The Gaya Nalanda trip

 Nalanda is believed to be a completely residential university. The ability to blend different discourses and embrace knowledge in its entirety made Nalanda attractive for all seekers of knowledge. The archeological components suggest a seamless coexistence between human and nature. The profound knowledge of Nalanda’s teachers attracted scholars from places as distant as China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia. These scholars have left records about the ambience, architecture, and learning at this unique university. The most detailed accounts have come from Chinese scholars and the best known of these is Xuan Zang who carried back many hundred scriptures which were later translated into Chinese. Buddhism started losing popularity steadily during the time of the Palas, which resulted to the decline of Nalanda. And the final blow came with the Muslim invasion of the Northern India during the 17^th Century.

Walking around the excavated ruins was an amazing sight with feelings of gratitude. An unusual intellectual ferment was a characteristic of the Ancient Magadha which left it traces behind on the remains of Nalanda. It is heartening to know that efforts were being initiated by former President APJ Abdul Kalam to revive the university and In September 2014, the University opened its doors for the first batch of students, after a gap of nearly eight hundred years.

Time seems to be zipping by and we are yet to visit the Hiuen Tsang Memorial Hall. This memorial, built in memory of the Chinese traveller, is an architectural masterpiece. The memorial is located 2 km from the Nalanda Archeological ruins, and we took an e-Rickshaw to travel faster on the narrow road. This memorial is a distinct reminder of the Chinese architectural style. One will find multiple writings of Tsang preserved here. He was warmly welcomed in Nalanda where he received the Indian name of Mokshadeva and studied under the guidance of Shilabhadra. Besides Buddhist studies, Hiuen Tsang also attended courses in grammar, logic, and Sanskrit, and later also lectured at the Mahavihara.

Tibet too inherited and preserved the vast wealth of Indian Buddhism almost in its entirety, encompassing the three main “vehicles” of teaching, Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. The Dalai Lama refers to himself as a follower of the lineage of the seventeen Nalanda masters.

Sunset approaching, it was time to head back. It was indeed a tight trip around but we returned satisfied with our accomplishments and looking forward to our compulsory final destination the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya, hoping to make it on time before the gate closes for the day. The Temple is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick; still standing in India, from the late Gupta period.This property is considered the cradle of Buddhism in the history of mankind.  Mahabodhi Temple Complex is of great relevance as it marks the most important event in the life of Lord Buddha, the moment when Prince Siddhartha attained Enlightenment and became Buddha, an event that shaped human thought and belief.

From the east, a flight of steps leads down through a long central path to the main temple and the surrounding area. The temple faces east and consists of a small forecourt in the east with niches on either side containing statues of the Buddha. A doorway leads into a small hall, beyond which contains a gilded statue of the seated Buddha (over 5ft high) holding earth as witness to his achieved Enlightenment.

The Giant Bodhi Tree, to the west of the main temple, is supposed to be a direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which Buddha attained enlightment. Next to the Bodhi Tree is the Vajrasana, a platform attached to the main temple made of polished sandstone to mark the spot where Buddha sat and meditated There are six other sacred sites of Buddha’s enlightenment, in the Temple complex and numerous ancient Votive stupas, The Lotus Pond, located outside the enclosure to the south, is considered sacred as well. Both the temple area and the Lotus Pond are surrounded by circulating passages at two or three levels and the ensemble area is 5 m below the level of the surrounding land.

After completing a round of the premises we sat down under the Giant Bodhi quietly for sometime experiencing the stillness and calmness of the surroundings. People sitting together into meditation in pin drop silence, under the sacred tree was a heavenly moment to experience. I quietly sent a prayer of gratitude to the Almighty for this wondrous day in my life.

Visiting BodhGaya is not only about an immense feeling to pray and feel the inner peace at Mahabodhi Temple but it is also a great occasion to go around  and visit the different monasteries built by the countries of Japan, China, Bhutan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, Myanmar and Nepal. There are monasteries built by SIkkim and Tibet as well. Each monastery reflects the diverse Buddhist culture of the region and their architectural styles. They also reveal how far Buddhism has expanded from the place of its conception.

It was quite late in the evening and we had to get back for dinner at the hotel. By the time we reached back to our rooms all of us were thoroughly exhausted by the rollercoaster day. Next morning was departure to Patna to catch our flights back home. Bodhagaya too has an International Airport which is about 5 kms from the Temple city. The airport can handle 250 incoming and 250 outgoing passengers at a time. This airport is mainly seasonal and primarily caters to Buddhist tourists coming from South East Asian countries.

Finally while switching off the lights for the day, I sent a big Thank You to Deuta for the incredibly delightful trip and the moments that would linger on with us for a very long time ,of which he was also a part from far.

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