Ruins of Nalanda University, Nalanda

- Aradhye Ackshatt

Why would Nobel Peace Prize laureate His Holiness the Dalai Lama call Nalanda the place from where all knowledge came? He surely had good reasons, didn’t he? Whether you agree with what he said or not, the fact remains that the ancient Nalanda University is a central point of Bihar’s Buddhist connection. After all, the land of the Buddha’s enlightenment did not appear overnight, did it? It took millenia for Bihar - or more particularly, the state’s central region, named Magadh - to cement its reputation as the de facto center of arts, learning, trade, and commerce.

What we see today in the ruins of the university are the result of medieval fanaticism. The army of Bakhtiyar Khilji ravished the peaceful seat of knowledge and scientific advancements in late 12th century CE. Legend has it that the vast libraries with more than 9 million books and scrolls burned for 3 months - what wasteful book-burning! Just imagine: seven hundred years of pure learning reduced to ash. And for what? To satisfy the whims of a bloodthirsty foreign invader.

But what’s done is done, and as I like to say, the past is history, the future is a mystery. Recently, we visited the ruins of Nalanda University and explored the vast excavations.

But before recounting our experience, I thought it was best to vent my frustrations first.

The tarnishing of culture is deplorably counterproductive, whether in the past or the present. I was pleasantly surprised by the immaculately landscaped lawns from the entrance to the ruins. The walkway is lined by mounted photographs of the excavations by the ASI over the decades. Once inside, I felt dwarfed by the immensity of the university, in its expanse as well as its height.

There were multiple gaggles of students, brought by their schools, and I applaud the effort being put in by teachers and staff in managing sometimes unpredictable behavior by young children. Additionally, it being a Sunday, there were families from all over India [dressed in traditional finery] and the expected Buddhist tour groups from East Asia - mostly Japan and Vietnam.

Upon striking up a casual conversation with one of the tour guides while the group soaked in the historical significance, I learnt that they were quite pleased with the maintenance of the facilities in most of the Buddhist pilgrimage sites they had visited in Nepal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, too.

We Indians - especially today’s social-media-fueled youngsters - tend to disregard our own heritage, but I hope that this attitude will change within a generation. Through each of my travel vlogs, I promote zero-impact travel [along the lines of “take only memories, leave only footprints” by Native American Chief Seattle] so that we nourish our past and enhance the experience of history for future visitors to our beautiful, blissful state. After all, we are the “Kanth-haar” or necklace of India! Let’s contribute our individual effort towards returning Bihar to its glory!