Nalanda refers to an ancient and historically significant university located in the state of Bihar, India. It was one of the earliest universities in the world and was a major center for learning. particularly in Buddhism, from the 5th to the 12th century CE. Nalanda University was established during the Gupta Empire in the 5th century CE, though some accounts suggest might have been earlier. It became one of the most prestigious universities of ancient times, attracting students and scholars from various parts of the globe.
Nalanda offered a wide range of subjects, including logic, grammar, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and, most notably, Buddhist philosophy. The university was an important center for the Mahayana and Vajrayana branches of Buddhism. It housed a vast library containing hundreds of thousands of manuscripts. This library was reputedly so extensive that it burned for several months after the university was sacked.
The decline of Nalanda began in the 12th century when it was destroyed by invaders, particularly by the forces of Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turkic Muslim general. The destruction of Nalanda marked a significant blow to Buddhist education and culture in the region.
In 1951. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Republic of India and Bhikshu Jagadish Kashyap established a Buddhist institution, now known as Nava Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda. Govt. of India took over this institution from Govt. of Bihar and later the institution got the status of Deemed to be University in 2007. It aims to revive the spirit of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara.
Nalanda remains a symbol of India's rich intellectual history and its role as a bridge between cultures and civilizations. The revival of the university is seen as a way to reconnect with this past while addressing contemporary global challenges through education and research.
The proceedings of an International Conference on the topic "Nalanda: Past and Present held at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara was first published by Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda in 1976, which is out of print now. On the demand of readers, the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara has decided to reprint it. I hope this title Nalanda: Past and Present will continue to serve the purpose for scholars.
We feel great pleasure in presenting this Silver Jubilee Souvenir, NALANDA PAST AND PRESENT, to the scholarly world particularly the Buddhist world on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee year of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara.
Nalanda had a very glorious past. The Nalanda Mahavihara (the old University of Nalanda) was not only a great ancient seat of Buddhist learning but was also a great centre of Sramana culture. The name and fame of Nalanda spread far and wide in the Buddhist world, which attracted scholars from remote corners of Asia. Scholars used to come and study under the guidance of renowned acaryas of the University. Among these foreign scholars the name of Hiuen-tsiang, the Chinese pilgrim, comes first and foremost. He, as recorded, stayed here for about six years and carried with himself several hundreds of texts copied at Nalanda. The lure of Nalanda for the foreign scholars was so great that many acaryas of Nalanda were invited by the Buddhist countries where they went and helped in the dissemination of Buddhist learning and culture.
The last destruction of Nalanda Mahavihara is recorded by Dharmasvamin, a Tibetan eye-witness, who was here studying under a nonagenarion monk Rahula Srībhadra in 1236. Since then Nalanda remained in oblivion and even its name was forgotten, although it has always been in the living memory of the Buddhist world. It was only in the early decades of the 20th century that we could know the exact site of the old Nalanda Mahavihara due to the consistent efforts of archaeologists.
The excavated site of Nalanda yielded a number of antiquities consisting of coins, seals & sealings, stone & copper plate inscriptions, icons of bronze & stone and other materials of historical and cultural importance. The present excavated site is the largest in India in which there are the ruins of 11 Viharas and one great Caitya (Sariputra Caitya) and 5 temples including a Hindu temple.
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