Nalanda University was a major Buddhist center of learning from the 5th to 12th centuries. Located in Bihar, India, it had thousands of students and nearly 2,000 teachers studying virtually all fields of knowledge at its peak. The library was massive, with some estimates of hundreds of thousands of volumes. However, the university was destroyed in the late 12th century by Muslim invaders, who burned the libraries. In the modern era, the ruins were rediscovered and a new Nalanda University has been established nearby to revive this ancient seat of learning.

1. NALANDA UNIVERSITYNALANDA UNIVERSITY
BY:-BY:-
SRINJOY DASSRINJOY DAS
M.A. TOURISM ADMINISTRATIONM.A. TOURISM ADMINISTRATION
AMITY UNIVERSITY JAIPURAMITY UNIVERSITY JAIPUR

2. CONTENTSCONTENTS
INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
LOCATION OF NALANDALOCATION OF NALANDA
AERIAL VIEW OF NALANDAAERIAL VIEW OF NALANDA
LIBRARYLIBRARY
STRENGTHS OF THESTRENGTHS OF THE
UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY
GREAT SCHOLARS OF NALANDAGREAT SCHOLARS OF NALANDA
INTERESTING FACTSINTERESTING FACTS
REDISCOVERY OF THE RUINSREDISCOVERY OF THE RUINS
REVIVAL OF NALANDAREVIVAL OF NALANDA
UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY
WHAT TO SEE IN NALANDAWHAT TO SEE IN NALANDA
OTHER PLACES OF INTERESTOTHER PLACES OF INTEREST
HOW TO REACH NALANDAHOW TO REACH NALANDA
ACCOMODATION IN NALANDAACCOMODATION IN NALANDA
OTHER AMENITIES &OTHER AMENITIES &
ATTRACTIONSATTRACTIONS

3. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
Nalanda was initially a small village by a major trade route that ran through the
nearby city of Rajagriha (modern Rajgir) which was then the capital of Magadha.
Buddha was said to have delivered lectures in a nearby forest named Pravarik and
one of his two chief disciples, Shariputra, was born in this village and also
attained nirvana there. The Jain thirthankara, Mahavira, was said to have spent
14 rainy seasons at Nalanda. This association with Buddha and Mahavira tenuously
dates the existence of the village to at least the 5th–6th century BCE.
Nalanda (Sanskrit: नालंदा Nālandā) was an acclaimed Mahāvihāra, a
large Buddhist monastery, in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar),
India. First residential international university of the world. It is is located
about 95 kilometres southeast of Patna.
Founded in the 5th
century A.D. by the Gupta Empire, known as the ancient seat of
learning. Both Xuanzang and Prajñavarman cite Shakraditya (probably Kumaragupta
I) as the founder, as does a seal discovered at the site.
Became the crown jewel of the development of Buddhism in India and the world.
Contribution by the King Harshvardhan, Kumaragupta(college of fine arts),
Dharmpal (Brahmin scholar/tutor), Dinnaga -founder of the school of
Logic. King Harshvardhan also gifted a 25 m high copper statue of Lord Buddha.
Eight separate compounds & 10 temples, meditation halls, classrooms ,hostels,
lecture halls, lakes and parks built in the Kushan architectural style.

4. LOCATION OF NALANDALOCATION OF NALANDA

5. The complex covered an area between 488
by 244 metres.

6. AERIAL VIEW OF NALANDAAERIAL VIEW OF NALANDA

7. LIBRARYLIBRARY
The library at Nalanda was an immense complex. Called the Dharmaganja,
or Piety Mart, it was separated into three large buildings: the Ratnasagara, the
Ratnadadhi, and the Ratnaranjaka. The Ratnadadhi (Ocean of Gems) was
nine stories high and housed the most sacred manuscripts including the
Prajnaparamita Sutra and the Samajguhya.
The exact number of volumes of the Nalanda library is not known. But it is estimated
to have been in the hundreds of thousands. The library not only collected religious
manuscripts but also had texts on such subjects as grammar, logic,
literature, astrology, astronomy, and medicine.
The Nalanda library had a classification scheme which was possibly based on a text
classification scheme developed by the great Sanskrit linguist Panini. Buddhists
texts were most likely divided into three classes based on the Tripitaka’s three main
divisions: the Vinaya, the Sutra, and the Abhidamma.
The library was destroyed in c. 1197 CE – c. 1203 CE during the Muslim invasion
in which Bakhtiyar Khilji sacked it and set it to flames.It was so vast that it is
reported to have burned for three months after the invaders set fire to it, ransacked
and destroyed the monasteries and killed or drove the monks from the site. According
to Tibetan legend, the school and library were reportedly repaired shortly after by
Mudita Bhadra, a Buddhist sage. Unfortunately, the library was again burned
by Tirthaka mendicants.

8. The remnants of the library of Nalanda, which is reported to have burned
for three months after the invaders set fire to it, ransacked and destroyed
the monasteries, and drove the monks from the site.

9. REAR VIEW OF
THE STUPA OF SHARIPUTRA

10. ROW OF CELLS AROUND A COURTYARD

11. MONASTERY SITES

12. UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR

13. StrengthS of the UniverSityStrengthS of the UniverSity
Nearly 2,000 teachers and 10,000 students from
all over the world.
Learning was greatly encouraged as it served dual
purposes: knowledge & practice.
Subjects: virtually the entire range of world knowledge
was then available there like Buddhist & Jain,
Sacred & Secular, Foreign & Native, Science,
Astronomy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Samkhya,
Yoga–Shastra, the Vedas, and the Scriptures of
Buddhism etc.
Nalanda was also the most global university of its times,
attracting pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan,
China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia, and Turkey.

14. greAt SChoLArS of nALAnDAgreAt SChoLArS of nALAnDA
Nalanda was visited by
both Mahavira and Buddha in 6th and 5th
centuries B.C. It is also the place of birth and
nirvana of Shariputra, one of the famous
disciples of Buddha.
The Tang Dynasty Chinese traveller and scholar,
Xuanzang(Hieun-Tsang) visited Nalanda in the
7th
century B.C., stayed for 3 years and left a
vivid account of the curriculum and of the general
features of the community.
Some other scholars and historical figures of note
associated with Nalanda are Aryabhata,
Dharmapala, Dinnaga-the founder of Buddhist
logic, Nagarjuna-formaliser of the concept of
Shunyata, Shilabhadra-the teacher of Xuanzang &
Yijing-a Chinese Buddhist traveller.
A vast amount of what came to comprise Tibetan
Buddhism, both
its Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, stems
from the late 9th–12th century teachers and

15. intereSting fACtSintereSting fACtS
Rigorous oral entry examination conducted by erudite gatekeepers
and many students were turned away.
To study there was a matter of great pride. However, no degree was
granted nor a specific period of study required.
The monks measured time by a water clock.
Students received explanations by discourse.
Separate schools of debate were there and talented scholars
distinguished conspicuously.
The Muslim Emperor Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed the capital of
knowledge. Khilji supposedly asked the monks before he burnt the
library, “Is there any copy of the Quran in the library?” The three
libraries of Nalanda were so large that they went on burning for
three months.
The Persian historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, in his chronicle
the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, reported that thousands of monks were
burned alive and thousands beheaded as Khilji tried his best to
uproot Buddhism.

16. reDiSCovery of the rUinSreDiSCovery of the rUinS
After its decline, Nalanda was largely forgotten
until Francis Buchanan-Hamilton surveyed
the site in 1811–1812 CE after locals in the
vicinity drew his attention to a vast complex of
ruins in the area. He, however, did not associate
the mounds of earth and debris with famed
Nalanda. That link was established by Major
Markham Kittoe in 1847 CE. Alexander
Cunningham and the newly formed
Archaeological Survey of India conducted
an official survey in 1861–1862 CE.

17. revivAL of nALAnDA UniverSityrevivAL of nALAnDA UniverSity
September 1, 2014, saw the commencement of the first academic year of a
modern Nalanda University, with 15 students, in nearby Rajgir. It has been established in
a bid to revive the ancient seat of learning. The university has acquired 455 acres of land for its
campus and has been allotted 2727 crores (around $454M) by the Indian government.It is also₹
being funded by the governments of China, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and others.

18. WhAt to See in nALAnDAWhAt to See in nALAnDA
Nalanda is a popular tourist destination in
the state attracting a number of Indian and
overseas visitors.It is also an important stop
on the Buddhist tourism circuit.
NALANDA UNIVERSITY RUINS
ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEX.
NALANDA ARCHAEOLOGICAL
MUSEUM :- Exhibits the antiquities that
have been unearthed at Nalanda as well as
from nearby Rajgir. Displays 349 items in 4
galleries.
NALANDA MULTIMEDIA MUSEUM :-
It showcases the history of Nalanda
through 3-D animation and other multimedia
presentations.
XUANZANG MEMORIAL HALL :-
An Indo-Chinese undertaking to honour
the famed Buddhist monk and
traveller, Xuanzang(Hieun-Tsang). A relic,
comprising a skull bone of the Chinese

19. OTHER PLACES OF INTERESTOTHER PLACES OF INTEREST
Located in the nearby village of Baragaon, this ancient Surya Mandir(Sun
Temple), also known as the Surajpur Baragaon, is an important pilgrimage
destination twice a year in the months of “Vaisakha” & “Kartik”.

20. HOW TO REACH NALANDAHOW TO REACH NALANDA
AIR: The nearest airport is at Patna (89 km).
RAIL: Though Rajgir (12 km) is the nearest railway
station to Nalanda yet the nearest convenient rail head is
at Gaya (95 km).
ROAD: Nalanda is connected by good road with Rajgir
(12 km), Bodh Gaya (110 km), Gaya (95 km), Patna (90
km), Pawapuri (26 km), Bihar Sharif (13 km) etc.

21. ACCOMODATION IN NALANDAACCOMODATION IN NALANDA
Tourists prefer to stay at Rajgir (15 km. from
Nalanda). There are a number of moderately
priced hotels available at Rajgir. Tourists can
stay at any of the three Tourists Bungalows of
Bihar State Tourism Development
Corporation, Tathagat Vihar, Ajatshatru
Vihar and Gautam Vihar.

22. OTHER AMENITIES & ATTRACTIONSOTHER AMENITIES & ATTRACTIONS
SHOPPING:- Local Arts & Craft, Stone Sculptures and
Madhubani Paintings found in handicraft Shops in Main
Market at Kund Area (Hot Spring) and at Aerial
Ropeway.
RAJGIR DANCE FESTIVAL:- Bihar State Tourism
Department organizes every year, this colorful festival of
classical and folk dances from October 24 to October 26.
CHHATH PUJA:- Chhath puja or sun worship held
twice a year in "Vaishakha" (April-May) and in "Kartika"
(October - November) in Surya Temple, the Sun temple
of Surajpur Baragaon.
ARTS AND CRAFTS:- The places around Rajgir are
famous for stone sculptures and bowls.

23. THANk yOuTHANk yOu
kINDLy vISIT ONCE THE ANCIENTkINDLy vISIT ONCE THE ANCIENT
SEAT OF kNOWLEDgE NALANDA,SEAT OF kNOWLEDgE NALANDA,
WHICH SPREAD THE LIgHT OFWHICH SPREAD THE LIgHT OF
kNOWLEDgE TO THE WHOLEkNOWLEDgE TO THE WHOLE
WORLD.WORLD.