My visit to Nalanda has been an interesting part of my pilgrimage to India. I had read in books that Nalanda was an important centre of Buddhist studies. The Nalanda University founded by the Gupta Emperors in the 5th century AD was the centre of excellence for studies in Buddhism, Vedas, Logic, Grammar and Medicine.

As I entered the Archaeological complex, I was stunned by the beautiful gardens and the red brick edifices. A central walkway going towards the south and the north divided the buildings. The Viharas were to be found in the eastern direction and the temples are to the west of this walkway. I found the Vihara-1 to be the most impressive. It has cells on two floors built around a central courtyard where steps lead up to what must have been a dais for the professors to address their students. A half broken statue of the Lord Buddha still adorns the little chapel there.

I found the colossal pyramidal mass of the Temple No.3 quite impressive and its top provided me with the ground for a panaromic view of the entire area. It is surrounded by smaller stupas, many of which are studded with small and big statues of the Lord Buddha in various poses or 'Mudras'.

The Archaeological Museum has a rich collection of ancient Buddhist and Hindu bronzes along with some fundamental statues of Lord Buddha excavated from the area. Copper plates and stone inscriptions, coins, pottery and samples of burnt rice (12th century AD) found among the ruins here are also preserved in the museum. I could only marvel at these objects of antiquity which are now the coveted possessions of the museum.

I discovered that Buddhist studies and research have received a new impetus with the establishment of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, an institute dedicated to the study of Pali literature and Buddhism. Here, apart from Indians, I met a number of students from Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Japan. An important modern construction which really deserved a visit is the Hiuen Tsang Memorial Hall, built to commemorate the Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang.

More than a pilgrimage, Nalanda was a great learning experience for me. It has a lot to offer, both to the pilgrim as well as to the scholar.