 NALANDA:
Nalanda was the most renowned university in ancient India. It derived
its name from Na-alam-da, meaning Insatiable in Giving, one of the
names by which the Lord Buddha was known.
Established in the 5th century B.C. it remained a live center of
learning till the 12th century A.D. when it was destroyed by the
invader Bakhtiar Khilji. Lord Mahavira and the Buddha both taught
here for years. Hsuan Tsang. the Chinese traveler studied here in
the 7th century A.D. and there is a monument in his memory. He was
one amongst many of those from East and Southeast Asia who came
here to study logic, meta-physics, medicine, prose composition and
rhetoric. The university of Nalanda offered free educational and
residential facilities to as many as 10,000 students and 2000 teachers,
for it was supported by a number of villages. Its library, Ratna
Sagar, is believed to have contained nine million volumes. It is
not surprising, then, that the destruction of this university dealt
a crippling blow to Buddhist education in India.
The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the Nalanda Museum
across the road which houses some exquisite bronzes of the 9th
and 10th centuries, Pala dynasty, and other remains excavated
at the site. The beautiful Thai Temple and the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara,
a centre for research in Pali and Buddhist studies, are 2 kms
from the main site.
By Air: The nearest airport is Patna, 99 km away.
Rail: The nearest railway station is Bhakhtiyarpur, 38 km away
connecting Delhi-Howrah mainline.
Road: Nalanda is 90 km southeast of Patna and only 11 km from
Rajgir. It is 80 km from Bodh Gaya and is easily accessible by
well-maintained highways.
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