Date uploaded in London – 19 JUNE 2024
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Flames can burn books, not knowledge: PM Narendra Modi
RAJGIR, Bihar, 19 June 2024
The Nalanda University stands for identity, honour, values and pride and was an ancient inclusive university that welcomed thousands of students from all over the world,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday as he inaugurated its new campus near Rajgir in Bihar.
Mr Modi said that the university has now been revived and its reconstruction “heralds a golden era” for the country. “Flames can burn books but not knowledge,” the Prime Minister said in the presence of a distinguished audience that included ambassadors of several nations, in reference to the tragic destruction of the great university more than eight centuries ago. “The destruction of Nalanda filled India with darkness,” he said, adding, “Nalanda will again become a symbol of our cultural exchange.”
Nalanda is a symbol of India’s academic heritage and vibrant cultural exchange. It is not just a renaissance of India’s past, but also the heritage of many countries are linked to this place,” he said. “Our government is working towards making the country’s higher education system more advanced and research-oriented. I am confident that our youth will provide leadership to the entire world in the future,” Mr Modi said. The Prime Minister said he wants India to become a global hub for knowledge and education. He said: “On average, one university has come up in the country every week in the last 10 years.”
To mark the occasion, Mr Modi also planted a sapling of the Bodhi tree at the campus. Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, MoS for external affairs Pabitra Margherita and chancellor of the university Aravind Panagariya were present at the inauguration ceremony. Before inaugurating the new campus, the PM visited the “Nalanda Mahavihara”, a UNESCO world heritage site located close to the varsity.
The modern Nalanda University in Rajgir is located close to the site of the ancient ruins of Nalanda and was established by an Act of Parliament. According to the ministry of external affairs, while the Nalanda University Act was passed by Parliament in 2010, the real impetus for the construction of the project came under the direction of Mr Modi, with the construction of the present project beginning in 2017 and it started functioning in 2014. The university adds meaning to India’s “Act East” policy. Along with India, there are 17 participating countries in this endeavour — Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Ambassadors of the aforementioned countries travelled to Nalanda to participate in the inaugural ceremony.
The university has a 250-capacity yoga centre, a state-of-the-art auditorium, a library, an archival centre and a fully equipped sports complex.
The university places emphasis on higher education and research and offers postgraduate and doctoral programmes in Buddhist studies, philosophy and comparative religions, languages and literature, ecology and environmental studies, sustainable development and environment and international relations and peace studies. At present, students from over 20 countries, including India, are enrolled in various courses at the university.
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Muslim attack on Nalanda University
It is a well known historical fact that the world famous Nalanda University was burnt down by fanatic Muslims and the University library was burning for three months; fortunately the Chinese who came to study there translated many of the books written by famous Buddhist philosopher cum magician Nagarjuna; now we are able to translate them back to Indian languages and English from Chinese language ( I have posted the important parts of Nagarjuna’s Yoga Ratna Mala in this blog). In our own times the Islamic terrorists demolished the world famous gigantic Bamiyan Buddha Statues in Afghanistan. And we also know that Mohammed of Gazin destroyed Somanathpura Shiva temple and took all gold jewellery; we also know that Malikkapur destroyed almost all temples in Tamil Nadu and took 1300 tons of gold. No wonder that they did burn down the Nalanda University.
Now Nalanda university raised again like phoenix bird from the ashes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was there today (19-6-2024)
Bakhtiyar Khalji, the general of Qutubuddin Aibak, conquered Bihar and Nadia, the capital of the Sena Kings of Bengal. He subsequently became obsessed with ambitions of conquering Tibet. He burnt down the Nalanda university completely.
The archaeological remains of Nalanda are now a Unesco World Heritage site. In the 1190s, the university was destroyed by a marauding troop of invaders led by Turko-Afghan military general Bakhtiyar Khilji, who sought to extinguish the Buddhist centre of knowledge during his conquest of northern and eastern India
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Background of Nalanda University:
– Nalanda University was a renowned mahavihara (Buddhist monastic university) located in ancient Magadha, in present-day Bihar, India
– It was considered the world’s first residential university and one of the greatest centers of learning in the ancient world
– The university operated from 427 to 1197 CE and played a vital role in promoting arts and academics during the “Golden Age of India”
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Nagarjuna, Vice Chancellor of Nalanda University, 1500 years ago (His story is in my blog)
Destruction of Nalanda University:
– In the 12th century, the university faced destruction at the hands of Bakhtiyar Khilji, an invader from the Delhi Sultanate
– Bakhtiyar Khilji attacked Nalanda, demolished the monastery, killed thousands of Buddhist monks, and burned the valuable library
– The exact year of the destruction is believed to be around 1200 CE
Reasons for the Destruction:
– The invasion and destruction of Nalanda University by Bakhtiyar Khilji were part of the larger conquests of the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent
– The motivations behind the destruction were likely a combination of religious intolerance, plunder, and the desire to establish dominance over the region.
–subham—
Tags- Nalanda University, Muslim attack, Library bouning, Bhaktiyar Khilji, Modi Visit, Modis famous quote, New Nalanda University,Nagarjuna
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