The word 'Nalanda' has been derived from Na-Alam-Da, which means 'insatiable in giving', one of the names by which Lord Buddha was known. One of the major Buddhist pilgrimage sites, Nalanda is also known for the ruins of the world famous ancient learning centre. With the nearest habitation at the village of Bargaon, Nalanda is though now a deserted place, but still is very important to the history of Buddhism and Jainism(The Teerthankar Mahavira got moksha near Nalanda at Pawapuri).

General Information

• Country : India
• State : Bihar
• Location : South Bihar. 90 Kilometers southeast of Patna and 18 kilometers from Rajgir.
• Climate : Summer - Hot; Monsoon - Warm; Winter - Cold.
• Best Time to Visit : October to February.
• Significance : World famous ancient learning centre for the Buddhists.
• Language : Hindi and English
• Eating : Khaja, a famous sweet of Silao.
• Festival : Buddha Jayanti.

Major Buddhist Attractions

• Nalanda University : The famous ancient learning centre, Nalanda is recorded as the world's earliest university set up in the 5th century BCE. It is believed that the Buddha had visited the place and gave sermons near the 'Mango grove of Pavarika'. Later the Buddhist monks undertook learning, practice, meditation and understanding of the Dhamma in the centre to enrich the masses. The sects of Buddhism - Theravada, Vajrayana, Mahayana and Theravada were born due to the teachings of the University. Even the decline of Buddhism in India is associated with the destruction of the Nalanda University by the Islamic invasion of India in the 12th century CE. Today, the entire Nalanda site has been divided into a number of sites that include 11 monasteries and several temples built in red bricks.
  
  
• Nava Nalanda Mahavira : A modern centre for Theravadin Buddhist studies, known as the Nava Nalanda Mandir was set up in 1951, which is still a pioneer in pursuing an ambitious program of satellite imaging of the entire region.
  
  
• Nalanda Museum : The Nalanda museum that was established in 1971, has a good collection of ancient manuscripts and Buddhist statues. Besides, the museum also displays unique artifacts of the ancient period.

Other Attractions

• Surya(Sun) Temple : Nearby the ruins of the Nalanda university lies the ancient Surya temple, which still survives and is a sacred place for the Hindus.

Nearby Buddhist Attractions

• Rajgir : Barely 15 kilometers away from Nalanda, Rajgir is also a holy place for the Buddhists as the Buddha had spent 12 years over here.

Other Nearby Attractions

• Pawapuri : Pawapuri is a sacred place for the Jains, as it was at this place, where Lord Mahavira had passed away or attained Moksha.

Shopping
Nalanda offers Buddhist Statues, Local Handicrafts to its tourist, who enjoy buying these items.