Here is your short Paragraph on Nalanda Mahavihara!

It was situated at a distance of about eight miles from Rajagraha. According to the Buddhist tradition it was founded in the fifth century A.D. by one Sakraditya, who is generally identified with the Gupta monarch Kumaragupta I (414-455 A.D.).

Originally it was a niango orchard and Sakraditya built a Buddhist monastery there.

Additional grants of money and land were made to this establishment by the ether Gupta monarchs like Buddhagupta, Baladitya and others. It followed a wide curriculum of studies and day by day it rose to pre-eminence. Later on other Indian rulers also gave their patronage to this university and by their lavish gifts and rich endowments they greatly contributed to its popularity.

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Consequently students from all parts of India and even from many foreign countries (like China, Tibet central Asia, Bokhara, Korea, etc.) flocked here to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. Hieun-Tsang, studies in this university for about five years and another Chinese pilgrim Itsing studied there for more than ten years.

During Harsha’s times as many as 10,000 students were studying in this university and as many as 1,510 teachers were busy in imparting knowledge to the students. Harsha, who is renowned for his charity and generosity, also built a monastery at Nalanda. According to Hieun-Tsang this monastery (built by Harsha) was about one hundred feet in height and was covered with brass-plates. Indians as well as some foreign rulers thought it to be their good fortune if they were allowed to add anything to this university.

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The admission to this university was very difficult to get. Every student had to appear in an admission test which was so difficult that, according to Hieun- Tsang, “only two or three out of ten succeeded in getting admission”. Those who were fortunate enough to get the admission were provided free board and lodging.

Even fees were not charged from them. All its expenses were met out of the revenues of a hundred villages which were specially attached with this university for its upkeep. Slowly and slowly the number of these villages rose to two hundred. In addition to this many generous rulers like Harsha had built here many monasteries to provide accommodation to about 10,000 students. There were separate arrangements for hostel facilities, college education and libraries.

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