The University of Nalanda c17: Chapter XI. Nālandā To-Day
The University of Nālandā c17
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Chapter XI. Nālandā To-Day
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IN the Chapter on "The Rise of Nālandā", we gave an account of the construction of the University by various kings. That account, however, so far as details of the buildings are concerned, was not sufficient. This Chapter, therefore, is intended, firstly, to give some idea of these details; secondly, to see if we can identify the various buildings referred to by Hiuen Tsiang in the plan of the University prepared in the light of the excavations.
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Once a smiling city, shining with the light of hundreds of jewels, grand with its *chaityas*, towering turrets and *vihāras*, the abode of scholars and priests, Nālandā to-day is but a faint shadow of its past glory and splendour. Its present site is amidst long stretches of fields, interspersed here and there with mango-trees and huge mounds, at some places, each standing in splendid isolation from the other, and at others, several of them are found in such close proximity of each other as to suggest one continuous hill.
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It was these mounds many of which are now unearthed and stand out as monasteries which, first, drew the attention of General Cunningham. He carried on some superficial excavations and from the finds that he discovered, he identified the site with the ancient seat of learning, Nālandā. But not content with a mere general identification, each mound, each temple, or relic was assigned its original name with the help of Hiuen Tsiang's account of the place.¹ The history of the rebuilding of Nālandā, thus, dates back to about 1861.
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¹ For a detailed description, see *A.S.R.*, 1861, I, p. 28.
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But the regular work of excavating the site was not undertaken until 1915, when the entire site was, first, measured. It extends, as described by the Report, some 1600 feet north-south, by some 800 feet east-west and comprises a long range of monasteries on the east side, and a corresponding range of stūpas on the west, with a couple of monasteries to bound the area on the south. Between the ranges of stūpas and monasteries to west and east runs the central approach avenue from the north.¹ The Nālandā of Mediaeval times, however, unquestionably extended far beyond the limits of the site so far acquired for excavation.
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¹ A.S.I., A.R., 1925-26, p. 100.
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MONASTERY No. 1 MAIN ENTRANCE—NALANDA
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Now, for the sake of convenience and understanding the whole area has been divided and classified into various sites.
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Of the many buildings (called monasteries) which are, to be precise, about eleven, that have been excavated, the monastery-site No. I seems to be the oldest. No less than 9 successive levels are visible.² And, within the course of about 8 centuries, it must have been built over at least 5 times.³ This is proved by the remains discovered at each new level. On the lowest level—the 9th—was found a brick-paving, a wall on the 8th, a cabutrā on the 7th, and quadrangles on the other four levels. The upper levels reveal very amusing as well as curious things. There is a stair-case, which leads us to the topmost level,⁴ the only remnant of which is a verandah running on the four sides. Originally this parlour must be forming a part of the bhikṣuś cells which can even now be traced from the existence of stone-coaches and niches, in the now open spaces immediately after the parlour.
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² Ibid., 1922-23, p. 104.
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³ Ibid., 1919-20, p. 11.
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⁴ See pl. IX.
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The main use of the stair-case was perhaps to go to fetch water from a well on the stratum just below it. Besides this well, there is a very curious brick structure in the middle of the courtyard of this second monastry.⁵ In the cabutrā was found inset a couple of long duplicate panels carved in basso-relievo with a representation of a bird-bodied human figures revering a lotus plant from the 6th or 7th century A.D.¹
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⁵ For a fuller description see A.S.I., A.R., 1916-17, Part I, p. 15.
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¹ See plate (VII a), *Ibid.*, 1921-22. p. 19.
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One question that strikes us regarding this monastery is, whether it was a storeyed building. From Hiuen Tsiang’s account it appears that Nālandā did have some buildings which had at least 3 to 4 storeys.² From various reasons given below we are inclined to think that not only monastery No. I was a storeyed building, but it was perhaps the highest of all other similar buildings. The reasons are: (1) the discovery of a well and wide dog-legged stair-case, which show a daily connection with the building beneath. (2) The thickness of the walls, which indicates that the walls were purposely made thick so as to build other storeys above them. (3) What we now call different levels of occupation at different periods were in fact various floors of the same building (we do not mean all the 9 levels) and occupied at the same time. The reason for so interpreting the various levels is that the nine levels otherwise presuppose as many destructions, which was never the case. The buildings were destroyed at the most thrice or four times and not as many as nine times. (4) Lastly, the discovery of a stone column-base in monastery No. 4 seems to be conclusive evidence of the existence of at least a second storey in this monastery.³ Hence monastery No. I also had storeys, and very likely the greatest number, as would appear from a series of levels.
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² *Cf.* Hwui Li, o.c., p. 109, where we are told that Hiuen Tsiang went to the college of Bālāditya . . . having four storeys.
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³ For a detailed argument see *A.S.I.*, *A.R.*, 1926-27, p. 133.
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Monastery No. I gives us a good idea of the rooms in which the bhikṣus stayed. As soon as we enter the monastery from the centre of the west wall, we first meet with a grand stair-case, 32 feet wide and projecting some 38 feet.⁴ After this, comes the interior wall. Along this wall, on all the four sides, are rows of chambers, which vary very slightly in size but average some 10 feet square. These latter are each provided with two bedrecesses, measuring 6' 9" in length, while two square niches appear in the square in the chambers at the north-west and south-east corners. And, in front of the chambers, there is a continuous walk or terrace.¹
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⁴ See pl. IX.
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¹ The description has been given *mutatis mutandis* from *J.B.O.R.S.* IX, Part I, pp. 8-9.
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MONASTERY No. 6—NALANDA
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It would be evident from the above that the ancient students, unlike the modern, had no separate bed-steads. Moreover, the rooms allotted to them were, comparatively, very small.
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From the description of the students' rooms let us pass on to the general nature of the buildings, other than temples or *vihāras*.
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The *saṅghārāmas* or monastic establishments at Nālandā all conform to a common type. They form a rectangle in a plane bounded by an outer range of cells or cubicles, with an open verandah, running round their inner face and enclosing a quadrangular court. Sometimes, the verandah is a colonnaded structure, and in other instances, partakes of the form of a terrace open to the sky. The exterior walls were apparently quite plain with the exception of a simple plinth moulding or string course dividing the facade and may or may not have contained windows. The light was obtained through the door-opening on to the inner verandah.²
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² *Ibid.*, pp. 6-7.
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We need not go through the details of other monastery buildings. It will suffice, if the more important aspects of each are referred to.
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Next to the monastery No. I, is the monastery designated as I A. Something peculiar about this monastery is that in the centre are two parallel rows of hearths, seven in number, connected by a common duet of corbel construction about 2 feet high. The same feature is found in the eastern verandah. Pandit Hiranand Sastri, who excavated it, thought that the hearths might have been used for preparing "rasas" or drugs, in which case, the building might have been a medical seminary or "Bhiṣakśālā."¹
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We, however, think that these hearths might as well have been used for cooking purposes, for in the two chambers on the east, were found heaps of decayed rice and oats. Hence, it is possible that the chambers were used as store-rooms, and these, naturally, would be very close to the kitchen. But these are mere suggestions, for, wonderfully enough, the rooms on the north of these so called "kitchen" and "store-rooms" yielded a number of stone and bronze Tāntric images. Therefore it is very hazardous to say for what the building was used.
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Of the remaining monastery sites that have been excavated, No. 6 is important from this point of view that it is a large one measuring some 150 ft. by 120 ft. along the walls and the height to which these walls were refaced were about 8 ft. The photograph will give a very good idea of the whole building.²
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As the excavations proceed, newer and newer sites become visible. So, as the *Report* says, "The range of monasteries thus revealed along the eastern boundary of Nālandā comprises ten buildings, and the northern limit of the area cuts across an eleventh monastery, as the range continues towards the Burgaon village."³
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Amongst other interesting and important buildings that have been unearthed, those worth noting are *stūpa*-site No. 3, and the stone-temple and another structure at the northern extremity of the range of *stūpa* mounds, which was identified by General Cunningham with Bālāditya’s temple.
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*Stūpa* No. 3 forms the southern end of the western *stūpa* range and it is on the east of the monasteries No. I and I A. The main *stūpa* stands surrounded in the court by a large number of smaller *stūpas*, built one over the other on the same
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(1) *J.B.O.R S.* IX, Part I, p. 14.
(2) *See* pl. X.
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spot.¹ And it has been now ascertained that no less than 7 stūpas were erected, one over the other. The builders never cared to demolish the old ones, but went on building one over the other. And this is not only a special feature of Nālandā stūpas, where this feature is repeated in the monastery buildings as well, but also of many other stūpa structures.
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Other characteristics of this site are: the fine stair that has been disclosed, almost intact, leading to the topmost level, giving a beautiful view of the ancient lakes of the time of Mahāvīra and Buddha, the whole University area, and far off in the distance, the village of Burgaon.²
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There are numerous votive stūpas all scattered about the main stūpa. Some of them are decorated with the stucco figures of Buddha and Avalokiteśvara etc. "One of these little votive stūpas is of unusual interest; attached to it, on the east face, is a little porch-like shrine containing fragments of a very kacchā stucco image, and this little shrine is roofed over with a perfect little barrel-vault in brick." Pre-Mohammedan certainly as it is, it is a beautiful example of a Hindu-vault of arch construction.³
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It may be that this stūpa is the identical one referred to by Hiuen Tsiang thus: "To the south of this statue is a stūpa, in which are the remains of Buddha's hair and nails cut during three months. Those persons afflicted with children's complaints coming here and turning round religiously are mostly healed."⁴
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The reasons for the suggestions are:
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(1) See pl. XI.
(2) See pl. XI.
(3) See A. S. I., A. R., 1926-27, p. 131.
(4) Hiuen Tsiang, o.c., II, p. 173. From the great height of the stūpa, the figure of Bodhisattva, etc., it appears that it is the same stūpa ascribed by I-Tsing to Bālāditya thus, "Northwards, 50 paces is a great stūpa even higher than the other; this was built by Bālāditya very much reverenced—in it is a figure of Buddha turning the wheel of the law." Beal, J. R. A. S., XIII (N. S.), p. 572.
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1. Even up to this day there stands a beautiful statue of a Bodhisattva.
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2. Exposition of the lowest of this particular stūpa and storey, as the *Report* says, formed a terrace about the upper portion of the stūpa and served as a "*pradakṣiṇa*" way.¹
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¹ A. S. I. A. R., 1926-27, p. 128.
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The mound at the extreme end of the stūpa range is not completely excavated yet. The work is still going on. Therefore, it is very difficult to say whether it is the temple of Bālāditya as identified by Cunningham.²
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² A. S. I., 1861.
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It however comprises a very large area. There are two or three courtyards on different levels of elevation, and within the courtyard there are small stūpas and images. But, as we already said, we must wait for more information to pronounce any definite judgment as to the site.
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From this, we pass on to the stone-temple.
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"The entrance to the temple was up a low flight of steps on the east. The centre of each facade is relieved by a slight projection; but, the feature of special interest here is a dado of 211 sculptured panels, over the exterior base moulding. These panels are symmetrically disposed around the facades, 20 appearing on each side of the main entrance and 19 in each of the three divisions of the remaining walls. The pilasters which separate the panels are decorated with the familiar pot-and-foliage design; and are surmounted by arches carved in trefoil shape, certain of them being of pointed form. Some of the panels have weathered away, while others seem to have been left unfinished. The dado of panels is surmounted by a double cornice, the lower moulding being relieved at intervals with replicas of the arched fronts of *chaityas* alternated by well-carved geese; and the upper, of which the greater part is missing, being decorated with larger replicas of the same *chaitya* motif; birds of various kinds posed in diverse ways appearing in the intervals, between them. In a few places, there are signs of a third cornice of greater prominence, in one case portraying a human head within an arch. This third cornice was, however, either never finished or subsequently ruined before the present brick walling here was erected. There is a pleasing variety of sculpture figured in the panels of the dado; human couples in amorous postures; representations of Makaras; scroll foliage and geometrical patterns; again, elaborately dressed* women seated in pairs; Kinnaras playing on musical instruments; a snakecharmer, etc. The sculptures of deities include Śiva and Pārvatī in separate panels; or together in one, where the goddess turns aside in fear, on beholding the terrific form of her spouse; Kārtikeya with the peacock; Gaja-Lakṣmī; the gods Agni and Kuvera; the Kachchhappa Jātaka cleverly represented; and there are scenes depicting archery. In other panels, men and women appear in contorted attitudes, and a monstrous lion is depicted, its long neck towering over a smaller beast which has a curiously porcine look. ‘Many are occupied,’ says Dr. Spooner of these panels, ‘with merely decorative devices some of which are of extreme beauty and fascination. One shows a design based upon the hexagon, which Sir John Marshall tells me, was supposed, like the pointed arch, to be exclusively of Moslem inspiration in this country; while others show a great variety of intricate and altogether charming geometrical designs. Perhaps the strangest are those panels, which represent apparently folding doors or gates, where one wing of the gate is shown to be closed, while the other half is rendered open by the simple device of not sculpturing it at all, but letting one-half of the figure within appear to view. One panel is entirely taken up with the heraldic mask so popular in Gupta art and in the art of later times, down to the coming of the Moslems. Another shows a human-headed bird with very flowery tail, the whole having a curiously Burmese look about it. A very heraldic pheasant sort of bird is strutting like any jackdaw of Rheims in another, swinging triumphantly an inverted Vajra in his beak.’
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“The outside stone plinth having been cleared, Dr. Spooner came to some foundation stones, on which the superstructure rests, and still lower down to what appeared to be a brick pavement a few feet wide, at the edge of which, a trench was dug down some 8 ft. From the evidence disclosed in this operation, it became clear that the stone-temple above was a much later structure erected over an older brick building; and as the panels of the plinth, according to Dr. Spooner, are assignable to about the sixth or seventh century A.D., it would appear that these materials were taken from an older building and utilized in the decoration of this temple, the level of which, in relation to the other strata, disclosed in the Nālandā area postulates a considerably later date for it. Dr. Spooner continues: ‘The exquisite quality of the carvings shows that their date must have been not far distant from Imperial Gupta times’.
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“The external dimensions of the temple are 118 ft. by 102 ft., but nothing definite can be said of the interior plan, until further clearance is carried out. The usual position of the sanctum is covered with debris of huge stones, and except two chambers, one on each side of the entrance, nothing can yet be made out. Fragments of the crowning amalaka, and various stone members used in the construction of the temple, are lying about the debris-covered remains.”¹
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¹ J. B. O. R. S., IX, Pt. I, pp. 16-18.
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Can this temple be the Brass-temple referred to by Hiuen Tsiang’s biographer?² The reasons for this suggestion are:—(1) the structure built of stone could well bear the weight of brass-plates, (2) such a brass canopy would be a fitting finish to a temple which was so richly decorated with ornamentations, (3) the temple is just in the neighbourhood of the monastery which is perhaps the monastery built by Harṣa (the King of Central India).³ Lastly, the panels of the plinth, according to Spooner,⁴ are assignable to about the sixth or seventh century A.D., which is exactly the time, when the temple was built by Harṣa.
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² Hwui Li, o.c., p. 159.
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³ Hiuen Tsiang, o.c., II, p. 170.
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⁴ See J. B. O. R. S., IX, Pt. I, p. 17.
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NALANDA EXCAVATIONS. DIAGRAMMATIC PLAN OF SITE.
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STUPA SITE
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MONASTERY 1A
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MONASTERY 1
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SHRINE
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MONASTERY 6
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MONASTERY 5
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MONASTERY 4
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STUPA MOUND
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STUPA MOUND
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STUPA MOUND
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ENTRANCE
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ENTRANCE
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MONASTERY 7
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MONASTERY 8
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MONASTERY 9
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MONASTERY 10
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MONASTERY 11
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SHRINE
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TEMPLE 2
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SHRINE
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To STATION
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To BARGAON
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Scale of 100 0 100 200 300 FEET
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H. H. Khan 19.5.20 OFFG. SUPERINTENDENT ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY CENTRAL CIRCLE, PATNA.
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The area of the University must have extended on its east to the village of Burgaon, as the whole village appears to be situated on a huge mound and numerous images of the Buddhist pantheon lie scattered about, in fields, under trees and on the roadside of the village. How far it spread on the west it is difficult to say, for there are numerous mounds very near monastery No. 1 and Stūpa-site No. 3, which still remain unearthed. This would still extend the area by half a mile or so. But, after these mounds, crossing the fields and at a distance of about a mile and a half, there is a huge statue of Buddha, a photograph of which appears on another page.¹ The statue, itself stands on a high mound, which is covered over by numerous remains of ancient pottery. This is suggestive of the fact that the mound contains under its womb remnants of some old building dating far back to Nālandā’s times. The statue, also, must have been there from the time of its first inception, as its very size makes it almost immovable. Possibly, then, Nālandā of ancient times might have extended to this village also.
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¹ See Chap. VI, pl. II.
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Let us now see if we can identify the saṅghārāmas, vihāras and stūpas attributed by Hiuen Tsiang to various kings in the plan of the excavations called hereafter “PE”.
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According to Hiuen Tsiang:
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(1) Kumāragupta I built a saṅghārāma by the side of a tank on a lucky spot (o.c., II, p. 168). This saṅghārāma very probably is M.1B² of “PE” as it is situated by the side of the lakes, and very nearly to their south. And the Stūpa No. 3, which lies between the lakes and the monastery, seems to be there even before the building was constructed by Kumāragupta I. According to the A. S. R., however, M. 1 appears to be the oldest.
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² See pl. XV.
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(II) Skandagupta built a *saṅghārāma* to the south of the one above. (*Ibid.*) This *saṅghārāma* then will correspond with M. 1A of "PE."
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(III) Puragupta built a *saṅghārāma* to the east of this. (*Ibid.*) This will correspond with M. 1 of "PE."
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(IV) Narasimhagupta built a *saṅghārāma* on the north-east side. (*Ibid.*) This can be identified with M. 5 of "PE."
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(V) Kumāragupta II built another on the west. (*Ibid.*, p. 170.) This will correspond with M. 6 of "PE," though we said before that it was probably constructed by Harṣa.
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(VI) Harṣa built another great *saṅghārāma* to the north of this. (*Ibid.*) The *Life of Hiuen Tsiang* says it was built by the side of the one built by Kumāragupta II. (p. 111.) M. 7 of "PE" perhaps is the one that was built by Harṣa, though the vastness of M. 6 and its proximity to "Temple 2" leads us to think that it was M. 6 and not M. 7 that was built by Harṣa.
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Buildings other than *saṅghārāmas* are:
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(1) A *vihāra* on the western side of the *saṅghārāma* and at no great distance from it. (*o.c.*, II, p. 172.)
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The big *stūpa* mound lying immediately to the west of M. 7 is probably the *vihāra* referred to by Hiuen Tsiang. The fact that "PE" calls it a *stūpa* mound need not deter us from identifying it with Hiuen Tsiang's *vihāra*, because it is not excavated yet, and the only reason for calling it a *stūpa* is that it falls in the line of *Stūpa* No. 3 and the one at the northern extremity.
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(2) A small *stūpa* 100 paces or so to the south (*Ibid.*), probably of the above mentioned *vihāra*.
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(3) A standing figure of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva on the southern side of the above. (*Ibid.*)
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Even at present, though it is not shown in "PE", there stand a small *stūpa* and the figure which now lies close by the *Stūpa* No. 3.
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(4) To the south of this statue a *stūpa* in which are the remains of Buddha's hair and nails. (*Ibid.*, p. 173). We think that this *stūpa* is identical with *Stūpa* No. 3, firstly, because, it is almost to the south of the figure and again to its west lies the lake as described by Hiuen Tsiang. (*Ibid.*)
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So far Hiuen Tsiang's account conforms well with the plan of the excavations.
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But the following buildings present some difficulty in their identification.
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"Next to the east" continues Hiuen Tsiang, "there is a great *vihāra* about 200 feet high." It is hard to locate this. The unexcavated ruins to the east of M. 1 may contain within their womb the remnants of this huge *vihāra*.
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Of the remaining buildings, the most important ones are:— The great *vihāra*, about 300 feet high, lying to the north of the *vihāra* which contained a figure of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, built by Narasimhagupta (*Ibid.*), and the the *vihāra* of brass built by Harṣa.
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The only building in "PE" with which any of these *vihāras* can be identified is the Stone-Temple, 2. We have previously identified it with the brass temple of Harṣa, and have adduced reasons for the same. Therefore we cannot identify it with the *vihāra* of Narasimhagupta.
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Hiuen Tsiang seems to make a distinction between a "*saṅghārāma*" and a "*vihāra*". This distinction is difficult to make out. We have taken "*vihāra*" to mean a "Temple" and a "*saṅghārāma*", as it literally means, place where the *saṅgha*, the students, stayed, something like our present day college-hostel, with this difference that the former was much more than a hostel. In fact, a *saṅghārāma* stood for a hostel, a college and a chapel at the same time.
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The wall referred to by Hiuen Tsiang remains uptil now a puzzle. We tried hard to find out its traces, but could not get any remains of it. The only way to explain its non-recovery appears to be this: that, in the time of the Pālas, the University outgrew itself and in order to make room for newer buildings the physical boundaries were broken down.
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However, excavations are still proceeding. There yet remain some mounds in the south-west of monastery No. 1 and to the east of monastery No. 11 in "PE." Let us, therefore, hope that when these will be unearthed the remains of the extinct walls might become visible, besides throwing fresh light on the arrangement of the buildings.
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BRONZE & GOLD FIGURES OF THE BUDDHIST PANTHEON (FROM KURKIHAR, NEAR GAYA)