PM Modi visits ruins of Nalanda Mahaviharam in Bihar

Marks his first visit to the State after the Lok Sabha election

Nalanda: Ahead of inaugurating the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar’s Rajgir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited and took a tour of the ruins of the ancient Nalanda Mahaviharam.

The visit marks the first visit by the Prime Minister to the State after the Lok Sabha election.

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The ancient Nalanda University, established around 1600 years ago, is considered to be among the first residential universities in the world.

The new university campus is created to be a replica of the historic Nalanda University. Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, “It’s a very special day for our education sector. At around 10.30 am today (Wednesday), the new campus of Nalanda University will be inaugurated at Rajgir. Nalanda has a strong connection with our glorious past. This university will surely go a long way in catering to the educational needs of the youth.”

It’s a very special day for our education sector. At around 10:30 AM today, the new campus of the Nalanda University would be inaugurated at Rajgir. Nalanda has a strong connect with our glorious past. This university will surely go a long way in catering to the educational needs… pic.twitter.com/sJh6cndEve

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2024

Modi also toured the ruins of the ancient Nalanda University complex. Highlighting Nalanda’s “strong connection with our glorious past,” PM Modi said the university will surely go a long way in catering to the educational needs of the youth.

The inauguration ceremony will be attended by several eminent people, including the heads of missions from 17 countries. The campus has two academic blocks with 40 classrooms, with a total seating capacity of around 1,900.

It has two auditoriums with a capacity of 300 seats each. It has a student hostel with a capacity of around 550 students. It also has various other facilities, including an international centre, an amphitheatre that can accommodate up to 2000 individuals, a faculty club, and a sports complex, among others.

The campus is a ‘Net Zero’ Green Campus. It is self-sustaining with solar plants, domestic and drinking water treatment plants, a water recycling plant for reusing wastewater, 100 acres of water bodies, and many other environment-friendly facilities.

The university is conceived as a collaboration between India and East Asia Summit (EAS) countries. It has a deep connection with history.