Revival of Vikramshila: Bihar’s Ancient Learning Legacy

Context:

Following the successful revival of Nalanda University, Bihar is now poised to resurrect Vikramshila University, another ancient center of knowledge. This development, announced on March 24, 2025, underscores India’s efforts to reclaim its historical educational heritage, with significant implications for cultural preservation and modern education.

Key Information Points:

• Historical Significance: Vikramshila University, located in Bhagalpur district, thrived for four centuries until the 13th century, excelling in Tantrayana Buddhism alongside Hinayana and Mahayana traditions.
• Decline and Fall: Like Nalanda, it declined due to the rise of Hinduism, waning Buddhism, and invasions, notably by Bakhtiyar Khalji, fading around the 13th century.
• Revival Initiative: Approved in 2015 with a Rs 500 crore sanction, progress stalled until 2025 when 202.14 acres were identified at Antichak village for the new Central university.
• Current Progress: Land acquisition is nearing completion, and NH-80 repairs (linking Vikramshila to Bhagalpur, 50 km away) are underway, signaling imminent construction.
• ASI Efforts: Since December 2024, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been enhancing the ancient site—featuring a cruciform brick stupa and 208 monk cells—for tourism.
• Educational Legacy: Once a global hub with a vast library, Vikramshila specialized in tantric practices, with scholars translating manuscripts in a cooled library system.
• Leadership Vision: PM Narendra Modi, on February 24, 2025, emphasized its past as a world knowledge center, while Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary highlighted future collaboration with Nalanda.
• Conservation Focus: ASI aims to preserve the site’s original structure, exposing features like the stupa and library ruins, reflecting its historical grandeur.
• Cultural Impact: The revival aligns with India’s push to restore ancient educational institutions, boosting Bihar’s heritage tourism and academic prestige.
• Future Potential: The new university could emulate Vikramshila’s interdisciplinary past, fostering modern education rooted in historical ethos.

Key Terms:

• Vikramshila University: Ancient Bihar-based center of Buddhist learning, prominent until the 13th century.
• Tantrayana Buddhism: Esoteric Buddhist tradition emphasizing tantric rituals, a specialty of Vikramshila.
• Nalanda University: Revived ancient university in Bihar, a model for Vikramshila’s restoration.
• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): Government body preserving India’s historical sites, including Vikramshila.
• Cruciform Stupa: Cross-shaped brick monument, the centerpiece of Vikramshila’s ruins.
• Bakhtiyar Khalji: 13th-century invader linked to the decline of Buddhist centers like Vikramshila.

Link To The Original Article – https://indianexpress.com/article/india/after-nalanda-another-bihar-university-now-set-to-rise-from-the-ruins-9904222/