The University of Nalanda c17.4

c17.4

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.