Much about the renowned monastery of Nalanda remains shrouded in mystery. When was it founded, and by whom? Who studied and taught there? What subjects were explored? How many students and teachers once walked its halls? Was Nalanda truly a university in the modern sense? And what led to its eventual downfall?

In Nalanda, Abhay K. unravels these enduring questions, tracing the rise, fall, and revival of this legendary seat of learning. Drawing on extensive research, he highlights Nalanda’s extraordinary contributions across diverse fields, including science, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, art, architecture, translation, poetry, script, grammar, and religion.

The book also delves into the lives of the great luminaries who shaped Nalanda’s unparalleled reputation and the foreign scholars who journeyed from distant lands to study at its celebrated monastery. Sweeping in scope and rich in detail, Nalanda offers a captivating narrative that illuminates the millennia-long legacy of one of the world’s greatest centers of knowledge.