Nalanda Mahaviharaनालंदा महाविहार
The red-brick ruins of the great Buddhist university that taught 10,000 students. UNESCO site.
See what is open on your dateOpen in Google MapsWhereNalanda, Bihar
Magadh
Magadh
Kind of placeMonuments & Heritage, UNESCO Sites, Pilgrimage Routes, Weekend Getaways, Monasteries & Gompas
Best time to visit15 October to 15 March
Good seasonsPost-monsoon (October to November), Winter (December to February)
DifficultyEasy
Time needed3 hrs
Base and nearbyNalanda (Bargaon), Rajgir / Bihar Sharif
EntryASI ₹40
About Nalanda Mahavihara
The largest and most famous of the ancient Buddhist universities, founded under Kumaragupta in the 5th century and working until it was sacked around 1200. Xuanzang studied here in the 630s and described 10,000 students. What you walk through is 23 hectares of red-brick monasteries with cells around courtyards and the great stepped Temple 3, said to mark where Sariputra was born. Go early; the brick holds heat by noon.
What to see and do
- Temple 3, the Sariputra stupa, with its corner towers
- Eleven monasteries with student cells around courtyards
- Stucco Buddhas on the temple terraces
- Xuanzang Memorial Hall two kilometres away
- ASI museum across the road
Opening status, best time and closures here are estimates from usual seasons and past patterns, not live information. Confirm with the local authority before you go. Terms of use
More places in Nalanda
- Vishwa Shanti Stupa, RajgirNalanda, Bihar · Pilgrimage RoutesA Japanese peace pagoda on a Rajgir hilltop, reached by a 1969 chairlift or the new ropeway.
- Griddhakuta (Vulture's Peak)Nalanda, Bihar · Pilgrimage RoutesThe hilltop where the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, climbed by the path King Bimbisara laid.
- Ghora Katora LakeNalanda, Bihar · Lakes & DamsA horseshoe lake in the Rajgir hills with a 70-foot Buddha on an island, reached by tonga.
- KundalpurNalanda, Bihar · Pilgrimage RoutesThe Digambar Jain site claimed as the birthplace of Mahavira, next door to Nalanda.
- Pawapuri Jal MandirNalanda, Bihar · Pilgrimage RoutesThe marble temple in a lotus tank where Mahavira attained nirvana in 527 BCE.
- Rajgir Glass Bridge and Nature SafariNalanda, Bihar · AdventureA glass skywalk, ziplines and a zoo safari on the forested hills south of Rajgir, opened 2021.
- Rajgir Hot Springs (Brahmakund)Nalanda, Bihar · Pilgrimage RoutesHot springs at the foot of Vaibhava hill that have been bathed in since the Buddha stayed here.
- Son Bhandar Caves and Cyclopean WallNalanda, Bihar · CavesJain rock-cut caves with a treasure legend, near the pre-Mauryan stone wall of old Rajgriha.
All places in Nalanda · All places in Bihar
Jagah Pedia home · All places A to Z · Privacy · Terms
Jagah Pedia is a free travel guide by Santosh Pandey. Status, timings and closures are estimates from usual patterns, so confirm locally before you travel.