Nalanda Ruins

The Nalanda Ruins are the excavated remains of Nalanda Mahavihara, a Buddhist monastic university in Bihar that flourished from the 5th century CE until about 1200. Founded under the Gupta kings, Nalanda grew into one of the oldest residential centres of learning anywhere, teaching philosophy, logic, grammar and medicine to monks drawn from across Asia. The site is listed by UNESCO as the Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara.

The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang studied at Nalanda in the 7th century, and his detailed account, along with that of Yijing a few decades later, is much of what is known about daily life here. Nalanda was sacked around 1200, and the story that its library burned for months is told by every guide. The ruins were identified in the 19th century and excavated through the early 20th. Today a new Nalanda University, reopened near Rajgir, carries the name forward, while the old site is a quiet field of red brick.

What to see

• Temple No. 3, the great stupa-temple with tiers of steps and small votive stupas
• The rows of monasteries with student cells, courtyards, wells and lecture platforms
• Temple No. 2, with its plinth of carved sculptured panels
• The Nalanda Archaeological Museum opposite, with bronzes, seals and Buddha images
• The Xuanzang Memorial Hall, a short drive away

What to wear

The Nalanda Ruins are an open site with little shade, so wear light cotton, a hat and sunscreen, and shoes you can walk on uneven brick and grass in. Winter mornings from December to January can be cold and foggy, so bring a layer. There is no formal dress code, but cover shoulders if you plan to visit the temples in nearby Rajgir. The traditional Bihari dress is the dhoti and kurta for men and the cotton saree for women.

Local food to try

The town of Silao, on the road between Nalanda and Rajgir, is known for its khaja, a layered, flaky fried sweet sold fresh at shops along the highway. Across Bihar you will find litti chokha, sattu drinks and sattu-stuffed parathas, and in winter tilkut and jaggery sweets. Food around the site is simple and mostly vegetarian; Rajgir has more restaurants and hotel dining rooms.

Good to know

• Best time: October to March, starting early to avoid the midday heat
• Hours: about 9am to 5pm; the site museum closes on Fridays
• Entry: ASI ticket; foreign visitors pay a higher rate than Indian citizens
• Allow 2 hours for the ruins and museum, or a full day with Rajgir
• Getting there: about 90 km from Patna and 12 km from Rajgir
• Licensed guides at the gate are worth it; do not climb on the brick walls

Nearby places

From Nalanda, the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya is about 80 km south-west, and Patna Sahib Gurudwara is roughly 90 km north in Patna. Deoghar's Baidyanath Temple lies about 200 km south-east in Jharkhand.