The First GuruKool!

Set to travel in and around Patna in the weekend of Holi – we were advised to definitely see Bodh Gaya and the town of Nalanda – Home to the Famous Ancient University.

One of the meanings of the word Nalanda is “Insatiable in Giving”. With its capacity to accommodate 10,000 students and 2000 teachers, the world’s first residential university definitely didn't hold back in giving.

'Students from Korea, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey amongst others studied at Nalanda'

We were welcomed by a guide who had a historic hangover of epic proportions. We enjoyed the site as he ranted about the evils of the Muslim invaders and the irony that it was the Hindu Ruler who invited the Muslim Invader to take revenge against his own kith and kin.

'The Mughals set the library to fire, destroyed monasteries and drove the monks from the site. Persian historians of the era reported that thousands of monks were burnt alive and thousands be-headed as Khilji tried his best to “uproot Buddhism and plant Islam” by the sword'

Interesting fact or fiction by my guide was that - subjects considered primarily “Far Eastern” like “Reiki” have their origins at Nalanda. Because the university was eventually destroyed and because the international pupils were scholars in their own right – such rich subjects were not lost to fire.

'The year was 1193, when the University of Nalanda was attacked by Turkic Muslim Invaders. “Dhramgunj” (Mountain of Truth) – the Library was set on fire; monasteries were destroyed and monks were driven from the site. The library had a vast collection of hundreds of thousands of volumes - so extensive that the legend is that it burned for months'

Buddhist Influence in Nalanda is strong as the place of birth and nirvana of one of the famous disciples of Buddha – Sariputra. Buddha is mentioned as having several times stayed at Nalanda. Celebrated Chinese Traveller Hiuen Tsiang and a lot of Indian scholars are said to have been schooled here.

'Various subjects like Theology, Grammar, Logic, Astronomy, Metaphysics, Medicine and Philosophy were taught here'

A number of ruined structures survive like the Surya Mandir – a Hindu Temple

'Excavations conducted have exposed extensive remains of six brick temples and eleven monasteries arranged in systematic layout and spread over an area of more than a square kilometre'

Incidentally the color of the soil and the brownish structures reminded us of the excavated structures in Egypt. The stupas like pyramids and planned rooms made us wonder about the structures which were still lying below the surface. 90% of Nalanda is still un-excavated.

Not to be missed: The Modern Nalanda museum. It is worth a visit