Nalanda was an acclaimed Mahavihara, a large Buddhist monastery in the ancient Kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The highly formalized methods of Vedic learning helped inspire the establishment of large teaching institutions such as Taxila, Nalanda, and Vikramashila which are often characterised as India’s early universities. At its peak, the school attracted scholars and students from near and far with some travelling all the way from Tibet, China, Korea and Central Asia. Archaeological evidence also notes contact with the Shailendra dynasty of Indonesia, one of whose kings built a monastery in the complex.