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Attractions in Nalanda
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Ruins
of Nalanda University - Spread over
an area of 14 hectares of land, the university
was built in the Kushana style of architecture,
but the impact of the Pala dynasty is widely
evident throughout. Over two thousand teachers
and ten thousand students crowded its portals.
Kings and Emperors built Monasteries here. There
was a college of fine arts which was endowed
by the Gupta Emperor Kumaragupta. The remains
excavated at Nalanda reveals Stupas, a large
stairway, decorated panels, lecture halls, dormitories
for the monks and students, and metal idols
of the Buddha. The main monuments found |
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at Nalanda are
the Viharas or Monasteries, Chaityas, Stupas,
Votive or Commemorative. There are remains of
temples with high standard of sculpture depicting
household scenes, dancers, and floral motifs.
Hiuen Tsang Memorial Hall -
This Hall is said to have been built in the
memory of Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese traveler who
came to India in around 5th century AD. Hiuen
Tsang was attracted by the glory of Nalanda
University and stayed there for 12 years both
as a student and as a teacher.
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Surya Mandir
- The Surya Mandir is a temple near the University
dedicated to the Sun God. This temple has a
number of statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities.
A five feet high statue of Parvati is particularly
interesting.
The Museum
- The Nalanda museum was established in 1971
and has a vast collection of ancient manuscripts
and Buddhist statues. The manuscripts kept here
were found during the excavation of the area
and many of them are rare in appearance and
style. The museum also exhibits artifacts of
the Maurya, Gupta and other periods.
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Nav Nalanda Vihar - The Nav Nalanda
Vihar was established in 1951 to keep the ancient
tradition of spreading knowledge alive. The
Bihar government has set up this institute that
teaches Pali near the ancient university. In
the institute, Indian as well as foreign students
study and indulge in research work on Buddhism
and Pali, which was a widely used language in
the ancient times.
Kundalpur
- Kundalpur is situated just 1.6 kms
from the ruins of Nalanda. The Digambar sect
of the Jains believes that the 24th and the
last Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira was born here.
As such, this place is full of beautifully carved
Jain temples.
Lauria Nandangarh - Lauria
Areraj is an 11.5 m high Ashokan column, erected
in 249 BC. The polished sandstone pillar has
six edicts on it. Lauria Nandangarh is the site
of the famous Lion pillar, erected by king Ashoka.
The 8.5 m polished sandstone column also has
an edict engraved on it. The Nandangarh stupa,
nearby, is believed to house the ashes of the
Buddha.
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Quick Getaways near Nalanda
Rajgir
- Rajgir is around 12 km from Nalanda and a
famous pilgrimage center for Hindus, Buddhists,
and Jains. Numerous places of interest are to
be found here such as the Swarna Gufa,
Griddhakuta Parvat, and Vishwa
Shanti Stupa etc.
Bihar Sharif - Bihar Sharif,
13 km away is the district headquarters and
a core of Islamic architecture. The tomb of
Malik Ibrahim Baya is situated here and the
annual event of Urs is held here. |
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Bodh Gaya - Bodh
Gaya, the most important Buddhist pilgrimage center
is around 50 km away from Nalanda. Here is the Maha
Bodhi Temple, monasteries built by the governments
of Buddhist countries, and an archeological museum
along with several other sites.
Events in Nalanda
Unique in Nalanda is the Chhath Puja,
or worship of the Sun god. The most famous one is
at the Sun temple in Baragaon near Nalanda, where
new paddy, sweets, and fruits are offered in worship.
The Buddha was born, attained enlightenment
and attained nirvana, all on the same full moon day
of April/May. Thus, Baisakhi Purnima
is celebrated as Buddha Jayanti here.
Getting
There & Away to Nalanda
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The
nearest airport from Nalanda is Patna around
89 km away. There are regular flights from Patna
connecting Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Mumbai, Varanasi,
Lucknow, and Kathmandu. |
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Rajgir 12
km away is the nearest railway station from
Nalanda. There are several passenger trains
running between Rajgir and Patna daily. The
nearest major railway point is Gaya around 65
km away, from where one can take trains for
Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, and some other major
areas in eastern India. |
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Nalanda
is connected through a good road network with
Rajgir 12 km, Bodh Gaya 50 km, Gaya 65 km, Patna
90 km, Pawapuri 26 km, and Bihar Sharif 13 km. |
Getting
Around in Nalanda
There are no taxis available in Nalanda. Cycle rickshaws
and tongas are the only modes of transport.
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