Nālandā: A Glorious Past by Anand Singh
Nālandā: A Glorious Past
‘Winner of the Professor Annapurna Chattopadhyaya Award for an outstanding book on Ancient Indian History and Culture, Indian History Congress, 2025’
AUTHOR- Anand Singh
| PB ₹1395 |
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INFORMATION
- AUTHOR : Anand Singh
- HB ISBN : 978-93-7795-442-0
- Year : 2026
- Extent : 676
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This book deals extensively with various facets of Nālandā Mahāvihāra and its contribution to the vast expanse of knowledge and arts of Asia. Some of the important facets of the book are the origin and transformation of Nālandā from Vihārato Mahāvihāra, a brief sketch on Nāgārjuna, father of Nālandā scholasticism, formation of an academic culture at Nālandā, emergence of a book cult in Nālandā, worship of Tārā and the cult of Nāgas. Apart from this it also includes an analysis of financial management, water management, monastic structures, as well as Ᾱrogyavihāra and school of medicine at this centre. Examining the maritime contacts between Jāvā-Sumātrā (Suvarṅadvīpa) and Nālandā as well as Nālandā’s connections with ancient China, this work explores the efflorescence and decline of Nālandā Mahāvihāra.
The Author
Anand Singh currently teaches history and archaeology in the Department of History, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow. He previously served as a Professor and Dean in various institutions, including the Central University of South Bihar, Nalanda University, and Gautam Buddha University. He has been awarded for his writings by the Indian History Congress and other international organizations. His authored books include Water, Environmental and Corporeal Traditions in Buddhism (2025); Rethinking Buddhism: Text, Context, Contestation (2023); Planet, Plants, and Animals: Ecological Paradigms in Buddhism (2019); Dāna Reciprocity and Patronage in Buddhism (2017); Buddhism at Sārnāth (2014); and Tourism in Ancient India (2005).
Nālandā: A Glorious Past deals with the Nālandā tradition. The great Nālandā tradition emphasizes the use of logic and reasoning as part of the exploration of the nature of reality. I am a proud student of this Nālandā tradition.
—HH THE DALAI LAMA XIV