Patna Nalanda Ancient University Buddhist Heritage

Nalanda, 95 kilometres from Patna in Nalanda district, was the world's first residential university (5th to 12th century AD), attracting 10,000 students from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and Southeast Asia to study Buddhist philosophy, grammar, logic, and medicine under 2,000 resident scholars. The excavated ruins of Nalanda's 11 monasteries, temples, and classrooms, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016, represent one of humanity's greatest educational achievements and the apex of India's ancient learning tradition. The Nalanda University revival project has re-established a modern institution near the ancient ruins, continuing the tradition of international scholarship in Bihar's sacred learning landscape.