Nalanda
One of the World’s Earliest Residential Universities
At its height, Nalanda is believed to have hosted around 10,000 students and attracted scholars from across Asia.
About Nalanda
Flourishing from the 5th to the 12th century CE, Nalanda Mahavihara was a major centre of learning. Historical sources describe a large residential campus — often cited as hosting on the order of 10,000 students and many teachers — with red-brick temples, meditation halls, and library complexes.
Why We Include Nalanda in Our Circuits
Walking through the excavated red-brick cloisters, drainage systems, and student prayer rooms provides an unforgettable glimpse into India’s golden age of philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, and medicine.
What to See & Experience
Temple No. 3 (Sariputta Stupa)
The iconic multi-tiered stupa surrounded by small votive stupas with exquisite Gupta-era stucco sculptures of Buddha in carved niches.
Monastery Rows (Viharas)
Symmetrical brick dormitories complete with student beds, stone hearths, courtyards, and well-preserved ancient wells.
Nalanda Archaeological Museum
Houses rare bronze statues, terracotta seals, coins, and stone carvings uncovered during excavations across the ruins.
Xuanzang Memorial Hall
A grand Indo-Chinese pagoda monument honoring the brave 7th-century Chinese traveller who studied at Nalanda for five years.
Practical Advice from Our Own Road Trips
Visit Nalanda with Offbeat Payana
Included in our flagship circuit: From Jyotirlinga to the Bodhi Tree (4 or 5 Days) starting in Deoghar and ending in Patna with a private AC car.
Per person · Stays, private car & daily breakfast
Direct Bangalore coordination · Real routes