Interview: Abhay K, Diplomat and Author, Nalanda: How It Changed the World 'I could hear the murmur of life in Nalanda's ruins'

On the ancient university that nurtured scholars who contributed to Buddhist philosophy and Sanskrit grammar

- Chintan Girish Modi

Why did you choose to write a book on the Nalanda Mahavihara? I was born and raised in the Nalanda district of Bihar, yet much about Nalanda was a mystery to me. I wanted to understand why Nalanda became such a celebrated Buddhist monastery-university, what was taught there, who taught there and what contributions it made. I wanted to know whether it was destroyed suddenly or if the decline occurred over a period of time.

These questions came to my mind whenever I visited the ruins of the Nalanda Mahavihara. I did not find answers to these questions easily in one source. To satisfy my curiosity, I began my own research. I found some startling facts that I was not aware of. Therefore, I decided to write a book on Nalanda that could provide comprehensive information addressing certain questions.