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| Nalanda |
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| Nalanda is the name of an ancient university in Bihar. The site of Nalanda is located about 55 miles south east of Patna and was a Buddhist center of learning from 427 to 1197 AD. It has been called "one of the first great universities in recorded history." The name is a Sanskrit word that means "giver of knowledge". The Buddha is mentioned as having several times stayed at Nalanda. In the Buddha's time Nalanda was already an influential and prosperous town, thickly populated, though it was not until later that it became the centre of learning for which it afterwards became famous. Historical studies indicate that the University was established in 450 AD under the patronage of the Gupta emperors, notably Kumaragupta. Nalanda was one of the world's first residential universities and had dormitories for students. In its heyday it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an architectural masterpiece, and was surrounded by a high wall. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine storied building where meticulous copies of texts were produced. The subjects taught at Nalanda University covered every field of learning and attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. The library of Nalanda, known as Dharma Gunj (Mountain of Truth) or Dharmagañja (Treasury of Truth), was the most renowned repository of Buddhist knowledge in the world at the time. Its collection was said to comprise hundreds of thousands of volumes, so extensive that it burned for months when set aflame by Muslim invaders. In 1193, the Nalanda University was sacked by Bakhtiyar Khalji, a Turk. This event is seen by scholars as a late milestone in the decline of Buddhism in India. The Persian historian Minhaz reported that thousands of monks were burned alive and thousands beheaded as Khilji tried his best to uproot Buddhism and plant Islam by the sword. Nalanda is no longer inhabited. Today the nearest habitation is a village called Bargaon. Sights Ruins A number of ruined structures survived. The known and excavated ruins extend over an area of about 150,000 square metres, although if Xuanzang's account of Nalanda's extent is correlated with present excavations, almost 90% of it remains unexcavated. A central walkway runs through the complex from north to south. On the eastern side were the Viharas (monasteries) and onthe western side the Chaityas (temples). The remains of stairs show that some of the buildings were multi-storeyed. The monasteries are all quite similar to each other in their design. All of them faced west, and the drains discharged the waste water and sewage in the east. The staircases were located in the south-west corner of the buildings. Many of the temples and monasteries were repaired, rebuilt and enlarged over the years. Nalanda Archaeological Museum The Nalanda Museum contains a number of manuscripts and shows many examples of the items that have been excavated. The museum stands just opposite the entrance of the excavated site. It has an impressive collection of Buddhist and Hindu bronzes and a number of undamaged statues of the Lord Buddha that were found in the area. Two enormous terracotta jars, which stand behind the museum in a shaded enclosure, date back to the 1st century. Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall The memorial was built in the memory of Hieun Tsang, the famous Chinese traveler and scholar. Hieun Tsang came to India in the 5th Century AD and studied at the famous university of Nalanda. He stayed at the place for twelve years and wrote in great length about the people and society of contemporary India. Historians consider his writing authentic and relevant and a great source of information on ancient India. Nav Nalanda Vihar In the year 1951 the Indian government decided to reestablish the past glory of Nalanda and in this effort it decided to institute a center of higher learning. The center aims to study Buddhism and its essence in modern times. Near the place is another institute which aims to research the ancient language Pali. Surya Mandir Dedicated to the sun god, the centuries old Surya temple is situated near the University premises. As well as the idols of many Hindu gods and goddess there are also Buddhist deities present. The most attractive icon in the temple is the five feet high idol of Goddess Parvati. |
| Accommodation The best place in town is Bihar Tourism’s Gautam Vihar. It is fairly ordinary, but it has some A/C rooms. The Tathaghat Vihar has simple rooms. The Ajatashatru Vihar has basic dorms only. There are also several other basic places. Many visitors to Nalanda prefer to stay in Rajgir as there is a greater choice of accommodation. Transport Bodh Gaya (89km). Rajgir (15km). To get here from Rajgir you can take a shared motor richshaw (a trekker) for Rs 15 and from there get a tonga to the University. Nalanda By Train Rajgir is the nearest railway station which is 12 km away from Nalanda. Regular train services are available from this station to all part of India. Taxis are available from the railway station and cost about Rs 300 to Nalanda. Nalanda By Bus Nalanda is connected to other cities by state owned public bus services. Bihar Tourism and Development Corporation provide bus services from Patna to Nalanda, and also from cities like Bodhgaya and Rajgir to Nalanda. Tourist buses charge about Rs 400 from Patna to Nalanda. By car Shared jeeps plying the route between Rajgir (15km) and Bihar Sharif (35km) make a stop at the turn off for Nalanda. Rickshaws and other vehicles are available from here to the main gate, a distance of 2 km. |