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Nalanda Mahavihara
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Nava Nalanda Mahavihara
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Xuanzang Memorial Hall
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In the early 1950's, in order to revive the lost glory and the
heritage of ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, his Excellency Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, declared that the
ancient seat of Buddhist learning at Nalanda would be revived.
At the insistence of Ven. Bhikshu Jagdish Kashyap and with this
goal in mind, the Government of Bihar established a research institute
called "Magadh Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Pali
and Allied Languages and Buddhist Learning" at Nalanda in 1951. It later
came to be known as Nava Nalanda Mahavihara.
The inspiration behind the establishment of this institute was to
develop a centre of higher studies in Pali and Buddhism along the lines
of ancient Nalanda Mahavihara. From the beginning, the institute
functioned as a residential institution, with a limited number of Indian
and foreign students.
The present campus of the Mahavihara is 100 kms from the
metropolis of Patna, situated on the southern bank of the historical
lake, Indrapuskarani. Close to the northern bank lie the ruins of the
ancient University of Nalanda.
On November 20, 1951, the foundation stone of the first building
was laid by His Excellency, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Engraved upon it are
the following words:
"Let the rays of the sun of Nalanda rise from the summit of this rock in order to brighten the vernacular ( lokabhāsā in Pali ) after the passing away of its nights of darkness (period of its obscurity)."
Ven. Bhikshu Jagdish Kashyap became the Founder-Director of Nava
Nalanda Mahavihara, and continued in that capacity until February 1955.
One of his major accomplishments was the complete publication, in 41
volumes, of a critical edition of the entire Pali Tipitaka in Devanagari
script. It was very popular and quickly went out of print.
visit http://www.navanalandamahavihara.org for more information.
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