The Nalanda University attracted large number of Buddhist students from different parts of the world. The University of Nalanda was founded in the 5th century by the Gupta rulers. There were thousands of students and teachers. The main courses which were taught there were the Buddhist scriptures (both Mahayana and Hinayana), Vedas, Logic, Shabda Vidya (grammar), Chikitsa vidya (medicine) etc.

The Nalanda University received patronage the great emperor, Harshavardhana of Kannauj and the Pala rulers. The famous Chinese pilgrims, Hieun Tsang and Fi Han were among the distinguished students of the Nalanda University. Hieun Tsang received here the Indian name Mokshdeva. The importance of Nalanda University as a monastic university continued until the end of the 12th century. The ruins of the Nalanda University extend over a large area. Excavations at Nalanda have uncovered nine levels of occupation. For revenue purposes, a large number of villages were assigned to the Nalanda University.

The Nalanda University complex had a great Stupa. The excavations show that this Stupa is flanked by flights of steps and terraces. Many of the stupas were two or even three times built one over the other on the same spot. In the course of excavation it has been found that the very small original structure was enlarged by later temples built over and around the ruins of the earlier ones. The main Stupa at Nalanda is the result of seven successive accumulations. The main Stupa at Nalanda apparently contained a massive image of Lord Buddha.

In The Nalanda University complex a row of monastery sites lies from south to north. Almost all of them have the same pattern. The monasteries consisted of a number of monk's cells with wide verandas in front, initially set round an open quadrangular court, but later separated from it by a high wall. It was originally a building of two or probably more storey as the existence of stairs in the south-east corner shows. In the courtyard of monasteries, there used to be Lord Buddha's shrine and a well.

Ruins of Nalanda University

The University of Nalanda, located 103 km southeast of Patna, was once a Buddhist University of international fame but now it is ruins. The construction of this great centre of learning was started during the reign of Kumara Gupta (413-455 A.D.) and the later constructions were taken up under the patronage of King Harshavardhana (606-647A.D.) and Pala Kings (8th-12th century A.D.). During the 7th century A.D.when Hiuen Tsang studied here, there were nearly 10,000 students from different countries and the University was a six-storeyed building. Nalanda passed into obscurity when Bhaktiyar Khilji destriyed this centre of learning in 1197 A.D. Excavation has so far unearthed 11 numbers of monasteries running north to south. Each monastery is of 62.5*51.5 m size and is figures of Buddhist deities on the sides of the entrance. Two rooms with vaulted roof, constructed on the principle of arch are still present. A row of built temples was facing these monasteries. Altogether 211 sculptured panels of granite were installed in the temples.A huge stupa was built at the southwest end. The rooms for the students with verandahs were constructed an inner quadrangular courtyard. The pillars used in the construction were ornamentedand carved with various around types of figures.There was an observatory which was used for planetary studies.The main temple was a gigantic structure of 36.6*36.6 m at the base, and its main shrine stood at 18to 24 m above the ground. This imposing lofty structure was the result of six successive rebuildings. In the centre, there was a small stupa built of half-baked bricks (46*33*11.5cm) made of earth mixed with straw and rice. Recent excavation has brought out the remnants of a 24 metre high clay statue of Buddha and beautiful wall paintings of human and animal figures.

Superior quality and well-baked bricks with mud mortars or lime-concrete were used in the construction of the monasteriesand temples of Nalanda. Wood was used in the construction of the roof. The floor and the pavements were laid on a bed of lime-concrete. The drains were made of brick layers with corbelled arch at the top. The bricks used in Nalanda do not show any effect of decay. Stucco images made by mixing broken brick pieces with lime and plastered with a layer of lime are common at Nalanda. The clay for moulding the images was prepared by treating ordinary clay with several indigenous ingredients such as grains of barley, wheat, lac, pumpkin, milk, butter, cowdung, oil etc., which were kneaded for a fortnight and were left for over a month to mature. Granite was used for the construction of verandah pillars, sculptured panels and images. In making big clay images like the 24 metre high Buddha, granite pillars were used as support for the legs. Basic rock was also used for making images.