Location: Nalanda is
situated 90 Km from Patna, Bihar.
Tourist Attractions: The Nalanda University
Archaeological Complex, The Nalanda Archaeological Museum, Nava Nalanda
Mahavihara, Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall, Silao, Surajpur Baragaon.
Best Buys: Buy the famous local sweet 'Khaja', from
Silao, a village between Nalanda and Rajgir.
Festivals: The Chhath Puja is celebrated 6 days after
Diwali, in mid November. Buddha Jayanti, celebrated in April, to mark the
birth, enlightenment and nirvana of lord Budha.
Nearest Tourist Destinations: Vaishali, Patna, Bodhgaya,
Rajgir.
When to Visit: The best time to visit this place is
October to March.
About Nalanda
Nalanda, a part of the Budhist circuit, is famous for the the ancient
International Monastic University. Established in 5th century BC by the
Gupta Emperors, it was a famous learning centres in ancient times. The
university had centres for studies in Buddhism, Vedas, Logic, Grammar,
Medicine, Meta-Physics, Prose Composition and Rhetoric. Lord Buddha and Lord
Mahavira have also taught here. The university library had a mammoth
collection of 9 million volumes.
The university remains are scattered around an area of 14 hectares. Though a
large part of the university has been explored, a huge portion remains
unexcavated. It is believed that the university could accommodate 10,000
students and 2,000 teachers easily. Hsuan Tsang, the renowned Chinese
traveler was also involved with the university foe 12 years. There is a
monument built here in his memory. In 12th century AD, the whole university
complex was destroyed by Bakhtiar Khilji, a Turkish Invader. There is a
museum where the rare collections of the glorious days can be seen. In 1951
an international center for Buddhist studies was founded. Another modern
institution is the Nava Nalanda Mahavir Research Centre treasuring many rare
manuscripts.
Major Tourist Attractions in Nalanda
The Nalanda University Archaeological Complex
Total excavated area of the complex is about 14 hectares. The university
was built in Kushana style of architecture. There are huge gardens, bronze
statues and red-brick edifices all around. There are various temples here,
of which temple no.3 is most interesting, as it has the statues of lord
Buddha in various Mudras (poses). There is a half broken statue of Lord
Buddha in the temple no.1.
The Nalanda Archaeological Museum
Established in 1971, the museum has a beautiful collections bronze statues
of Buddha, Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The collections here were found during
excavation of the university site. The museum has rare manuscripts, copper
plates, stone inscriptions, coins, pottery and a 12th century AD sample of
burnt rice. Opens at 10 am till 5 pm. It is closed on Friday.
Nava Nalanda Mahavihara
This new international study centre for Buddhism and Pali literature was
set up in 1951. It offers research works on the ancient Pali language and
Budhism.
Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall
Hieun Tsang was a famous Chinese traveler, who came India during 5th
century AD to study the social and political conditions. He devoted 12 years
in the ancient university as a teacher as well as student. The memorial hall
was bulit in his memory.
Getting there:
Air: The nearest airport from Nalanda is the Patna airport, 90 km
away.
Rail: The nearest major railway stations is Gaya around 65 km from
Nalanda. Gaya is well connected to other parts of India.
Road: Nalanda is connected through a good road network with Rajgir
(12 km), Gaya (65 km), and Patna (90 km).
Accommodation:
Nalanda, being a small town, does not offer very good accommodations for
tourists. There are some monasteries built by Buddhist countries and
government guesthouse where tourists can stay. But a better option would be
to stay in Gaya or Patna, which are not too far from Nalanda.
