It is well-known that with the rise of Buddhism in India there dawned the golden age of India’s culture and civilisation. There was progress in all aspects of Indian civilisation under the impact of Buddhism. This is very much in contrast to what happened in the Roman empire in Europe with the rise of Christianity. With the coming of Christianity into power the Dark Ages dawned upon Europe. During this era whatever progress that was achieved by the Greeks and the Romans received a set-back and came to a stand-still. Schools and centres of philosophy were closed down. The famed library at Alexandria was burnt down by a Christian mob led by a prelate. Hypatia - the learned philosopher and teacher was dragged into a Church and her flesh was torn off her body. As a result of these barbarities Europe was plunged into the darkness of ignorance and poverty for a thousand years. The Dark Ages of European history was really the golden age of the Christian Church, because it did the conversion of the barbarians to Christianity during this time. The great philosophers and intellectuals of Europe who left their mark on human civilisation were all pre-Christian pagans who lived prior to the rise of Christianity, e.g. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, Pliny, etc. The Christian era was masked by an absence of such men. Illiteracy and religious intolerance prevailed during the Dark Ages.
At the end of this period the Muslims had conquered parts of the Roman empire and established their rule in Spain, Portugal and parts of France. They introduced the learning of the Greeks and Romans as well as knowledge gathered from their contacts with India. This set the pace for Martin Luther’s reformation which broke the power of the Catholic Church. The ensuing liberal policies persuaded by the Protestants brought about the Renaissance, after this the Europeans pushed back the power of the Churches and began to make progress in civilisation.
In contrast to this with the rise of Buddhism in India, there arose many centres of learning which did not exist before. Buddhist monks could opt for a life of meditation in the forests, or a life of teaching, preaching, propagating the Dharma as a result of the activities of the teaching monks, seats of learning arose. These seats of monastic learning (Pirivenas) gradually developed and some of them became full-fledged universities. As a result Buddhist India came to have five major universities which achieved wide fame. These five were
1. Nalanda.
2. Vickramasila.
3. Odantapuri.
4. Jagadalala.
5. Somapura.
Nalanda University
Nalanda is the best known of ancient Indias universities. Its site has been discovered and its ruins have been preserved by Indias Department of Archeology. It is situated in Bihar State, the ancient Magadha country. Magadha is well known as the cradle of Buddhism. Bihar is so called because it had a large number of Viharas or Buddhist monasteries. Nalanda was a prosperous city during the days of the Buddha. He visited it during his preaching itineraries. When in Nalanda, the Buddha sojourned at Ambavana the mango-park with his disciples. Nalanda was also the home town of Ven. Sariputra, King Asoka had erected a Stupa at the spot where he was cremated.
We get a comprehensive account of Nalanda university from Hieun Tsang the brilliant Chinese scholar who came there for his studies during the reign of King Harsha-Siladitya. Back in China he wrote this famed "Ta - Tang - Si - Yu - Ki" Buddhist Travels in the western world. This has been translated into English by Samuel Beal a British scholar who was once the ambassador to Peking, China.
It has been called the treasure house of accurate information by European Archeologists. They found the information given there invaluable for them to locate the sacred shrines of the Buddhist in India. Indians and their scholars were hopelessly ignorant of these places and could do nothing to help the archeologists. I - Tsing (675-685) was another Chinese monk who came to India and studied at Nalanda. He too like Hiuen Tsang has left an account of his travels. In this he gives an account of Nalanda and his stay there. At the time of Fa-Hions visit it was an ordinary Buddhist monastery. Lama Taranata the Tibetan historian also gives an account of Nalanda in his works.
It appears that King Kumara Gupta (AC 415-455) built the first monastery at Nalanda. It was a seminary for training Buddhist monks. Its site was not too for nor too close to the city. Hence it was selected as an ideal centre for the pursuit of Buddhist studies by monks. Nalanda University was an expansion and extension of this seminary. King Buddha Gupta (AC 455-467) Jatagatha Gupta (AC 467-500) Baladitya (500-525) and Vijra (525) made additions and expansions to the buildings. King Baladitya made a shrine-room a house of worship which was 300 feet high. His son Vijra built the fifth monastery. King Harsha Siladitya built the sixth monastery and surrounded the university buildings with 9 high wall. In the 10th century when Hieun Tsang entered the university, there were 10,000 resident students. They came from all parts of India and foreign lands. It was Indias leading University. Its chancellorship was reserved for Indias foremost Buddhist scholar when Hieun-Tsang visited Nalanda Silabhadra Maha Thera held the post. At that time there were 10,000 students, 1510 teachers, and about 1,500 workers at Nalanda. Students from foreign lands such as Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Sumatra, Java and Sri Lanka were found there. Admission to Nalanda was by oral examination. This was done by a professor at the entrance hall. He was called Dvara Pandita. Proficiency in Sanskrit was necessary, as it was the medium of instruction. All Chinese monks going to India for higher studies in Buddhism had to go to Java and brush up their Sanskrit. Hieum Tsang reports that of the foreign students only 20% managed to pass the stiff examinations. Of the Indian students only 30% managed to pass and gain admission. Therefore the standard required were high. Casts, creed and nationality were no barriers in keeping with the Buddhist spirit. There were no external students at the university. Nalanda was maintained by the revenue from seven villages which were granted by the king. The study of Mahayana was compulsory for Buddhists. One could also study the doctrines of 18 other Buddhist sects. One could also study secular subjects like science, medicine, astrology, fine-arts, literature etc. The six systems of Hindu philosophy were also taught. One could study Hinayana forms of Buddhism. This included the Theravada commerce, administration and astronomy were also taught. The observatory of the university was situated in a very tall building. Lectures, debates and discussions were part of the educational curriculum. Hieun Tsang states that 100 lectures were delivered there every day. The discipline was exemplary.
Nalanda university occupied an area of 30 acres. There were three large libraries bearing the names Ratna-Sagara, Ratna-Nidi and Ratna-Ranjana. One of these was nine storeys high. Nalanda was graced by the presence of Indias most brilliant Buddhist luminaries. Some of them were Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Dharmapala, Silabhadra, Santarakshita, Kamalaseela, Bhaviveka, Dignaga, Dharmakeerty etc. The works they left behind are mostly available 14 Tibetan and Chinese translations. The originals perished when Muslim invaders under Bhaktiar Khilji set fire to Nalanda and beheaded the monks. (AD 1037), Prior to that Nalanda flourished for a thousand years, a lighthouse of wisdom and learning, the first of its kind in the world. Bhaktiar Khilji the invader of Magadha set fire to Nalanda. When the monks were about to have their meals. This is revealed in the archeological remains which show food abandoned in a great hurry. Charred rice from the granaries also tell this sorry tale. Nalandas ruins and excavations are preserved in a Museum by the Indian government. On 19.11.58 the President of India, Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the Nava Nalanda Viharaya at a site close to the ancient university. Master of the Tripitaka Ven. Jagadish Kashyap was appointed head of the institution on 12. 01. 1957 the Dalai Lama handed over the ashes of Nalandas famed alumni - Hieun Tsang to the Indian government, headed by Pandit Nehru. The Chinese government donated five lakhs of rupees for a mausoleum which enshrines these relics. The Muslims carried the university idea to the West, and after that universities came up in the western - world.
Vickramasila
Vickramasila is said to have been situated on the banks of the Ganges near the northern part of Magadha. Although its site was undiscovered, the Indian newspaper Searchlight of 25.4.80 carried an account of the discovery of the ruins of Vickramsila by Dr. B. S. Varma, Superintending Archeologist in charge of the discovery of the ruins of the Vickramsila Excavation Project.
According to this Vickramasila was situated at Antichak Village, Kahalagon, Bagalpur District Vickramasila was said to be a sister institution of Nalanda and was said to have been founded by a monk called Kamapala, under the patronage of King Dharmapala. (AC 770-810). The King granted land-endowments for its upkeep later King Yasapala also patronised the institutions by liberal land endowments. Under the Pala Kings Vickramasila rose to 9 positions when it rivalled Nalanda and bade well to outshine it. In the centre of the university was the main lecture-hall. It was called Vidyagriha. There were six entrances to this building and near each entrance was a monastery for resident monks about 150 teachers were accommodated in each monastery. Like Nalanda Vickramasila was also surrounded by a high-wall. There were six Dvara Panditas i.e Professors who examined candidates seeking admission. Here too high standards were maintained. 108 Professors were engaged in teaching and administrative duties. The curriculum of studies was similar to that of Nalanda. Here preference was given to the Tantric form of Buddhism.
Dipankara Sri Gnana who is also known as Atisha (AC 960-1055) was the more-famous of the scholars of Vickramasila. His fame spread far and wide as the propagator of Buddhism in Tibet Tibetans hold his name in the highest veneration. When he was at Vickramasila he was invited to teach and propagate Buddhism in Tibet. He postponed it for some time till he completed his work at Vickramasila and then undertook the task. Vickramasila achieved its high water mark of prosperty and fame under him. Sri Gnana’s period was the golden era of Vickramasila. In 1038 Sri Gnana left Vickramsila for Tibet to organise Buddhist studies in that country. Vickramasila was managed by a staff of Professors. They constituted the Board of Education, Board of Administration, Board of Discipline and the Board in charge of entrance examinations. Inaugurated in about 800 AC. it graced the land until it was demolished by the Muslim invaders.
Odantapuri
Odantapuri was considered the second oldest of India’s universities. This was situated in Maghada, about 6 miles away from Nalanda. Acharya Sri Ganga of Vickramasila had been a student here. Later he joined Odantapuri King Gopala (660-705) was the patron who helped to found this university. According to the Tibetan records there were about 12,000 students at Odantapuri. Our knowledge of this seat of learning is obscure, and we are not in a position to give more details. This too perished at the hands of the Muslim invaders
Somapura
Somapura was situated in East Pakistan. King Devapala (AC 810-850) is said to have erected the Dharmapala-Vihara at Somapura. The ruins of these buildings cover an area of about 1 square mile. There was a large gate and the buildings were surrounded by a high-wall. There were about 177 cells for monks in additions to the shrines and image houses. A common refectory and a kitchen are among the ruins, Remains of three -strayed buildings are to be seen. This university flourished for about 750 years before it was abandoned after the Muslim invasion.
Jagaddala
King Ramapala (1077-1129) is said to be the founder of this University. Jagaddala University was the largest construction works undertaken by the Pala Kings. This was a centre for the study and dissemination of Tantric Buddhism. It followed the methods, practices, and traditions of Nalanda. According to Tibetan works many books were translated to the Tibetan language at Jagaddala. The Buddhist teacher Sakya Sri Bhadra, seeing that Nalanda, Vickramsila, and Odantapuri were in ruins after the Muslim invasion, entered Jagaddala for his studies. It is said that his pupil Danaseela translated ten books to Tibetan Sakya Sri Bhadra was responsible for the propagation of Tatntric Buddhism in Tibet. He lived for seven years at Jagaddala. In 1027 the Muslim invaders sack and destroyed Jagaddala.
Vallabhi
Vallabhi University achieved as much fame as Nalanda. The Maitraka kings who ruled Western India constructed a monastery at Vallabhitheir capital. While Nalanda was the centre for Mahayana Buddhism, Vallabhi achieved fame as the centre for Hinayana Buddhism. The Maitraka kings spent lavishly to maintain their university. They gave every encouragement and assistance to Buddhist studies at this institution. In the 7th century Vallabhi was as prosperous and famous as Nalanda. Hieum Tsang visited Vallabhi, and reported in his "Ta-Tang-Si-Yu-Ki" as follows:
-"The population of Vallabhi is very large. The country is rich and prosperous. There are over a hundred millionaire families there. Imported luxury goods are seen in this city. There are about 100 monasteries with about 6,000 Buddhist monks. Most of them belong to the Sammitiya Sect. There are also many Hindu temples and a large Hindu population in this past of the country. The Buddha had visited this land during his ministry. There are stupas erected by King Asoka to mark the spots hallowed by the Buddha’s visit."
There are about 100 shrines and about 6,000 resident monks studying at Vallabhi. They do not believe that Abhidharma was the teaching of the Buddha. They believed in the Antarabhava doctrine and were exponents of Puggalavada a traditions that disregards Abhidharma teachings that are inconsistent with the Sutra-Teachings.
I –Tsing’s record
I-Tsing records that foreign students were found at Vallabhi. They come from many lands far and near from these facts we know that like Nalanda-Vallabhi was internationally recognised. There was a large library. This was maintained by a fund established by the King. An inscription put up by King Guhasena confirms this. Precedence was given to Sammitiya doctrines at this University. The course of studies included Comparative Religion. The Six systems of Hindu Philosophy and various other schools of Buddhism, Politics, Law, Agriculture, Economics also formed a part of the curriculum.
I-Tsing records that the graduates of Vallabhi, displayed their skill in the presence of the royalty, nobbles, and other eminent people. The Elders Gunamoti and Sthiramatic were Nalandas alumni and were teaching there for a time. They are said to be the founders of Vallabhi. As the founders came from Nalanda, Vallabhi followed the Nalanda pattern in most of its activities. It flourished from 475 to 1200 A.C. It met the same fate as other Universities at the hands of the Muslim invaders.
Thus it would be seen that as long as Buddhism was a power to reckon with in India, it rendered yoemen service in the field of learning and culture. This is how it should be in a religion that teaches that ignorance is the worst enemy of Mao and the cause of ace his sufferings while knowledge (Pragnya) is his highest asset. Pragnya wins all that is good in this world, and finally brings him the highest happiness, mundane as well as supra-mundane.
When the Portuguese conquered the Kotte Kingdom there were flourishing Buddhist Seminaries (Pirivenas) at Totagamauwa, Keragala, and Wattala. The Sandesa poems of the period give glowing descriptions of them and their rectors. They were all raised to the ground "leaving not one stone upon another" according to Portuguese writers of the period. Quyroz mentions the demolition of the Wattala Vijayabahu Pirivena and the erection of the R. C. Church on its land. Then followed an age of ignorance, decay and corruption for some 200 years. Finally during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha, Ven. Weliwita Saranankara started his Buddhist revival opening his Seminary at Niyamakanda, Udunnwara. His papillary successors opened the Vidyoda and Vidyalankara Pirivenas in Colombo. These Seminaries were upgraded and converted to secular Universities by the S.L.F.P. Government.
Decline and end
In 1193, the Nalanda University was sacked by[13] the fanatic Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turk;[14] this event is seen by scholars as a late milestone in the decline of Buddhism in India. The Persian historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, in his chronicle the Tabaqat-I-Nasiri, reported that thousands of monks were burned alive and thousands beheaded as Khilji tried his best to uproot Buddhism and plant Islam by the sword[15] the burning of the library continued for several months and "smoke from the burning manuscripts hung for days like a dark pall over the low hills."[16]The last throne-holder of Nalanda, Shakyashribhadra, fled to Tibet in 1204 CE at the invitation of the Tibetan translator Tropu Lotsawa (Khro-phu Lo-tsa-ba Byams-pa dpal). In Tibet, he started an ordination lineage of the Mulasarvastivadin lineage to complement the two existing ones.
When the Tibetan translator Chag Lotsawa (Chag Lo-tsa-ba, 1197–1264) visited the site in 1235, he found it damaged and looted, with a 90-year-old teacher, Rahula Shribhadra, instructing a class of about 70 students. During Chag Lotsawa's time there an incursion by Turkish soldiers caused the remaining students to flee. Despite all this, "remnants of the debilitated Buddhist community continued to struggle on under scarce resources until c. 1400 CE when Chagalaraja was reportedly the last king to have patronized Nalanda."
Ahir considers the destruction of the temples, monasteries, centers of learning at Nalanda and northern India to be responsible for the demise of ancient Indian scientific thought in mathematics, astronomy, alchemy, and anatomy.
What you find there today.
There is no other place more venerated by Buddhist than Bodh Gaya, where Gautam Siddhartha attained enlightenment and came to be called the Buddha, the Awakened one. A visit to Bodh Gaya is to commune with that sparkling illumination, that perceptive light of wisdom which removes unhappiness. This is why each year on the full-moon night in the month of May one can still see pilgrims (from India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, China, Japan, and other countries) thronging here to celebrate the sublime event of the Buddha's Nirvana.
Story of Siddhartha
The story beings with Siddhartha, born in Nepal, who renounced his royal household, young son, and wife, and wandered through the foothills of the Himalaya to the plains to visit religious centers such as Varanasi on the banks of the Ganga. Searching for the meaning of life and unconvinced by current philosophic discourse he visited Rajgir (65 kilometers away) and finally came to Gaya, an ancient religious center. Siddhartha retreated for some years to the outskirts of Gaya (13 kilometers away) besides the Falgu stream. There, seated beneath a papal tree (Ficus religiosa), he spent forty-nine continuous days and nights in deep meditation. Several important events took place during this period, all of which find popular expression in later Buddhist sculpture and painting. In one tale, a great storm broke, as if to deliberately drown the fasting Buddha. From the depths of the waters an enormous serpent, Mucalinda emerged and, 'enveloping the body of the blessed One seven times within his folds, spread his great hood above his head and protected the Buddha'. This scene of Mucalinda emerged and protecting the Buddha became a favorite theme not only in the Indian subcontinent but throughout East Asia.
Then comes the story of the temptation of the Buddha by Mara. Seated cross-legged under the Bo tree, on the immoveable spot, the thirty-five years old princely engrossed in his search for truth. Mara appeared before him, in the form of the internal temptress, to district him from his meditation and lure him to sensual earthly pleasure. Throughout the period of temptation offered by Mara, her lovely daughters, and frightening followers, the future Buddha remained unmoved. He merely lowered his hand to the ground and touched the Earth, who witnessed his ultimate victory over desire, the source of all human suffering. That night, under the light of the full moon as the heavens rained flowers, the whole universe celebrated the conquest of wisdom over all else. The young man became the Buddha, the Awakened One, full of Buddhi or wisdom. The tree which sheltered him through this trial and victory was named the Bodhi Tree, and the site Bodh Gaya.
At the pilgrimage center of Bodh Gaya there is one main road and one focus of attention, the grand Mahabodhi Temple, and situated behind it (to the west) the Bodhi Tree. Although Bodh Gaya has structural and sculptural remains from the Mauryan-Shunga period (third to first centuries BC), the Mahabodhi Temple was presumably built up to its present dimensions by the seventh century because it was described by the Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese scholar who visited this holy site. Continuous renovation and rebuilding have resulted in the present front of the temple, which actually dates only to the nineteenth century but is believed to be a reasonable accurate copy of the original shrine. The Mahabodhi Temple was built of brick and lime with plaster- Work niches with sculpture. It consists of an inner sanctum above which stands a large looming tower (over 55 meters) that rises in several horizontal planes, each one portioned into a series of niches and chaitya windows. Architecturally it has an interesting design, for though built in brick, the tower has many features that were to be found later in Hindu temple shikhara constructions in stone. The niche at the main entrance holds a sixth century figure of the standing Buddha. Within the inner shrine is a colossal image of the cross-legged seated Buddha, in the earth-touching posture, a reminder of the triumphant event so closely connected with the site.
After the ritual pradakshina procession around the main temple and a visit to the shrine one most see the great Bodhi Tree. It has an elevated platform built around it and the area is enclosed with a railing (the original belongs to the second century and is kept in the Archaeological Museum at Bodh Gaya). The way to honour the Bodhi Tree is to perform a ritual pradakshina, walking around it slowly once, thrice, or seven times. The holy tree is always festooned with offering of flowers and banners. It is no longer the original one under which the Buddha sat (almost two thousand five hundred years ago), but is believed to be a close relative and the vajrasana is the seat marking the hallowed spot. There is a story about Emperor Ashoka who, when he converted to Buddhism, earned the jealous wrath of his wife. She destroyed the Bodhi Tree in a fit of mindless anger. The tree or a shoot was saved and a sapling from the original Bodhi Tree was sent as a massage of peace by Ashoka with his son Mahendra to Sri Lanka, to enable a Buddhist order to be established on the island.
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh GayaSeveral other shrines, votive stupas, and newer temples (the Tibeten, Chinese and the Japanese ones built early this century) from the rest of the complex. To the north of the temple is Lotus Lake with an image of the Buddha shielded by the serpent Mucalinda. Beyond is the Jewel Walk where the Buddha is said to have walked and pondered on what to do with this great gift of enlightenment that had been bestowed on him. There is another site further away where a stone sculpture of the Buddha's feet or footprints are worshipped.
The Archaeological Museum has a very interesting collection (the Japanese temple nearby also has some lovely things brought from Japan). The remains of the second to first century BC railing of the main temple is displayed here. There are a number of images belonging to the Pala period (eighth to twelfth centuries), several of them beautiful bronze cast figures of the Buddha made at a celebrated craft center nearby. There are a few sculptured panels and medallions that formed the railings of other buildings constructed over the long period of occupation (from the third century BC to the twelfth century AD before the Muslim invasions). Bodh Gaya's fame reached far-flung corners of the world, which brought donors and visitors to see the original site where the Buddha attained his spiritual awakening, or Nirvana.
Nalanda
Hiuen Tsang describe the famous University city (to which he came all the way from China to study, in the seventh century), and says it was 7 yojanas (80 kilometers) from the holy pipal tree at Bodh Gaya. It is an amazing site, both in scale and for what it represents. The site was known during Mauryan times as the birthplace of the Buddha's right-hand disciple Sariputra (whose commemorative stupa No.3 is at Sanchi). Excavations and layers of successive habitation have proved the antiquity of the site. No building dates from before the Gupta period.
At Prayer Bodh GayaIt is conceivable that in the early days students lived in humble gurukuls or abodes with there gurus and over a period of time the place grew into one of the most prosperous and well-reputed centers of learning. We are told that Emperor Harshvardhana (AD606-47) made generous gifts to Nalanda University with grants of rice, butter, and milk from a hundred villages to enable students to devote themselves exclusively to their studies. From all accounts this site was famous throughout the ancient Buddhist world as the greatest university where students from distant lands could come to study the various branches of Buddhist logic, sciences, medicine and philosophy. Hiuen Tsang tells us that:
The priests to the number of several thousands are men of the highest ability and talent. Their distinction is very great at the present time, and there many hundreds whose fame has rapidly spread through distant lands� If men of other quarters desire to enter and take part in the discussions, the keeper of the gate proposes some hard questions; many are unable to answer, and retire.
The dimensions of the site are incredible: there were several 'noble tanks' which surrounded the ruins, a line of monasteries on the eastern side, with religious buildings assembled along the west. The only really irregular part of this scheme is Temple No.2 which housed several very beautiful Hindu images which carved panels of Rama and Sita. A typical monastery consisted of an entrance gateway which opened on to a large rectangular courtyard for communal work. On all four sides of the court were verandahs which led into a line of small cells or cloisters for the religious order to live in. a small shrine, usually placed at the rear, housed an image and served as a prayer room for the monastery.
Plan of NalandaAs you enter the Nalanda complex you walk down a passage between monasteries 1 and 4-5, moving westward to approach the domineering presence of the Main Temple, Site No.3. It is a huge brick structure (31 meters high) with an imposing stairway that offers a splendid, breathtaking view of the entire area and the layout of the university city. The Main Temple stands in a central courtyard surrounded by several brick and plaster-coated stupas and octagonal based votive shrines which were once adorned with beautiful images of the Buddha, his loyal flowers, and the Bodhisattvas.
Nalanda reigned supreme as a center for education for over five hundred years, and it was only in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when Muslim invasions in the region threatened the establishment, that the monks fled to Himalayan retreats, establishing Buddhist centers in these secluded places. We are told that the great library of Nalanda was burned down.
The Archaeological Museum of Nalanda is also well worth a short visit for it holds a representative collection of artifacts, establishing the idea that Nalanda was once also a prolific art center. There are beautiful clay, plaster, and bronze images of Buddhist orientation in the museum collection.
What's in the neighbourhood
The best way to approach Bodh Gaya and Nalanda is to arrive through Patna, the capital city of the Bihar. It is not a particularly pleasant city, but the Patna Museum has one of the finest collections of early Indian sculpture in the region. Priceless terracotta images, early Mauryan statues like the grand Didarganj Yakshi, and several bronze icons of the regions are housed in this museum.
Near Nalanda, at a distance of 15 kilometers, is Rajgir or the Mauryan township of Rajgriha, the abode of kings. Surrounded by a ring of hillock, this once ancient city was visited by the Buddha who, we are told, loved to stay on Grihrakuta Hill. Old Rajgir is also where Mahavir, the last Jain Tirthankara, enjoyed spending the monsoon season. It was here, after the Buddha's death, that the first Buddhist council was held at the Vaihara hill caves near the hot springs.
How to get there
Bodh Gaya is 13 kilometers from Gaya which is connected by road and rail to Patna, Varanasi, Calcutta, and other cities. From Gaya it is 65 kilometers to Rajgir and another 15 kilometers to Nalanda. Nalanda or Baragaon is 90 kilometers south-east of Patna and is linked by road and rail. A variety of accommodation is available to Both Gaya; and there are also several ashrams and dharamshalas. Both Gaya and Patna have adequate accommodation and regular bus links to these celebrated Buddhist sites. You should plan your stay with a one day visit to Bodh Gaya, another to Rajgir and Nalanda, and some time to see Patna Museum. These are discourses and religious studies conducted at these sites which may tempt you to stay longer, to listen and learn about one of the greatest religious of the world.
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