Tourism in Bihar
Welcome to the
land of Lord Buddha...
Nalanda
Travel Guide
Nalanda Tours
Nalanda Tourist Information
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.
Tourist Attractions in Nalanda
The Nalanda University archeological complex
The total area of the excavation is about 14 hectares.
All the edifices are of red brick and the gardens are beautiful. The
buildings are divided by a central walkway that goes south to north, the
monasteries or Viharas are east of this central alley and the temples of
Chaiyas to the west. The Vihara-1 is perhaps the most interesting with its
cells on two floors built around a central courtyard where steps lead up to
what must have been a dais for the professors to address their students. A
small chapel still retains a half broken statue of the Lord Buddha. The
enormous pyramidal mass of the temple No 3 is impressive and from its top
commands a splendid view of the entire area. It is surrounded by smaller
stupas many of which are studded with small and big statues of the Lord
Buddha in various poses or Mudras.
Nalanda archeological museum
Opposite the entrance to the ruins of the university
and houses it has a small but beautiful collection of Buddhist and Hindu
bronzes and a number of undamaged statues of the Lord Buddha that were found
in the area. Two enormous terracotta jars of the first century stand intact
behind the museum in a shaded enclosure. The collection includes copper
plates and stone inscriptions, coins, pottery and samples of burnt rice
found among the ruins here.
Nava Nalanda Mahavihara
Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is devoted to study and
research in Pali literature and Buddhism. This is a new institute where
students from foreign countries also study
Xuan Zang Memorial Hall
The Xuan Zang Memorial Hall was built by Chinese as a
peace pagoda. There is also an international centre for the study of
Buddhism established in 1951.
SurajPur Baragaon
The lake with its temple to Surya, the God Sun is a
pilgrim destination twice a year in Vaishakha (April-May) and in Kartika
(October –November) during the Chhath Puja or Sun Worship.
Silao
.
In between Nalanda and Rajgir there is a village namely Silao where a very
popular local sweet Khaja is prepared
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
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