Nalanda the Heritage of Bihar

 

Nalanda the Heritage of Bihar.

Tour & Travel Account. Dr. Madhup Raman.

Nalanda the Heritage of Bihar.

Travel Account. Dr.Madhup Raman.

Bygone ages It was around 80s when two friends were moving towards Nalanda for visiting the remains.They did not inform their parents and that time it was a matter of risk and threat for the minor students. Keeping it secret as an adventure silentely they were moving to their destination. One was riding a bicycle and second one was sitting. They had to reach near the gate about 3 kilometers back unfortunately the bicycle got punctured.They hardly had some money to get the entry ticket. But now what could they do. No way, but  to repair the cycle,going back  was only the left option for them. Ultimately they had to return back without visiting the place.It was the first and full of adventure journey for me and my friend Dr.Prashant that ended with low spirits without completion. That time I had decided to keep researching on and on  over this monument. And I did.

Nalanda is really living its past once again after being second one world heritage site in Bihar.It is for all only that the name of the district derives itself from the ancient university, Nalanda. Not only we the people of Nalanda district but entire India feel very proud and privileged to say that UNESCO now declares the remains of ancient university as a world heritage site on 16th of July 2016. 

Despit a submission of an unfavorable report by a Japanese member of the supervisory committee that visited the site last year on 26 September 2015, Nalanda University started blinking its name on the UNESCO web site. After all with this long awaited announcement taken in the bespeaking session of UNESCO at Istanbul in Turkey during 10th to 20th of July Nalanda, Nalam with da, literally meaning Nalam i.e. ‘lotus’,a symbol of knowledge and Da means ‘given’ has many lotuses simply came under the lime light of the whole world. And with this the responsibilities of Archaeological Survey of India for caring and developing the World Heritage Site have been increased too in all auspects.

   Discovery. The remains and ruins of the Nalanda University have been echoing its glorious story of historicity and famousity since 1915-1916 with its first identification by the British explorer Alexendar Cunningham in 1917, around the vicinity of an ancient, religious village Badagaon. However it keeps its history back to Lord Buddha and his favorite disciple Sariputra who was born here and Buddha  used to visit frequently this site. Now it became the second one UNESCO protected site in Bihar and 33rd site in our country. Earlier the Mahabodhi Temple of Bodhgaya claimed itself being as the first UNESCO site in Bihar.

A scholarly look of Nalanda University.

   Nalanda with its scholarly look always has been coveting pupils from all over the world goes back in 5th to 6th century BC when evidences say that Lord Buddha used to visit this place frequently. The great Maurayan King Ashoka built here a grand stupa, a dome shaped Buddhist monument to honour a monk. Soon the monks and scholars from different parts of the country started gathering here for their discourses and debates. And by the 5th century under the patronage of Kumargupta first, the famous ruler of Gupta Dynasty flourished as a monastery ,a residential place for the Buddhist monks. The inscriptions say further under the ages of Gupta ,Vardhan and Pala Dynasty Nalanda after getting lots of donations and grants reached its new height and  horizon during 5th to 12th century.
    Past .Being enlisted in the world heritage site there will be a sudden increase in itinerant visitors, tourists will be visiting this site with sheer and great curiosity. As before its destruction it radiated the light of knowledge throughout the world almost being the first ever International residential school of Buddhism.

        

A series of Mahaviharas.

A prime ancient University. Under both the philosophy of Mahayana and Hinyana the university was running with the capacity of 10000 students and 2000 eminent teachers had earned a good name and fame around the world during the 5th and 12th century A.D.To remember many renowned Chinese travellers like Hieun Tsang and ITsing in 7th century A.D. stayed here and studied the Indian Buddhist culture and philosophy. Even Hieun Tsang served this Buddhist institution as well as a student and a scholar teacher. In his travelling account he has an extended description about the curriculum, other activities and architectural structures of the premises. He took away valuable Buddhist scriptures from Nalanda with himself to China for further references.

Hieun Tsang (602 - 664 AD) As he started his travel  at the age of 26 in 629 A.D. and he remained in India for at least 16 years. After his return he wrote much about India in his famous book 'Si-yu-ki'.

Itsing & Huien Tsang.

He described in his account about a three to six storeyed high building namely Sangharama while another most  imposing structure is the Sariputra Stupa can  be seen from very far away from the campus erected in different successive layers in different times. Three  stair cases seen in northern side of the main stupa are evident for such a thrice time construction in different phases of Ashoka,Guptas and Palas.

ITsing (635 - 713) The next Chinese pilgrim.

ITsing arrived here around 673 BC spent here a long time too giving an account about this university campus that housed 8  monastic buildings and over 300 apartments.It includes stupas(mounds),chaityas(temples), shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco,fine plaster used for coatingwall surfaces or moulding into archetectural decoratin in stone and metal wall.We find a thirty metre wide passage runs from north to south direction with the row of the temples on the west and the series of monasteries on the east of it. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university in the Indian Subcontinent with its sheer presitige.The Nalanda Mahavihara site is located at Nalanda

Huien Tasang Travel Route.

District near Badgaon in the sate of  Bihar, comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century B.C from Ashoka the great to the 13th century A.D beneath the patronage of different rulers as Kumargupta first,(413-455A.D.)Gupta Dynasty Gupta Dynasty ,Harshavardhan ( 606-647A.D.),Vardhan Dynasty and the Dharmpala and Devpal, Pala Dynasty from Bengal ( 8th century  to 12th century A.D.)

Stucco in Nalanda Remains.

Once upon a time it engaged in the organized transmission of knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and thought over an uninterrupted period of 800 years throughout the world.

  Various subjects like theology, grammar, logic, astronomy, metaphycis,

medicine and philosophy were taught by the renowned scholars like.

  Scholars  Nagarjuna, Aryadeva,Vasubandhu, Dharmapala, Suvishnu, Asanga, Silabhadra, Dharmakriti,  Shantarakshita, and above all the Chinese travelers  Huien Tsang and Itsing. The historical development of the site testified to the development of Buddhism into a religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions.

  Decline.The decline of the institution started being noticed in the later Pala Kings of east India but it received the final blow in around 1200 A.D. by the invader Bakhtiyar Khilji.

Nalanda shooting location in a film Johny Mera Naam  

        Nalanda Remains in a film Johny Mera Naam. Another tale about its famousity is that a very popular romantic filmy song ‘O Mere Raja’of a very famous film ‘Jony Mera Naam’,1970 by an actor producer Dev Anand with the actress dream girl, Hema Malini was shot here in backdrop of Nalanda. Its popularity reached around the country. For being the witnesses of this location people from every nook and the corner started coming to this site.

       About 2 km area centering around the university will be lying under the buffer zone will be paid special care and attention by the Archaeological Survey of India and Government of Bihar for its proper care, development and safety. More facilities will be provided by and by for the tourists and visitors indeed. Before long inside and outside the campus of stupa and remnants site area will be creating ample opportunities of employment for the people of surrounding area.

      

Sheelbhadra

Yet more developments needed  As it is obvious to all of us that the conservation and protection of the world heritage sites wouldn’t be  possible without the financial resources and help to meet world heritage needs.Sources of income include the world heritage fund, which receives most of its income from compulsory valuable contributions from different countries (states parties). And it comes from voluntary contributions too. Other sources of income include profits derived from sales of world heritage publications, or funds-in-trust that are donated by countries to support the related projects for achieving the goals and objectives for specific purposes .The World Heritage Committee allocates the  funds according to the urgency of requests of the state parties but the priority is given to the most threatened sites.

      Worth seeing places around Nalanda. With a hope of an all-around development nearby Nalanda, the world heritage site, worth seeing places as 

     Kundalpur.1.6 km away from the remains, the birth place of 24th and the last Tirthankar, Lord Mahavira according to the Digambar sect,

     Badagaon It is a holy tank where the Hindu devotees celebrated the Lok Parv Chhath.  

     Surya Mandir.Adjacent to this tank here remains a very ancient temple dedicated to Lord Surya.

Kundalpoor the birth place of Mahaveer : Nandavart Mahal

     Wat Thai Temple. A Thai archecture based temple covets the tourists to visit the place.

     Huien Tsang Memorial Hall. The hall encompasses the memory of a Chinese traveller Huien Tsang who stayed at Nalanda and studied Buddhism and Hindu philosophy.

     Pushkarani Lake.A very ancient and too beautiful lake needs to be cared by the government has capacity to generate revenue for the Bihar tourism. From southern view it gives a look of Kundalpoor and from the northern point it presents a scenic beauty of Huein Tsang Memorial Hall.   

    Nav Nalanda Mahavihar A deemed university where an effort was done to re establish the prestige of ancient university Nalnanda. 

Scenic Beauty of the Pushkarani Lake.

    Biharsahrif and 13 km away Biharsharif, the headquarter of district Nalanda and  a centre of Islamic and Buddhist culture will be in reality of more prosperity. Once again people will be listening to the footsteps of visitors at their doorsteps from different far-off areas and countries as it had been once upon a time in the bygone ages.
    How to reach For reaching  Nalanda we can use either the roadways  or the railways.

    Roadways It is well connected through road from capital city Patna and important city Gaya with ample means of transportation. But for outsiders those using public transport should plan this tour in the day hours.

    Railways The nearest railhead on Delhi-Howarah main line via Patna  is Bakhtiyarpur that is about 49 kms away from  Nalanda. Through the loop line via Biharsharif,the district headquarter, it is connected .Now Nalanda is connected too  by the another loop line via Tilaya ,Rajgir from Gaya Junction that falls  in the main line  Delhi- Howarah via Gaya. 

    Airways The nearest airport Patna 93 kms away is in well connection with all major cities of India while the another international air port Gaya also provides  opportunities to reach Gaya then by the roadway  to Nalanda.

  Tour Plan with a Stay.If you have 24 hours to spend in Nalanda is enough for covering entire Nalanda.Get up early in the morning have a cup of tea.Take a bathe.Get a planned and comfortable start from Kundalpoor by 6 a.m.morning cover Badgaon,Surya Mandir,Swetambar Temple,Huein Tsang Memorial Hall,Black Buddha,Nalanda Remains.

Take your breakfast at Bihar tourism promoted restaurant at the gate of remains.

Then visit Nalnada Museum and Nav Nalanda Mahavihar and lastly Bat Thai Temple.

  Means :  If you have own vehicle no problems enjoy your trip. Otherwise  e-rickshaws and tongas are available here.

  Distance : remains from Patna about 85 kilometers, from Gaya 81 kilometers,and from the smart city Biharsharif 9 Kilometers away only. Staying at  Gaya and Patna by early morning we can visit this seat of learning destination very easily.

Dr. Madhup Raman

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