[Reader-list] Nalanda ruins - A revelation of India’s past wisdom

[Pawan Durani]

*Nalanda ruins - A revelation of India’s past wisdom*

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*By J N  Raina*

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*This* time I made it to Nalanda; the seat of ancient learning. The ruins of
Nalanda (giver of knowledge) are magnificent and touching. The very name of
Nalanda, a world heritage site, had been conjuring me since long.

   Four years ago, I could not reach the rendezvous, as the 65-km-long road
from Gaya to Nalanda was in a bad shape. Although the bus I had boarded was
in good condition, it halted at several places for one reason or the other,
making the journey tiresome and boring. The bus had virtually to crawl on
stones. One of its tires got burst, forcing me to cut short my journey at
Rajgir, a famous pilgrimage centre, just 12 km short of Nalanda.

But luckily enough, this time it took me and my wife just two-and-a-half
hours to reach Nalanda from Gaya, indicating the fact that conditions in
Bihar are improving. Bihar’s new Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, heading the
BJP-Janata Dal (U) coalition government, completed one year in office in
November last. People by and large are happy with his method of governance.
Nitish Kumar has promised his people ‘good-quality roads’ this year.
Construction has begun on ‘war footing’.

The world-famous Nalanda University had flourished from the 5th century AD
to the 12th century AD. The world’s first residential university had been
housing about 10,000 students and 2000 teachers.

When I walked through the ruins, keeping pace with my guide Anil Kumar, I
was mentally taken away into an era which saw India leading in imparting
knowledge to the world. The courses of study included Buddhism, Vedas, Hetu
Vidya (logic), Shabda Vidya (grammar) and Chikitsa Vidya (Medicine). The
university had received royal patronage from Emperor Harshavardana of
Kannauj and Pali Kings.

As we meandered through the ruins in good sunshine on February 12, 2007, the
guide narrated the history of Nalanda from King Kumar Gupta, who had laid
firm foundations of the university in the 5th century AD, to its
destruction. The university was further extended (after it was established
by Kumar Gupta) by Harshavardhana in the 7th century  AD. After 200 years,
it was rebuilt by king Devapala of the Pala dynasty. But it was painful to
know that Nalanda University , which originally covered an area of 50 square
km, was set on fire by Mohammad Bakhtiar Khilji of Afghanistan. The fire
kept on raging for six months, destroying its three marvelous libraries ---
Ratnasagar, Ratnodiadni and Ratnarangika. An earthquake later tumbled down
the residual structures in the 13th century AD and everything was covered
under huge boulders of mud. Now there is a railway station in Bakhtiar’s
name on the Nalanda-Patna track.

Fanatic Muslim invaders were against Buddhism, monasteries and monks, the
guide told me. Several monks were killed and many more were forced to flee
to other parts of India and abroad. Most of them found refuge in Tibet. Much
of the tradition of Nalanda had been carried into Tibet by the time of the
Muslim invasion of the 12th century.  The invading army also destroyed huge
collection of manuscripts and other works, which was obtained as a result of
centuries old scholastic studies.

According to Pali scriptures, Nalanda was a mango grove. Lord Buddha often
used to stop at a place called Pavarika, which used to be quite prosperous
and teeming with people.

Nalanda was the birth place of Sariputta and Maha-Moggallana, two chief
disciples of Buddha. Sariputta died in the room in which he was born. The
room later began to be regarded as the most sacred spot. It was converted
into a shrine. Emperor Ashoka gave an offering to the ‘Chaitya’ (temple) of
Sariputta . In fact, Ashoka is regarded as the founder of Nalanda vihara. He
built a stupa in Nalanda in the third century BC. Nalanda was known
throughout the ancient world for its learned and renowned teachers like
Acharya Nagarjuna, Silabhadra, Arya Deva, Santarakshita and Dingandga.

My guide told me that it was Alexander Cunnigham, an expert Archaeologist
during the British rule in India, who discovered the ruined sites of Nalanda
University in 1861. The ruins were excavated first in 1915 and then by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from 1915 to 1937. The excavation work
was then given up. The total area of the excavated site is about 14
hectares. All the edifices are of red bricks. The gardens are beautiful. The
university was constructed in the Kushana style of architecture, but the
impact of the Pala dynasty is widely visible throughout. The excavations
suggest that a large part of the university has so far remained
undiscovered. The buildings are divided by a central walkway that goes south
to north. The monasteries or Viharas are to the east of the central alley
and the temples or Chaityas to the west.

Thickness of the walls of monasteries and residential buildings ranged from
three feet to a maximum of 12 feet, providing a cooling effect as that of
modern day AC’s. Out of 108 monasteries, only 11 have been excavated so far.

Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang , who had stayed in Nalanda, first as a student
and then as a teacher, for 17 years, was given the titles of “ Master of the
Law” (Dharma Charya), “ God of Mahayana” (Mahayanadeva) and “ Preceptor of
Salvation” (Mokshacharya). According to Hieun Tsang, who had come to Nalanda
in the 5th century AD, Nalanda formed an important zone of activity for Lord
Buddha. There was a rigorous oral examination of students, conducted first
by erudite gatekeepers. Many students were turned away who failed the
preliminary test. To study at Nalanda was a matter of pride. However, no
degrees were granted. Neither there was any requirement for a specific
period of study. A memorial has been built in Hieun Tsang’s honour near the
ruins.

Two Chinese Buddhist monks, Mingxian and Huikuan visited Nalanda recently
after a four-month long journey on foot from China’s Shanxi province,
tracing the route undertaken by Hieun Tsang 1300 years ago. The two Chinese
travelers were received by the Indian authorities at the Memorial Hall.

Taxila University, now in West Pakistan, was destroyed under similar
circumstances by the Muslim invaders. When Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee
visited Taxila recently, and walked through the excavated sites of the
ancient Buddhist university, he was excited to remark: “ If we do not forget
the continuity, we may find solutions to the present……. The continuity of
history could become a binder for the present, and remembering this
continuity might help us find solutions to the present stand-off”.

ASI has done a commendable job by saving the excavated monuments from
further ruin. Nalanda, the site of a great temple city of yore, is now an
important tourist attraction. Hundreds of tourists hailing from China,
Japanand South East Asian countries could be seen hovering there.
Careful
excavation has identified many stupas, monasteries, hostels, temples,
meditation halls, lecture rooms and structures which speak of the grandeur
of Nalanda.

The excavated treasure has been preserved and shelved in the Nalanda
Archaeological Museum nearby the ruins. The guide led us to the museum where
we could see valuable objects and images of Buddhist and Hindu gods and
goddesses. There is a unique multiple spouted vessel of clay. It was used
during those days at the time of worship. Snakes would streak into the
vessel to consume milk. The museum was set up in 1971. It has a collection
of ancient manuscripts and Buddhist statues. There is a collection of copper
plates, ceiling plaques, coins, carved bricks, pottery and small heaps of
burnt rice.

An inscription of King Yashovarman of the 7th century describes Nalanda as  a
“  Row of monasteries with their series of turrets licking the clouds”.

Now there is a proposal to set up a new residential university at Nalanda to
be constructed in phases. It will cover an area of about 21 square km. **(The
writer is a Veteran Journalist, based in Pune) *
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*Source: Kashmir Sentinel*