About eight km. to the west of Comilla town and 114 km. south-east of Dhaka lie the low hills of Mainamati-Lalmai ridge - an old centre of Buddhist culture. On the slopes of these hills lie scattered runis that testity to as a early Buddhist civilization (8 th to 12th century). At Salban in the middle of the ridge, excavations have laid bare a large Buddhist Vihara (monastery) and an imposing central shrine. Further explorations have revealed valuable information on the rule of the Chandra and Deva dynasties which flourished here from the 8 th to 12th century A.D. The whole range of hillocks run for about 18 km and is studded with more than 50 such sites. A site museum houses the archaeological finds that include terracotta plaques, bronze statues and caskets, coins, jewellery, utensils, pottery and votive stupas embossed with Buddhist inscriptions.