World Heritage Identification Number: 1502
World Heritage since: 2016
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇳 India
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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The Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara: A Beacon of Knowledge and Culture in Ancient India
The Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara, located in the state of Bihar, northeastern India, stands as a testament to the rich cultural and intellectual history of ancient India. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016, this monumental complex dates back to the 3rd century BCE and continues to captivate scholars and visitors alike with its intricate architecture, stunning artwork, and significant contributions to the development of Buddhism.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Nalanda Mahavihara site is in the State of Bihar, in north-eastern India. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian Subcontinent. It engaged in the organized transmission of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years. The historical development of the site testifies to the development of Buddhism into a religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions.
Encyclopedia Record: Nalanda mahavihara
Nalanda was a renowned Buddhist mahavihara in medieval Magadha, eastern India. Widely considered to be among the greatest centres of learning in the ancient world and often referred to as "the world's first residential university", it was located near the city of Rajagriha, roughly 90 kilometres (56 mi) southeast of Pataliputra. Operating for almost a thousand years from 427 CE until around 1400 CE, Nalanda mahavihara played a vital role in promoting the patronage of arts, culture and academics during the 5th and 6th century CE, a period that has since been described as the "Golden Age of India" by scholars. The characterisation of Nalanda as a "university" in the modern sense has been challenged by scholars. They argue that while it was undoubtedly a major centre of learning, comparing it directly to a modern university is historically imprecise.Additional Site Details
Area: 23 hectares
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 25.1366666667 , 85.4438888889
Image
© Uphogaphy, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
