The new campus of the Nalanda University, which was the epicenter of ancient education, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajgir, Bihar on Wednesday. The event was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and ambassadors from around 17 nations.
Nalanda Mahavihara, a Buddhist university built in 427 AD, is situated in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (now Bihar). Considered to be among the greatest learning centres of the ancient world, Nalanda was located near the city of Rajagriha (now Rajgir), close to Pataliputra (now Patna). The Mahavihara flourished 1600 years ago, and was established during the Gupta Empire era.
First Residential University: Nalanda University reached the peak of its fame and glory during the reign of the Pala dynasty in the 8th and 9th centuries CE. It was during this period that the university saw global exposure. At it peak, it housed over 10,000 students and 2000 teachers. It was renowned globally as one of the foremost universities, drawing scholars from across India, China, Tibet, Persia, and other regions of Asia. Nalanda not only played a key role in the development of Buddhism, but also Indian philosophy, religion, logic, grammar, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. The monastic university predates the University of Oxford and Europe's oldest university, Bologna, by more than 500 years.
As the Dalai Lama once stated: "The source of all the [Buddhist] knowledge we have, has come from Nalanda." Regarded as the second-oldest university in the world after Takshashila, it served as a residential campus and existed for 800 years. It had over 300 rooms, seven large halls, and its library, named Dharmagunj, spanned nine stories.
A medieval Ivy League institution : Admission to the university was as tough as today's top colleges like IIT, IIM or Ivy League institutions. Students faced rigorous interviews and those who gained admission were mentored by a group of scholars, guided by esteemed Buddhist masters like Dharmapala and Silabhadra.
Diverse Curriculum: The ancient University offered a wide range of subjects , including theology , grammar. logic, astronomy , metaphysics , medicine and philosophy. It was especially renowned for its Buddhist studies. Nalanda was a learning site for scholars all across the world. Students here got guidance from best of the teaches who taught then the ancient study of Ayurved.Buddhist principles from the era's most revered scholars.
Mathematical contributions: Aryabhata, the renowned mathematician and astronomer, is believed to have studied and taught at Nalanda. His works laid the foundation for significant mathematical concepts used today.
International Influence: Nalanda attracted students from across Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, and central Asia. Notable scholars such as the Chinese Pilgrim Xuanzand and the Korean pilgrim Hyecho studied there. Chinese scholar Xuanzang spent nearly 15 years at the university.The ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda, which is rooted in nature-based healing methods, was widely taught at Nalanda and then migrated to other parts of India via alumni. Other Buddhist institutions drew inspiration from the campus' design of open courtyards enclosed by prayer halls and lecture rooms. And the stucco produced here influenced ecclesiastical art in Thailand, and metal art migrated from here to Tibet and the Malayan peninsula.
Library of Nine Million Manuscripts: Nalanda's library, known as Dharma Gunj (Mountain of Truth) was one of the largest and most comprehensive libraries of the ancient World, containing hundreds of thousands of manuscripts.
Architectural Marvel: The Nalanda University campus spread over 14 hectares, featuring numerous stupas, temples, and viharas( monasteries). The structures were built with red bricks and showcased advanced architectural and artistic designs.
Extensive Gardens and Parks: The Nalanda University boasted beautiful gardens, lakes, and parks, providing a serene and conducive environment for learning and meditation.
Destruction and Revival: Nalanda flourished for 800 years before being destroyed by an Army led by Bakhtiyar Khilji in the 12th century CE. In the 1190s, the institution fell victim to arson by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turko-Afghan military general. The devastating fire raged for three months, destroying what was arguably the most valuable collection of Buddhist wisdom.After six centuries of obscurity, the university was rediscovered in 1812 by Scottish surveyor Francis Buchanan-Hamilton. Later, in 1861, it was officially identified as the ancient university by Sir Alexander Cunningham.
Previous attacks on Nalanda: Nalanda was attacked first by the Huns under Mihirkula in the 5th Century, and again sustained severe damages from an invasion of the Gauda king of Bengal, in the 8th Century." On both occasions, the buildings were restored, and the facilities were expanded after the attacks with the help of imperial patronage from the rulers. "By the time Khilji invaded this sacred temple of learning, Buddhism was on an overall state of decline in India," With its internal degeneration, coupled with the decline of the Buddhist Pala dynasty that had been patronising the university since the 8th Century CE, the third invasion was the final death blow."
Some manuscripts that survived the destruction are now preserved in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Yarlung Museum in Tibet.
The library's nine million handwritten, palm-leaf manuscripts was the richest repository of Buddhist wisdom in the world,and one ofits three library buildings was described by Tibetan Buddhist scholar Taranatha as a nine-storey building "soaring into the clouds". Only a handful of those palm-leaf volumes and painted wooden folios survived the fire – carried away by fleeing monks. They can now can be found at Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the US and Yarlung Museum in Tibet.
Notable scholars and teachers : Nalanda University is said to gave attracted over 10,000 students from Eastern and Central Asia. Scholars from across the world, including China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia visited the university to stud here. History suggests that Aryabhatta, the father of mathematics who invented zero, has taught here. Aryabhata, considered the father of Indian mathematics, is speculated to have headed the university in the 6th Century CE. Other notable teachers who taught at Nalanda included Dharmapala and Silabhadra.
TIMELINE OF NALANDA UNIVERSITY'S REVIVAL :
- In 2006, the then-President APJ Abdul Kalam proposed reviving Nalanda University in an address to a joint session of the legislature in Bihar. The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar then came out supporting the project, and gave it a more international direction.
- The Indian government proposed the idea to revive Nalanda at the 2007 second East Asian Summit and a team headed by Sen with representatives from Singapore, China, Thailand and Japan was set up.
- In 2007, following former President APJ Abdul Kalam’s suggestion, the Bihar assembly passed a bill to establish a new university.
- The university was finally established through an act of Parliament in 2010:The Rajya Sabha passed the Nalanda University Bill on 21 August 2010. The Lok Sabha passed the bill on 26 August 2010. It received presidential assent, thereby becoming an Art. The University was officially established on 25 November 2010 upon implementing the Act.
- Operating from a temporary location since September 1, 2014, with 14 students, the university in Rajgir was inaugurated by former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in 2014.The International Convention center in Rajgir initially served as its makeshift headquarters.
- In 2016, former President Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone for the permanent campus in Pilkhi village, Rajgir, with construction starting in 2017.
- The University is a joint collaboration between India and East Asia Summit (EAS) countries.
