Nalanda mahavihara
Nalanda (Nālandā, pronounced [naːlən̪d̪aː]) was a renowned mahavihara (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar), eastern India. Considered by historians to be the world's first residential university and among the greatest centers of learning in the ancient world, it was located near the city of Rajagriha (now Rajgir) and about 90 kilometres (56 mi) southeast of Pataliputra (now Patna). Operating from 427 until 1197 CE, Nalanda played a vital role in promoting the patronage of arts and academics during the 5th and 6th century CE, a period that has since been described as the "Golden Age of India" by scholars.
The ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara | |
Shown within India Nalanda mahavihara (Bihar) Nalanda mahavihara (South Asia) | |
| Location | Nalanda district, Bihar, India |
|---|---|
| Region | Magadha |
| Coordinates | 25°08′12″N 85°26′38″E |
| Type | Centre of learning, ancient university |
| Length | 240 m (800 ft) |
| Width | 490 m (1,600 ft) |
| Area | 12 ha (30 acres) |
| History | |
| Builder | King Kumaragupta I |
| Founded | 5th century |
| Abandoned | 13th century |
| Events | Ransacked and destroyed by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji in c. 1200 CE. |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1915–1937, 1974–1982 |
| Archaeologists | David B. Spooner, Hiranand Sastri, Palak Shah, J. A. Page, M. Kuraishi, G. C. Chandra, N. Nazim, Amalananda Ghosh |
| Condition | In ruins |
| Ownership | Government of India |
| Management | Archaeological Survey of India |
| Public access | Yes |
| Website | ASI |
| ASI No. N-BR-43
| |
| Official name | Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda, Bihar |
| Criteria | Cultural: iv, vi |
| Reference | 1502 |
| Inscription | 2016 (40th Session) |
| Area | 23 ha |
| Buffer zone | 57.88 ha |
Nalanda was established during the Gupta Empire era, and was supported by numerous Indian and Javanese patrons – both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Over some 750 years, its faculty included some of the most revered scholars of Mahayana Buddhism. Nalanda mahavihara taught six major Buddhist schools and philosophies such as Yogachara and Sarvastivada as well as subjects such as Vedas, grammar, medicine, logic, mathematics, astronomy and alchemy. The university was also a major source of the 657 Sanskrit texts carried by pilgrim Xuanzang and the 400 Sanskrit texts carried by Yijing to China in the 7th century, which influenced East Asian Buddhism. Many of the texts composed at Nalanda played an important role in the development of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism including the Mahavairocana Tantra and the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra of Shantideva. Traditionally, it is held that Nalanda may have been attacked and damaged by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji, but there is no evidence of this. Nalanda managed to remain operational for decades (or possibly even centuries) following these apparent raids. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 2010, the Government of India passed a resolution to revive the famous university, and a contemporary institute, Nalanda University, was established at Rajgir. It has been listed as an "Institute of National Importance" by the Government of India.