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Nava Nalanda Mahavihara

Overview

Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is a deemed-to-be university located in Nalanda district, Bihar, India. Established as a centre for the study of Pali and Buddhism, the institution draws its name and inspiration from the ancient Mahavihara of Nalanda, the renowned monastic university that flourished in the same region during the early medieval period. It functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Key facts

Name Nava Nalanda Mahavihara
Type Deemed university
Location Nalanda, Bihar, India
Focus areas Pali, Buddhist studies, allied disciplines
Administered by Ministry of Culture, Government of India

Background

The institution was founded in independent India to revive and continue the scholarly tradition associated with ancient Nalanda, which had been a major centre of Buddhist learning until its decline in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. The choice of Nalanda as the site was symbolic, situating modern Pali and Buddhist scholarship in the same geographical setting as one of the most celebrated centres of learning in Asian history.

Bhikkhu Jagdish Kashyap, a noted Pali scholar, played a central role in the founding and early development of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara. Under his guidance, the institution developed into a research-oriented centre devoted to Pali language, Theravada Buddhist literature, and related Indological studies.

Academic profile

The Mahavihara offers postgraduate, research, and diploma programmes in fields such as Pali, Buddhist studies, ancient history, archaeology, philosophy, and Buddhist art. It admits students from India and from countries with strong Buddhist traditions, and has hosted scholars from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Its publications include critical editions and translations of Pali texts, as well as journals and monographs on Buddhist literature, history, and thought.

Status

Nava Nalanda Mahavihara was conferred the status of a deemed-to-be university by the Government of India, enabling it to award its own degrees in its specialised fields. It functions as an autonomous institution and is distinct from the more recently established Nalanda University, which was set up at Rajgir as an international university under a separate statute.

Significance

The institution is significant as one of the principal Indian centres dedicated specifically to Pali and Buddhist studies at an advanced level. By combining textual scholarship with research on Buddhist history and archaeology, it contributes to the academic study of Buddhism within India and to international engagement with Indian Buddhist heritage. Its location near the ruins of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara also links it to ongoing research and conservation work in the region.

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