Shalban Vihara (Mainamati): best time to visit and today's weather
heritage site · Cumilla Adarsha Sadar, Cumilla
Updated: Monday, 7 September 2026
Shalban Vihara is a 7th to 12th century Buddhist monastery at Kotbari in the Mainamati-Lalmai hills, about 8-10 km west of Cumilla town. A square brick complex of 115 monk cells around a cruciform central shrine, it was founded by Bhava Deva of the early Deva dynasty and is the centrepiece of the Mainamati ruins; the site museum next door holds the copperplates, coins, bronzes and terracotta plaques dug up here.
Best time to visit
November, December, January, February
Dry, cool and mostly cloudless from November to February, so you can walk the open brick terraces and climb the Lalmai slopes without heat or rain.
Weather caution
Monsoon (June-September) downpours make the exposed brick ruins slick and muddy; April-May brings 35C+ heat and sudden kalboishakhi storms, so go early in the morning if you must.
Tomorrow in Shalban Vihara (Mainamati)
7-day forecast for Shalban Vihara (Mainamati)
| Day | Weather | High / Low | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 7 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 31° / 25° | 95% |
| Tuesday 8 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 30° / 25° | 97% |
| Wednesday 9 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 31° / 25° | 87% |
| Thursday 10 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 33° / 25° | 83% |
| Friday 11 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 31° / 25° | 73% |
| Saturday 12 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 30° / 25° | 59% |
| Sunday 13 | 🌦 Light drizzle | 33° / 25° | 67% |
Highlights
- Cruciform central shrine with terracotta plaques
- 115 monastic cells around a square courtyard
- Mainamati Museum next door
- Kotila Mura and Charpatra Mura ruins nearby
- Lalmai hill slopes and Cumilla's rasmalai on the way back
Getting there from Dhaka
Any Dhaka-Chattogram highway bus (Tisha, Asia Line, Royal Coach from Sayedabad, Jatrabari or Kamalapur) reaches Cumilla Cantonment/Nandanpur in about 2-3 hours; from there a CNG or local bus takes 20-30 minutes to Kotbari. Dhaka-Chattogram trains also stop at Cumilla station.
Typical weather at Shalban Vihara (Mainamati), month by month
| Months | High / Low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24.5° / 12.6° | 7 mm | 2 |
| February | 27.7° / 15° | 17 mm | 2 |
| March | 32° / 19.3° | 67 mm | 9 |
| April | 35.1° / 24° | 129 mm | 13 |
| May | 33.3° / 24.6° | 236 mm | 18 |
| June | 32.1° / 25.9° | 232 mm | 26 |
| July | 32.3° / 25.9° | 187 mm | 25 |
| August | 31.3° / 25.3° | 403 mm | 27 |
| September | 31.7° / 25.2° | 288 mm | 27 |
| October | 30.7° / 23° | 194 mm | 15 |
| November | 29.4° / 18.9° | 30 mm | 2 |
| December | 26.2° / 14.7° | 15 mm | 2 |
Nearby destinations
Cumilla climate: the whole year · Cumilla Adarsha Sadar upazila weather → · All destinations
About this forecast
Shalban Vihara (Mainamati) is a heritage site in Cumilla Adarsha Sadar, Cumilla District, at 23.426, 91.137. The forecast on this page is computed for the nearest weather-model point (Cumilla Adarsha Sadar) and refreshed daily.