditation cells, conference hall, covered stepped passageways and other secular buildings. These spaces can be divided in to following four distinct groups:
The Stupa Court, a cluster of stupas located in a central courtyard.
The monastic chambers, consisting of individual cells arranged around a courtyard, assembly halls, and a dining area.
A temple complex, consisting of stupas and similar to the Stupa Court, but of later construction.
The Tantric monastic complex, which consists of small, dark cells with low openings, which may have been used for certain forms of Tantric meditation.
Additional structures on the site may have served as residences or meeting halls,or filled secular purposes. All of the buildings on the site are constructed from local stone, and are mortared with lime and mud.
Naqoosh-e-Javidan 