Nava Nalanda Mahavihara

Nalanda and the remnants of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara are nearly synonymous. The name Nalanda evokes images of the historic Mahavihara, a renowned Buddhist educational center that flourished for almost 700 years, spanning from the 5th to the 12th centuries AD.

The pivotal role of Nalanda Mahavihara in the evolution of Buddhist education is widely acknowledged. Numerous esteemed Acaryas from Nalanda played a crucial role in disseminating knowledge and Buddhist culture worldwide.

Initiated by His Excellency, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, the vision to revive the ancient seat of Buddhist learning at Nalanda materialized with the establishment of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara. On November 20, 1951, the foundation stone of the first building was laid, bearing the inscription:

“Let the rays of the sun of Nalanda rise from the summit of this rock to brighten the vernacular (lokabhasa in Pali) after the passing away of its nights of darkness (period of its obscurity).”

At the behest of Ven. Bhikshu Jagadish Kashyap and with the goal of reviving Nalanda's legacy, the Government of Bihar founded a research institute named "Magadh Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Pali and Allied Languages and Buddhist Learning" at Nalanda in 1951, later known as Nava Nalanda Mahavihara.

Bhikshu Jagadish Kashyap served as the Founder-Director of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara until February 1955. One of his notable achievements was publishing a complete critical edition of the Pali Tipitaka in Devanagari script across 41 volumes, which gained significant popularity.

The institute aimed to become a center for higher studies in Pali and Buddhism, modeled after the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara. Since its inception, the institute functioned as a residential institution with a limited number of Indian and foreign students.

On November 13, 2006, the University Grants Commission bestowed upon Nava Nalanda Mahavihara the status of a Deemed to be University.

The present campus of the Mahavihara is approximately 100 km from the city of Patna, situated on the southern bank of the historical lake Indrapuskarani. The ruins of the ancient University of Nalanda lie close to the northern bank.