Though the Buddha visited Nalanda several times during his lifetime, this famous center of Buddhist learning shot to fame much later, during 5th-12th centuries. Hiuen Tsang stayed here in 7th century and has left detailed description of the excellence of education and purity of monastic life practiced here. In this first residential international university of the world, 2,000 teachers and 10,000 students from all over the Buddhist world lived and studied here.
The Gupta kings patronized these monasteries, built in old Kushan architectural style, in a row of cells around a courtyard. Ashoka and Harshavardhana were some of its most celebrated patronized who built temples and monasteries here. Recent excavations have unearthed elaorate structures here. Hiuen Tsang had left ecstatic accounts of both the ambience university of ancient times.
An international Centre for Buddhist Studies was established here I 1951.
Nearby is Bihar Sharif, where an annual urs is celebrated at the dargah or tomb of Malik Ibrahim Baya.
Baragaon, 2 km away has a sun temple, famous fpr Chhath puja.
To be visited are Nalanda Mahavihar in addition to the great ruins.