History of Nalanda University

Nalanda is one of the most talked university in the country. The glory of Nalanda spread across the globe and attracted students from all over the world. It was founded during the 5th century by Gupta rulers. (1/13)

Who made the university as one of the best learning center in the world.

The Nalanda university or the “Mahavihara” itself was considered as the architectural marvel of the medieval India.

It had a unique complex divided by a central hallway. (2/13)

The east and west side had the Viharas (Monasteries) and the Chaiyas (temples),lakes Within the campus it had 8 separate compounds and 10 different temples with many classrooms and meditation halls. Around the temple and classrooms surrounded the parks and lakes. (3/13)

The university was not just a centre of Buddhist studies, it offered a wide variety of courses in Vedas, Shabdavidya (grammar), Atharvaveda, Samkhya, yoga Shastra, logic, philosophy, literature, religion, medicine, mathematics, architecture and even astronomy.

(4/13)

The gurus were master in Shastras and sutras and were able to teach more than 20-50 Shastras and sutras. Shailabhadra was one abbot who had mastered all the collections of Shastras in Nalanda.

(5/13)

It is said that on arriving at Nalanda the students were tested by the DwarPandit or the gate keeper whether the student is qualified to enter the university.

One of the greatest attractions of the university was the library “Dharm Gunj” or the Treasury of Truth.

(6/13)

The library had three main buildings.

~ Ratnasagara (Sea of Jewels)

~ Ratnodadhi (Ocean of Jewels)

~ Ratnarañjaka (Delighter of Jewels)

(7/13)

Inscriptional evidence by Yasovarmadeva suggests that the building were nine stories with innumerable collection of literatures and original manuscripts related to logic, mathematics, medicine, Ayurveda and astronomy.

(8/13)

It also housed the manuscripts of Prajnyaparamita Sutra and the Guhyasamaja.

During the 11th century when the university was at the zenith of success, Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji left no opportunity to destroy the great institution of Nalanda.

(9/13)

In the year 1193, invaders led by Khilji demolished & burnt down the 700 year old university. He mercilessly murdered thousands of innocent monks & gurus. Many of the gurus were burnt alive & beheaded in the verge to uproot Hinduism & Buddhist cultures & forcibly implant Islam.

The most horrific episode was the destruction of the gigantic library of Nalanda which housed more than 9 million invaluable collections of scripts, literary works of great scholars collected for over seven centuries.

(11/13)

The collection of books was so immense that the library continued to burn for over six months and the black smoke covered the beautiful hills of Nalanda making it look like a graveyard.

(12/13)

Nalanda was a network which reached the zenith of glory and success before it was burnt down to ashed by the Islamic rulers..

(13/13)

@The_NitinD @yuga_v108