Nalanda Mahavihara in India Declared World Heritage Site

The ruins of ancient Nalanda Mahavihara (also known as old Nalanda University) are declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is the second World Heritage site (the first one is Mahabodhi Temple) that is located in the State of Bihar in north-eastern India.

Nalanda Mahavihara was founded in the Gupta dynasty in the 5th century CE. It is the most ancient monastic-cum-scholastic establishment of the Indian Subcontinent. Also, as one of the world's oldest universities, it received patronage from various local kings and foreign rulers for over 800 years. During its peak period, it attracted scholars and students from near and far, some of whom traveled all the way from China, Korea, and Central Asia. However, according to the records, it was destroyed a total of three times by invaders in history. The last time was in 1193 by the Turkish army. It was abandoned and forgotten afterward until excavated and consolidated in the 19th century. 

The total area of the excavation is about 14 hectares, including stupas, shrines, residential and educational buildings, and also important artworks. All edifices there were built with red bricks. There’s a very interesting two-floor educational building with its rooms built around the central courtyard, where steps lead up to a dais for the professors to address the students. There is also a small chapel with a half-broken Lord Buddha statue. People can get a magnificent view of the whole area from the top of Temple No. 3, which is surrounded by smaller stupas studded with statues of the Lord Buddha.

Opposite the entrance of the ruins of the university is the Nalanda Archaeological Museum, where many of the artworks found in the ruins are exhibited. Nava Nalanda Mahavihara and Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall are also nearby. Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is a new institute devoted to studying and researching Buddhism and Pali Literature, while Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall is also a new construction in memory of the great Chinese Buddhist monk Hieun Tsang (also known as Xuanzang), who traveled to the place in the 7th century and left many manuscripts describing the interaction between China and India.

Nalanda is now a well-known tourist destination and a part of the Buddhist tourism circuit. If you want to visit India to experience its long history and rich cultures, welcome to contact us at trip@odynovotours.com for a unique trip tailor-made just for you!