Rajgir (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar's Rajgir on Wednesday. Earlier, PM Modi visited the ruins of ancient Nalanda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Rajgir on Wednesday.
Speaking at the inauguration event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about his government's 'pledge' towards making the country's higher education system more advanced and research-oriented. Modi, while inaugurating the new Nalanda University campus here, called upon students to always remain curious and courageous.
Nalanda is a symbol of India's academic heritage and vibrant cultural exchange. It is not just a renaissance of India's past, but the heritage of many countries are linked to this place, he said. "Our government is working towards making the country's higher education system more advanced and research-oriented. I am confident that our youth will provide leadership to the entire world in the future," Modi said.
The prime minister said he wants India to become a global hub for knowledge and education. On an average, one university has come up in the country every week in the last 10 years, Modi added. Before inaugurating the new campus, the PM visited the Nalanda Mahavihara', a UNESCO World Heritage Site located close to the varsity.
The educational institute was established through the Nalanda University Act in 2010 and it started functioning in 2014. The ancient Nalanda University, which existed since the fifth century, attracted students from all over the world. It flourished for 800 years before being destroyed by invaders in the 12th century, according to experts.
The ruins of ancient Nalanda comprise the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important artworks in stucco, stone and metal.
Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian subcontinent.PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar's Rajgir. Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in view of the PM's visit to Nalanda.
The PM was also briefed about the ancient ruins by Gautami Bhattacharya, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI Patna Circle. Before his Nalanda visit today, the PM wrote in a post on X, "It's a very special day for our education sector. The new campus of Nalanda University will be inaugurated at Rajgir. Nalanda has a strong connect with our glorious past. This university will surely go a long way in catering to the educational needs of the youth".
Nalanda University in history
India boasted of this 1600-year-old educational institution, the world's oldest, with teachers like Aryabhata before it was destroyed by foreign invaders. Situated in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) and established in the 5th century CE, Nalanda was located near the city of Rajagriha or the present-day Rajgir.
The university was located close to Pataliputra, or the present-day Patna. Known as the world’s first residential university, it drew scholars from across the globe, including China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
An educational institute par excellence
A wide range of subjects were taught at Nalanda. These included mathematics, philosophy, astronomy and ayurveda. The university attacined its excellence under the patronage of the Pala dynasty during the 8th and 9th centuries CE.
Nalanda's most important is primarily seen in its significant contributions to mathematics and astronomy. Aryabhata, the pioneer of Indian mathematics and the inventor of zero, was among the esteemed educators at Nalanda during the 6th century CE.
Students faced tough interviews, and those who got admission were mentored by Buddhist scholars such as Dharmapala and Silabhadra. The library of the university, which was known as 'Dharma Gunj' or the 'Mountain of Truth', had contained nine million handwritten palm-leaf manuscripts, making it the world's richest repository of Buddhist knowledge.
In the 1190s, the most renowned and oldest institution fell victim to arson by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turko-Afghan military general as a devastating fire is said to have raged it for three months, making arguably the most valuable collection of Buddhist wisdom into ash particles.
Making of new era Nalanda
To restore its legacy, the idea to re-establish Nalanda University was proposed by former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006. This vision gained momentum with the passing of the Nalanda University Bill in 2010, leading to launch in 2014 from a temporary location near Rajgir. Former president Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone for the permanent campus in 2016 at Pilkhi village, Rajgir. Construction began in 2017, resulting in the inauguration of the new campus of today.
