About Nalanda
Located
at a distance of 89 km from Patna in the eastern Indian state of Bihar,
Nalanda happens to be one among the ancient seats of learning and wisdom in
India. During his numerous sojourns Lord Buddha paid a visit to the village
of Nalanda. Even the celebrated Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited
Nalanda in the earlier days. Around the 5th century Nalanda University was
established. And there were thousands of students and teachers. Hiuen Tsang
writes in his book, Si-Yu-Ki, about the place as he spent his time. Nalanda
was, at that time, a monastery and a sort of Buddhist university. There were
no fixed timings for the students and the teachers. The teachers could on
discussing various subjects for hours on end. The teachers included Buddhist
thinkers who taught and lived at Nalanda. The ruins at Nalanda speak of the
Buddhist influences that existed in the ancient times and can be felt even
today. The statues found at Nalanda were made of stucco, bronze and stone.
The inscriptions on the structures tell us about the people who made gifts
to the monastery. The pottery and implements that were once in use by the
monks who resided there are a treasure to behold. Implements such as axes,
sickles, tongs, chisels, knives and spades were made of iron and copper. The
Gupta, the Kushan and the Pal kings extended their patronage in building
various temples and monasteries around the place.
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Climate
Nalanda experiences extreme weather conditions as it is located in the
Gangetic plains. The temperature during the summers can move up to a maximum
of 37.8 degrees centigrade while during the winters it can drop down to a
minimum of 10.6 degrees. June to September is the period of the monsoons.
October to May is the best time to visit the place.
Major attractions
» Nalanda University - Nalanda University is
considered to be the most ancient university in the world. The university
was home to 10,000 students and 1500 teachers. Lord Buddha visited the
university a number of times. And Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveller, spent
three years at the place. The university witnessed great patrons of learning
from 5th to 12th century.
»
The Nalanda Archaeological Museum - The museum stands on the opposite
side of the university and exhibits some miraculous statues of Lord Buddha.
There are two gigantic terracotta jars whose history dates to the 1st
century A.D. Ancient copper plates, coins, pottery, stone inscriptions are
also on display in the museum.
» Nava Nalanda Mahavihara - The modern institute is
a centre of research in Pali literature and Buddhism. Students from far-off
countries come to study here.
» Surya Mandir - The temple has a collection of
various statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities and is dedicated to the Sun
God. The temple stands in proximity of the university.
North
India States
