A morning in the ruins of Nalanda
Nalanda Mahavihara was founded in the 5th century CE under the Gupta kings and grew into one of the great centres of learning in Asia. Its monks taught Buddhist philosophy, logic, grammar, medicine and astronomy. The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang studied here in the 7th century and left a detailed account. It declined and was sacked around 1200, and lay buried until excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The excavated area, a fraction of the original, shows a row of monasteries on one side and temples on the other. In the monasteries you walk through courtyards lined with students' cells, lecture platforms, wells and kitchens. The largest structure, Temple 3, linked to the disciple Sariputta, rises in terraces with corner towers and stucco Buddha figures.
Across the road, the Archaeological Museum holds bronzes, sculptures and seals found on the site, and is closed on Fridays. A short drive away, the Xuanzang Memorial Hall honours the Chinese scholar. We finish with lunch in Rajgir, or drive on towards Patna and Vaishali.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
What was Nalanda University?
Nalanda Mahavihara was a Buddhist monastic university in Bihar, active from about the 5th century to around 1200. It taught philosophy, logic, grammar, medicine and other subjects to monks and students from China, Korea, Tibet and Southeast Asia. Its ruins were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.
How long should I spend at Nalanda?
Allow three hours for the ruins with a guide, an hour for the museum and 30 minutes for the Xuanzang Memorial Hall. The site is large and open, with little shade, so mornings from October to March are best. The museum is closed on Fridays.
How far is Nalanda from Rajgir and Bodh Gaya?
Nalanda is about 12 km from Rajgir, 25 minutes by car, and about 85 km from Bodh Gaya, roughly 2.5 hours. Most visitors stay in Rajgir and visit Nalanda for a morning, or stop on the way from Rajgir to Patna, which is about 90 km further.
Also in Rajgir and Nalanda
More hours to plan around
