5/5 Udayan C. 1 year ago on Google
Also
known
as
Archaeological
Ruins
of
Nalanda,
it
is
one
of
the
stunning
UNESCO
World
Heritage
sites
in
India.
Founded
by
Kumaragupta
during
the
5th
century,
Nalanda
University
stands
out
as
the
most
ancient
university
of
the
Indian
Subcontinent,
and
one
of
the
oldest
universities
in
the
world.
Historical
sources
indicate
that
the
University
had
a
long
and
illustrious
life
which
lasted
almost
continually
for
800
years
from
the
5th
to
the
12th
century
CE.
Nalanda
obtained
significant
fame
during
the
Gupta
era,
according
to
the
seal
found
in
the
name
of
King
Kumaragupta.
Post
Gupta
period,
Nalanda
flourished
under
the
reign
of
emperor
Harshavardhan
of
Kannauj.
The
growth
and
the
popularity
of
the
university
continued
until
the
9th
century,
after
which
its
gradual
decline
started
under
the
Pala
Empire
from
the
9th
century
to
the
12th
century.
Historians
assume
that
this
great
centre
of
learning
was
ransacked
and
destroyed
in
the
12th
century
by
Bakhtiyar
Khilji
of
the
Delhi
Sultanate,
which
led
to
the
total
decline
and
abandonment
of
the
institution.
The
site
was
recovered
by
the
Archeological
Survey
of
India
in
1915
and
the
place
got
inscribed
as
a
World
Heritage
Site
by
UNESCO
in
2016.
Along
with
Taxila
and
Vikramshila,
Nalanda
formed
a
trio
of
educational
institutes
that
were
considered
to
be
the
best
in
Asia
and
attracted
students
from
as
far
as
China,
Mongolia,
and
Persia.
Also
known
as
Nalanda
Mahavira,
it
engaged
in
the
organized
transmission
of
knowledge
over
an
uninterrupted
period
of
800
years.
Built
with
red
bricks
in
the
Kushana
architectural
style,
the
university
building
was
three
to
six
storeys
high
and
the
entire
complex
spread
over
an
area
of
23
hectares.
Many
monasteries,
hostels,
and
classrooms
are
built
in
the
Pala
dynasty.
It
was
home
to
more
than
2,000
teachers
and
10,000
students.
It
is
said
that
the
library
of
the
university
had
so
many
books
and
manuscripts
that
it
kept
on
burning
for
six
months
after
the
entire
structure
went
up
in
flames.
Renowned
Chinese
scholar
Hsuan-Tsang
also
visited
the
institution
in
the
7th
century
to
learn
the
Vedas,
Buddhist
theology,
and
metaphysics.
The
Nalanda
University
Ruins
comprises
many
stupas,
chaityas,
stairways,
decorated
panels,
and
dormitories
of
monks
and
students,
lecture
halls,
etc.
Sariputra
Stupa
is
one
of
the
remarkable
excavations
present
amongst
the
ruins
of
Nalanda
University.
Built-in
the
3rd
century
by
Ashoka
in
the
honor
of
Sariputra,
it
is
surrounded
by
pillared
structures
that
has
a
pyramidal
shape
with
towers
above
the
whole
complex.
Protected
by
seven
layers
of
constructions,
the
corner
looms
and
neighboring
stupas
at
the
place
are
ornamented
with
niches
of
Bodhisattvas
and
different
events
of
Buddha's
life.
Also,
one
can
visit
the
Black
Buddha
Temple,
situated
just
outside
the
wall
of
ASI
protected
Ruins
of
Nalanda
University,
has
a
nine-foot
statue
of
Buddha
in
Bhumisparsha
Mudra
which
is
made
of
black
basalt
rock.
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