Tsang, the place owed its name to a Naga, who resided in a local tank. Lord
Vardhamana Mahavir and Lord Buddha visited Nalanda quite frequently in
the 6th century BC. Nalanda is also supposed to the birth place of one
Sariputra, one of the chief followers of Lord Buddha. The Nalanda University
attracted large number of Buddhist students from different parts of the world.
The University of Nalanda was founded in the 5th century by the Gupta
rulers. There were thousands of students and teachers. The main courses
which were taught there were the Buddhist scriptures (both Mahayana and
Hinayana), Vedas, Logic, Shabda Vidya (grammar), Chikitsa vidya (medicine)
etc. Nalanda (also called Bihar Sharif) district is one of the districts of Bihar,
and Bihar Sharif town is the administrative headquarters of this district.
Nalanda district is a part of Patna Division. The subdivision of Bihar sharif in
the old Patna district was upgraded to an independent district on November
9, 1972 and named Nalanda, after the famous university (the world’s oldest)
located here. Nalanda is 67 meters above sea level. Nalanda is referred to
frequently in Jain and Buddhist scriptures. As the centre of the great
Magadha Empire, the district has had a rich and glorious history extending
over 2,500 years. Till its destruction by Mohammed Bin Bakhtiyar Khilji, army
chief of Kutubuddin Ibak, in 1205 AD, Nalanda was the leading centre of
learning in India. Later transfer to Rajgir, where the Lord spent most of his
time, after attaining enlightenment. Rajgir is 14km south of Nalanda and
sacred to the memory of the founder of both Buddhism and Jainism. Lord
Buddha spent many months of retreat during the rainy season here, and used
to meditate and preach on Griddhkuta, the 'Hill of the Vultures'. Lord Mahavir
spent fourteen years of his life at Rajgir and Nalanda. It was in Rajgriha that
Lord Buddha delivered some of his famous sermons and converted king
Bimbisara of the Magadha Kingdom and countless others to his creed. Once
a great city, Rajgir is just a village today, but vestiges of a legendary and
historical past remain, like the cyclopean wall that encircles the town and the
marks engraved in rock that local folklore ascribes to Lord Krishna's chariot.
This legend, like many others associates Rajgir to that distant time when the
stirring events recorded in the epic Mahabharata were being enacted. In the
Page 4 of 10
© Prakriti Inbound Pvt Ltd.