Unravelling the Legacy of the World’s First Residential University
Explore the rich history and enduring influence of Nalanda University, a beacon of knowledge from ancient India that shaped education, philosophy, and cultural exchange across Asia. Discover its modern revival and global significance.
Nalanda: A Timeless Beacon of Knowledge
From its founding in the 5th century CE to its modern-day revival, Nalanda stands as a testament to humanity’s enduring quest for knowledge. Born under the patronage of Gupta rulers, this “giver of knowledge” evolved into the world’s first great residential university, its amphitheatres of debate and sprawling libraries drawing seekers from across Asia. Though its physical heart was razed in the 12th century, Nalanda’s intellectual pulse never faltered—its teachings survived invasions, migrated with refugees, and found new homes in monasteries from Tibet to Korea.
A Jewel of India’s Intellectual Heritage
Nalanda’s curriculum was nothing short of revolutionary: alongside Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, students pursued logic, metaphysics, grammar, medicine, astronomy, and mathematics. This multidisciplinary ethos gave rise to luminaries such as Dinnaga, Nagarjuna, and Atisha, whose breakthroughs profoundly reshaped Asian thought for centuries. The university’s alumni carried scrolls and doctrines home, seeding institutions from Chang’an to Nara and cementing India’s spiritual and scholarly preeminence.
From Ruin to UNESCO World Heritage
Rediscovered by archaeologists in the 19th century, Nalanda’s brick stupas and stucco shrines have now been enshrined under UNESCO’s protection since May 16, 2016. Recognising both its fragility and universality, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Bihar government have drafted an integrated master plan, which includes banning construction within 300 meters, rerouting heavy vehicles, relocating hawkers, and creating perimeter parking, to safeguard the site’s integrity and its World Heritage status. Parallel initiatives by the Ministry of Culture’s restoration program harness digital archiving, classroom curricula, and public-private partnerships to rekindle Nalanda’s ancient glow.
Living Legacy: Education, Philosophy, Spiritual Thought
Nalanda’s layered libraries, known as the “Ocean of Jewels,” once housed hundreds of thousands of manuscripts, fueling debates that blurred lines between science and spirituality. Scholars meditated on the Prajñāpāramitā one moment and calculated planetary orbits the next. This synthesis underpins modern dialogues on interdisciplinarity, ethical AI, and global citizenship, proving that Nalanda’s model remains as prescient today as it was a millennium ago.
The Korean Connection: Hyecho’s Epic Pilgrimage
Nalanda’s reach extended far beyond India. In 723 CE, the Korean monk Hyecho (704–787 CE), disciple of Vajrabodhi in Tang China, embarked on a four-year sojourn to India “to acquaint himself with the language and culture of the land of the Buddha”. His travelogue, Wang Ocheonchukguk Jeon (“Memoir of the Pilgrimage to the Five Kingdoms of India”), offers vivid accounts of Magadh, Kushinagar, Varanasi, and beyond—documenting customs, climate, and Buddhist practices. Crucially, Hyecho’s chapters on Nalanda reveal not only the university’s curricular rigour but also its role as a living nexus of spiritual networks spanning East Asia.
A Contemporary Dialogue: Abhay K’s Book Talk
On June 26, 2025, the Korean Cultural Centre in New Delhi hosted a thought-provoking discussion on Nalanda: How It Changed the World by Abhay Kumar (pen name Abhay K), Deputy Director General of ICCR. Moderated by Lim Sang Woo of the Korean Embassy, the session wove together themes of inspiration behind the book, Nalanda’s golden age, and its resonance in today’s knowledge economies. Scholars and students explored the university’s impact on education, philosophy, and spiritual thought, and celebrated Hyecho’s enduring link between India and Korea. The dialogue underscored a shared commitment to preserving Nalanda’s legacy as a bridge between civilisations.
Scholarly Perspectives on Nalanda’s Global Influence
Nalanda’s legacy has long fascinated historians, archaeologists, and educationists alike. Scholars emphasise that Nalanda was not merely a university—it was a civilizational force that shaped the intellectual contours of Asia and beyond, fostering a vibrant intellectual exchange that transcended cultures and regions.
🌏 A Beacon of Transnational Knowledge Exchange, Nalanda: A Global Hub of Knowledge Exchange
🏛️ Architectural and Pedagogical Innovations
Modern educationists note that Nalanda’s campus design and teaching methodologies, such as the quadrangle-based architecture and residential learning model, influenced the layout of contemporary universities. These innovations inspired similar structures in East Asia and even in medieval Islamic madrasas. Its emphasis on dialectics, peer review, and interdisciplinary learning prefigured many modern academic norms, demonstrating its enduring influence on the field of education.
📚 Nalanda: A Model for Contemporary Revival and Global Engagement
As Alok Virendra Tiwari and Vartika Gupta observe, Nalanda’s revival is more than symbolic—it’s a strategic reclamation of India’s role as a global knowledge hub. The new Nalanda University, inaugurated with international collaboration, aims to rekindle the spirit of intercultural dialogue and intellectual liberty that once defined the ancient institution.
🧘♂️ Spiritual Diplomacy and Heritage
John Marston and David Geary, writing in Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, highlight Nalanda’s role in “heritage diplomacy.” They argue that Nalanda’s memory has become a soft power tool in India’s cultural outreach, especially in Buddhist-majority countries like Korea, Japan, and Thailand. The university’s revival is seen as a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern diplomacy.
Toward a Shared Future
Nalanda’s story is far from over. Contemporary collaborations—ranging from academic exchanges at the revived Nalanda University to joint restoration projects—signal a deepening India-Korea partnership in preserving Nalanda's heritage. Korea, whose own Buddhist foundations were partly shaped by Nalanda-trained monks, looks forward to co-sponsoring conservation efforts, the digitisation of manuscripts, and cultural festivals celebrating this timeless institution. As both nations steward this heritage site, they reaffirm Nalanda’s role as a symbol of intellectual solidarity and a beacon for world-changing ideas.
Nalanda’s journey—from its 5th-century birth to a 21st-century renaissance—reminds us that centres of learning are never truly lost. They live on in the texts we translate, the debates we carry forward, and the bridges we build between cultures. In preserving and promoting Nalanda, we safeguard not just stones and stupas, but the very spirit of inquiry that changes the world.
A Living Legacy in Korea
Korean scholars often cite Hyecho’s travelogue as a foundational text in Korea’s Buddhist heritage. His vivid descriptions of Nalanda’s scholastic environment underscore the deep-rooted spiritual and academic ties between the two nations. Today, Korean institutions continue to engage with Nalanda’s legacy through educational exchanges, translations of Buddhist texts, and cultural events, such as the recent discussion hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre in New Delhi.
These perspectives affirm that Nalanda was not just a centre of learning—it was a catalyst for global intellectual evolution. Its influence endures not only in the annals of history but also in the aspirations of modern academia and diplomacy. Let me know if you’d like to integrate these insights directly into your article draft.
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Modern educationists note that Nalanda’s campus design and teaching methodologies, such as the quadrangle-based architecture and residential learning model, influenced the layout of contemporary universities. These innovations inspired similar structures in East Asia and even in medieval Islamic madrasas. Its emphasis on dialectics, peer review, and interdisciplinary learning prefigured many modern academic norms, demonstrating its enduring influence on the field of education.
