Nalanda
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- This article refers to Nālandā University, the ancient seat of Buddhist learning in India. For other uses, see Nalanda (disambiguation).
In the extreme rear is visible stucco (lime plaster fresco) wall art from the Gupta period. In the foreground are recently excavated (2006) stupas, notable among them the chariot stupa of Buddha. The chariot stupa in Sanchi was considered the only existing chariot stupa till this stupa was discovered.
Nālānda is the name of an ancient university in India. The name is a Sanskrit word that means giver of knowledge, (possibly from nalam, lotus, a symbol of knowledge and da, to give).[1] It is located about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from 427 CE to 1197 CE partly under the Pala Empire.[2][3] It has been called "one of the first great universities in recorded history."[3]
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[edit] Characteristics
Nalanda was one of the world's first residential universities, i.e., it had dormitories for students. In its heyday it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an "architectural masterpiece," and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine storied building where meticulous copies of texts were produced. The subjects taught at Nalanda University covered every field of learning, and it attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.[3] The Tang Dynasty Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang left detailed accounts of the university in the 7th century.
The university was an architectural and environmental masterpiece. It had eight separate compounds, 10 temples, meditation halls, classrooms, lakes and parks. It had a nine-story library where monks meticulously copied books and documents so that individual scholars could have their own collections. It had dormitories for students, perhaps a first for an educational institution, housing 10,000 students in the university’s heyday and providing accommodations for 2,000 professors. Nalanda was also the most global university of its time, attracting pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.
[edit] Location
Nalanda is located at .
[edit] Influence on Buddhism
A vast amount of what is considered to be Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana) actually stems from the late (9th-12th century) Nalanda teachers and traditions. Other forms of Buddhism, like the Mahayana followed in Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan, found their genesis within the walls of the ancient university. Theravada, the other main school of Buddhism, followed in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and elsewhere, and later the mystic Theravada schools also developed here.
[edit] Legends in Buddhism and Jainism
Various figures in Buddhism and Jainism are associated with Nalanda according to legend, although in many cases their dates are wildly discrepant with those of the university. The Jain Tirthankara Mahavira is believed to have attained Moksha at Pavapuri, which is located in Nalanda (also according to one sect of Jainism he was born in the nearby village called Kundalpur).[citation needed] Sāriputta, the right hand disciple of the Buddha, was born and died in Nālandā.[2] Asoka is said to have built a temple there.[2] According to Tibetan sources, Nagarjuna taught there.[4] However, historical studies indicate that the university was established c. 450 CE under the patronage of the Gupta emperors notably Kumaragupta.[2]
[edit] Decline and End
In 1193, the Nalanda University complex was sacked by Turkic Muslim invaders under Bakhtiyar Khilji; this event is seen as a milestone in the decline of Buddhism in India. It is said that Khilji asked if there was a copy of the Koran at Nalanda before he sacked it[citation needed]. When the Tibetan translator Chag Lotsawa visited them in 1235, he found them damaged and looted, but still functioning with a small number of monks. The destruction of the universities at Nalanda, as well as the destruction of many temples and monasteries throughout northern India which housed centers of learning, is considered by many historians to be responsible for the sudden demise of ancient Indian scientific thought in mathematics, astronomy, alchemy, and anatomy.[5] Fortified Sena monasteries along the main route of the invasion were destroyed, and being off the main route both Nalanda and Bodh Gaya survived. Many institutions off the main route such as the Jagaddala Monastery in northern Bengal were untouched and flourishing.
[edit] Ruins
A number of ruined structures survive. Nearby is the Surya Mandir, a Hindu temple. The known and excavated ruins extend over an area of about 150,000 square metres, although if Xuanzang's account of Nalanda's extent is correlated with present excavations, almost 90% of it remains unexcavated.
Nālandā is no longer inhabited. Today the nearest habitation is a village called Bargaon.
In 1951, a modern centre for Pali (Theravadin) Buddhist studies was founded nearby, the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara. Presently, this institute is pursuing an ambitious program of satellite imaging of the entire region.
The Nalanda Museum contains a number of manuscripts, and shows many examples of the items that have been excavated.
[edit] Plans for revival
On December 9, 2006, the New York Times detailed a plan in the works to spend $1 billion to revive Nalanda University near the ancient site. A consortium led by Singapore and including India, Japan and other nations will attempt to raise $500 million to build a new university and another $500 million to develop necessary infrastructure.[3]
[edit] See also
- Ancient Universities of India
- Taxila
- Vikramshila
- Benares
- I Ching (monk) (Journey to Nalanda in the 7th century by boat)
[edit] References
- ^ Tharoor, Shashi. Reconstructing Nalanda. The Hindu. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Altekar, Anant Sadashiv (1965). Education in Ancient India, Sixth, Varanasi: Nand Kishore & Bros.
- ^ a b c d "Really Old School," Garten, Jeffrey E. New York Times, December 9, 2006.
- ^ Hopkins, Jeffrey (1996). Meditation on Emptiness, Wisdom Publications.
- ^ D. C. Ahir, Buddhism Declined in India: How and Why?, Delhi: B. R. Publishing, 2005.
[edit] External links
- Pictures of remains at Nalanda
- photos of Nalanda ruins
- Manuscript originally from Nalanda
- Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Bihar State, India
- History of Afghanistan Buddhism
- Nalanda travel guide from Wikitravel
- NY Times on the plans to revive Nalanda
- Daily News of Sri Lanka on revival plans
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 5th century establishments | Archaeological sites in India | Former Buddhist temples | Ruins | Bihar | Places connected with Jainism | Ancient Universities of India | Buddhist pilgrimage | Cities and towns in Bihar
