Nalanda Travel Guide
Nalanda, 62 km from Bodhgaya and 90 km from Patna, was established in
the 5th century AD. It is famous as the ancient university and a rich
library. Buddha had visited Nalanda several times during his lifetime.
But the place became famous as the center of Buddhist learning during
5th to 12th centuries AD. Hieun Tsang had came at Nalanda in the 7th
century AD and stayed for 12 years and left detailed account about the
university. He had mentioned about the perfect education system and
chastity practiced in monastic life at Nalanda. Nalanda is the first
residential international university of the world with strength of 2,000
teachers and 10,000 monks' students from all over the Buddhist world.
Getting There:
By Air : The nearest airport from Nalanda is Patna
around 89 km away. There are regular flights from Patna connecting to
Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kathmandu.
By Rail :Rajgir 12 km away is the nearest railway
station from Nalanda. There are several passenger trains running between
Rajgir and Patna daily. The nearest major railway point is Gaya around
65 km away, from where one can take trains for Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi,
and some of the major centers in eastern India..
By Road: Nalanda is connected through a good road
network with Rajgir 12 km, Bodh Gaya 50 km, Gaya 65 km, Patna 90 km,
Pawapuri 26 km, and Bihar Sharif 13 km.
Tourist Attractions:
The Ruins Of Nalanda University
The ruins of Nalanda university is spread over an area of 14 hectares.
This university was totally built with Red Bricks. The Nalanda
University attracted scholars from all over the world.
Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall
The Hiuen Tsang Memorial Hall is said to have been built in the memory
of Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese traveler who came to India in around 5th
century AD. Hiuen Tsang was attracted by the glory of Nalanda University
and stayed there for 12 years both as a student and as a teacher. He
gave detailed and vivid description of the Indian political and social
conditions of that time.
Surya Mandir
Near the University of Nalanda, is a temple dedicated to the Sun God.
This temple has a number of statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities. The
five feet high statue of Parvati is of particular interest and
attraction.
The Museum
The Nalanda museum was established in 1971 and has a good collection of
ancient manuscripts and Buddhist statues. The manuscripts kept here were
found during the excavation of the area and many of them are rare in
appearance and style. The museum also displays artifacts of the Maurya,
Gupta and other periods.
Nav Nalanda Vihar
To keep alive the ancient tradition of spreading knowledge, Bihar
Government has set up a Pali Institute near the ancient university. In
this institute, Indian as well as foreign students study and do research
work. This institute was established in 1951, near the famous Lotus
Pond. This Institute has been attracting students from Japan, Sri Lanka,
Korea, Tibet, Bhutan, Indonesia etc. Mainly students do research work on
Buddhism and Pali here.
