Around 800 years after it was razed by foreign invaders, Nalanda University(India) reopened its doors on Monday in an attempt to reclaim its ancient glory of an international knowledge destination. Started during the reign of Gupta king Sakraditya in the fifth century AD, Nalanda was razed to the ground by Turkish invaders in 1193 AD. Nalanda University was one of the worlds first residential universities, as it had dormitories for students. It is also one of the most famous universities. In its heyday it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an architectural masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine-storied building where meticulous copies of texts were produced. The Tang Dynasty Chinese pilgrim and scholar Xuanzang studied, taught and spent nearly 15 years at Nalanda University. He left detailed accounts of the university in the 7th century. Yijing also left information about kingdoms lying on the route between China and the Nālandā university.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 10:38:26 +0000
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