Nalanda – The Glorious Buddhist Train Destination

After Bodhgaya, the next destination on the Buddhist train Mahaparinirvan Express itinerary follows the daytime excursions to Nalanda and Rajgir. The twin attractions near Bodhgaya offer a rich glimpse to the world around the time of Lord Buddha. Nalanda in particular was one of the ancient world’s first universities and a center for higher learning in the north eastern region of India. Active since 5^th century, this glorious university inculcated the knowledge actively to the learners for the next seven centuries. It taught multidisciplinary subjects ranging from Buddhist studies, fine arts, medicine, theology, mathematics, physics, astronomy, politics and the art of war.

In the Buddhist world, this prestigious university is also termed as the Buddhist institution imparting knowledge to over 5,000 international students and featuring a library of nine million manuscripts. It also played an important role in the spread of Buddhism. In its heydays, the legendary Buddhist traveller, Hiuen Tsang also studied here and taught here for 5 years in the 7th Century A.D. Nalanda at that time had over 10,000 students and 3,000 teachers.

Structurally as well, the university had quite a unique and channelized arrangement. The center had eight separate complexes, 10 temples, meditation halls, classrooms, dormitories, library, lakes and parks. The nine-story library here had some rare and celebrated manuscripts. The dormitories or monasteries here hosted thousands of students, which was again the first for an educational institution. The university imparted education to the students not only from India, but also from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.

But this illustrious period came to a halt in the beginning of the 12th Century when the Afghan invader Bakhtiyar Khalji sacked the university and brought it to ruins. He looted the wealth, but couldn’t take away the heritage of Nalanda. The ruins here are evocative of the serene monastic and temple wealth that is inherent with the learning and meditation here.

In 1860's, the great archeologist Alexander Cunningham identified the ruins as the glorious university of Nalanda and in 1915-1916 the Archeological Survey of India began excavations of the site. The present day ruins are a result of that excavation and it is still believed that much of the ruins are beneath existing villages and are unlikely to be revealed. The present site is well-maintained and very pleasant to visit.

Nalanda Tour is followed by the Buddhist pilgrims and travellers with an inquisitive mind for a sneak-peek towards the rich educational wealth of India. For a Buddhist train traveller, this excursion is an enlightening way to find out about the center for Buddhist learning in ancient India.