NEP - 2020 :: LOOK AT WHAT WAS INDIA - Ancient Universities

 http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/ratna/ra01.html



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikramashila



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagaddala_Mahavihara



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushpagiri_Vihara


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odantapuri



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somapura_Mahavihara


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valabhi_University

The Buddhist complex atop the hill of Ratnagiri (map) was once an important Buddhist university, visited by the Chinese traveler Xuan Zong in 639 AD. It contains three monasteries, a temple, a large stupa, and numerous smaller structures. This photograph shows the entrance to Monastery 1, the largest in the complex. Originally the building had two stories, although the upper one has now disappeared. The entrance faces south, and leads to a green chlorite doorway (center of photo). Within is a large courtyard, surrounded by monks' cells. The principal shrine contains a large Buddha image and is located off the north side of the courtyard. A number of fine sculptures are kept on site and in the local museum, the remainder being distributed to museums in Bhubaneshwar and Calcutta.

The original brick structure dates to the 7th/8th century, while the stone facing on the walls and interior is from a later rebuilding. The complex fell out of use from the 12th century onward, when Buddhism disappeared from India under the twin pressures of Muslim invasion and Hindu resurgence.

Vikramashila (Devanagari:विक्रमशिला, IAST: Vikramaśilā) was one of the two most important centres of learning in India during the Pala Empire, along with Nalanda. Its location is now the site of Antichak village, Bhagalpur district in Bihar.

Vikramashila was established by the Pala emperor Dharmapala (783 to 820) in response to a supposed decline in the quality of scholarship at Nalanda. Atiśa, the renowned pandita, is sometimes listed as a notable abbot. It was allegedly destroyed by the forces of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji around 1193.^[1]

Jagaddala Mahavihara (fl. late 11th century - mid-12th century) was a Buddhist monastery and seat of learning in Varendra, a geographical unit in present north Bengal in Bangladesh.^[1] It was founded by the later kings of the Pāla dynasty, probably Ramapala (c. 1077-1120), most likely at a site near the present village of Jagdal in Dhamoirhat Upazila in the north-west Bangladesh on the border with India, near Paharapur.^[2] Some texts also spell the name Jaggadala.

Pushpagiri (IAST: Puṣpagiri) was an ancient Buddhist mahavihara located atop Langudi Hill (or Hills) in Jajpur district of Odisha, India. The complex contains ruins of stupas, rock-cut sculptures and other artifacts.

Pushpagiri was mentioned in the writings of the Chinese traveller Xuanzang (c. 602 – c. 664) and some other ancient sources. Until the 1990s, it was hypothesised to be the Lalitgiri-Ratnagiri-Udayagiri complex, also located in Jajpur district. However, archaeological excavations conducted at Langudi Hills during 1996-2006 resulted in the discovery of another site, with inscriptions describing the local monastery as puṣpa sabhar giriya, and identified by the excavators as Pushpagiri.

The visit of Xuanzang indicates that Pushpagiri was an important Buddhist site in ancient India. Along with Nalanda, Vikramashila, Odantapuri, Takshashila and Vallabhi, it is believed to be a major ancient centre of learning. It flourished between 3rd and 11th centuries CE.^[1]

Odantapuri (also called Odantapura or Uddandapura) was a Buddhist Mahavihara in what is now Bihar, India. It was established by the Pala Emperor Gopala I in the 8th century.^[1] It is considered the second oldest of India's Mahaviharas after Nalanda University and was situated in Magadha.

Acharya Ganga jee of Vikramashila was a student at this Mahavihara. According to the Tibetan records there were about 12,000 students at Odantapuri which was situated at a mountain called Hiranya Prabhat Parvat and by the bank of the river Panchanan.

In the modern era, it is situated in Bihar Sharif, headquarters of Nalanda district.

Somapura Mahavihara (Bengali: সোমপুর মহাবিহার, romanized: Shompur Môhabihar) in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Naogaon District, Bangladesh is among the best known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. It is also one of the earliest sites of Bengal, where significant amount of Hindu statues were found. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It dates from a similar time period to the nearby Halud Vihara and to the Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj Upazila of Dinajpur District.^[1]

The University of Valabhi was an important centre of Buddhist learning and championed the cause of Hinayana Buddhism between 600 CE and 1200 CE. Valabhi was the capital of the Maitraka empire during the period 480-775 CE. It was an important port for international trade located in Saurashtra, present day it is called Vallabhipur located in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat in western India, identical with the old state of Vala. For some time, the university was considered to be a rival to Nalanda, in Bihar, in the field of education. In September 2017, the Indian central government started to consider a proposal to revive the ancient university.^[1]