69 Hijri Lost Mosque (Sahaba Ancient Mosque of Ramdas)

The 69 Hijri Lost Mosque (Harano Masjid or the Sahaba Ancient Mosque of Ramdas) is one of the most historically astonishing, archaeologically profound, and spiritually revered Islamic heritage discoveries in South Asia, situated in Ramdas village of Panchagram union in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, roughly 12 kilometres southeast of Lalmonirhat town.

The site gained worldwide archaeological and historical fame in 1986 when local villagers excavating an ancient earthen jungle mound (Majher Vita) unearthed the buried brick foundations of an ancient pre-Mughal mosque. Among the terracotta brick debris, an ancient kiln-fired brick was discovered bearing a clear Arabic inscription: 'La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah, Sanah 69 Hijri' (688 CE).

This monumental date (69 Hijri / 688 CE) places the foundation of the mosque during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, just 58 years after the passing of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and during the lifetime of several Sahaba (Companions). Historians believe Arab Muslim maritime traders navigating the Brahmaputra, Teesta, and Dharla river trade routes to China established this riverside prayer sanctuary.

The excavated site preserves ancient solid brick plinths, decorative terracotta tiles depicting floral vines and geometric rosettes, and an adjacent modern commemorative prayer complex and research museum, offering travelers an awe-inspiring encounter with the earliest dawn of Islam in the subcontinent.

In 69 Hijri (688 CE), early Arab Muslim navigators and merchants following the maritime and riverine Silk Road along the Brahmaputra and Teesta valleys established this ancient prayer station at Ramdas.

Over subsequent centuries of shifting river courses and jungle growth, the structure was buried beneath alluvial soil and remembered only in local oral folklore as 'Majher Vita'.

In 1986, the site was rediscovered and authenticated by archaeologists, historians, and Islamic epigraphists, confirming the antiquity of the inscribed 69 Hijri foundation brick.

The Bangladesh Department of Archaeology and local heritage foundations have preserved the excavated foundations, establishing a dedicated visitor complex.

November to February: Cool winter weather; ideal for walking through the archaeological grounds and examining historical exhibits.

Year-round: Active and welcoming daily for prayers, pilgrims, and historical researchers.