Nalanda, the ruins of one of the world’s most prestigious seats of learning, is located 95 kilometres from Patna, the capital of Bihar, and 110 km from Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment. Declared a Word Heritage Site in 2016, Nalanda is seen as the world’s most ancient university, flourishing much before Europe’s oldest university, Bologna, came into …
Located on the banks of river Phalgu, a tributary of the Ganga, 115 kilometres from Patna, is the Mahabodhi temple complex, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world. The advent of a Siva-worshipping ascetic in a ruined Bodh Gaya in late 16th century, and the steady consolidation of his successors as mahants of the site, played an …