Why Nalanda Mahavihara
Nalanda Mahavihara is an ancient Buddhist monastic complex and historical centre of learning located in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Positioned roughly 16 kilometres north of Rajgir and about 90 kilometres southeast of Patna, the site lies in the vicinity of Bargaon village between three historical artificial lakes: Gidhi, Panashokar, and Indrapuskarani. It is also situated approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Bodh Gaya and is accessible by road via National Highways 31, 20, and 120.
Established around 427 CE by Emperor Kumaragupta I of the Gupta Empire, Nalanda operated as a major academic institution for nearly a thousand years. Over the centuries, it received patronage from a diverse group of Buddhist and non-Buddhist supporters, including rulers of the Pushyabhuti dynasty and the Pala Empire, as well as patrons from Java and Sumatra. Despite facing attacks by the Huns in the fifth century, damage from Bengal forces in the eighth century, and destruction by fire during raids led by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji around 1200, the institution continued to function for decades or centuries afterward.
Widely regarded as one of the ancient world's foremost educational hubs, Nalanda offered a broad curriculum that encompassed Mahayana Buddhist philosophies alongside subjects such as the Vedas, grammar, logic, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and alchemy. Its expansive library served as a primary source for Sanskrit texts that were transmitted across East Asia. Prominent foreign scholars visited the site during its peak, including the seventh-century Chinese pilgrims Xuanzang and Yijing, who spent years studying, lecturing, and collecting hundreds of manuscripts to take back to China.
Today, the ancient ruins of Nalanda are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors exploring the complex can observe the excavated remnants of brick walls, monastic halls, and temple structures described in historical accounts. In the surrounding area, modern institutions honouring the site's intellectual legacy have been established, including the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara and Nalanda Open University near Indrapushkarani lake, alongside the modern Nālandā University located in nearby Rajgir.
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