Nalanda was a centre of learning established in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Today the ancient seat of learning lie in ruins, though it is still the best place to see and understand Buddhism, the ruins extend over a large area.
Many versions can explain the significance of term Nalanda, but one is that Nalam means “Lotus” and Da means "to give", combining “Giver of Lotus” or “Giver of Knowledge”.
In this first residential international university of the world, 2,000 teachers and 10,000 students from all over the Buddhist world lived and studied here. The library was located in a nine storied building.
The bhikkus were encouraged to study various arts and sciences, since the Buddha’s time. Learning served as dual proposes: knowledge and practice. Therefore, the monks took to learning so that they might practice it and realise Dhamma perfectly and thereby enrich the masses.
Nalanda University was founded in the 5th century by the Gupta rulers. The subjects taught in the university covered every field of learning.
The courses offered included the study of Buddhist scriptures of Mahayana and Hinayana, Brahminical Vedic texts, philosophy, logic theology, Shabda Vidya (grammar), astronomy, mathematics and Chikitsa vidya (medicine).
Until the end of the 12th century, the importance as a monastic university still continued. Students from all regions of India and near to it, like China, Korea, Sri Lanka and Indonesia were attracted to study at Nalanda.
In accord to the Nalanda remains, there were also a row of monastery sites lies from south to north, all of them of the same pattern. These consisted of a number of monk’s cells with wide verandas in front, separated from it by a high wall; probably at the beginning it was a building of two or more storey as the existence of stairs in the south-east corner shows. There used to be Lord Buddha’s shrine and a well in the courtyard of monasteries.
From 5th to 12th century, a long succession of great kings extended their royal patronage to ensure the progress and prosperity of the university. It was a great centre of learning and students from foreign countries were also attracted to this university.
The university during its day flourished, was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. The famous Chinese pilgrims, Hieun Tsang and Fi Han were among the distinguished students of Nalanda University.
Hiuen Tsang spent three years at Nalanda and left a detailed note about the university, its curriculum, activities and other accounts. He received here the Indian name Mokshdeva. Dharmasvamin was here in 1234, left a gripping account of the monastery’s destruction by the Muslims.
Today Nalanda is in ruins but still has a scholarly look. The archaeological zone includes 11 monasteries and several temples built in red bricks with old Kushan architectural style in a row of cells around a courtyard.
The Gupta kings patronised these monasteries and the most celebrated patrons were Ashoka and Harshavardhana who built temples and monasteries here. Recent excavations have unearthed elaborate structures here.
In 1951 an international Centre for Buddhist Studies was established. Nearby is Bihar Sharif, where an annual urs is celebrated at the Dargah or tomb of Malik Ibrahim Baya. Baragaon, 2 km away has a sun temple, famous for Chhathpuja.
The Nalanda University complex had a great Stupa, which is flanked by flights of steps and terraces in accord to excavations. Many of the stupas were two or even three times built one over the other on the same spot.
In the course of excavation it has been found that the very small original structure was enlarged by later temples built over and around the ruins of the earlier ones. The main Stupa at Nalanda is the result of seven successive accumulations and apparently contained a massive image of Lord Buddha.
In the complex, the buildings are divided by a central walkway that goes south to north, the monasteries or "Viharas" are located to the east of this central passage and the temples or "Chaiyas" to the west.