Nalanda is a city in Bihar state, northern India, close to Nepal. Established in the 5th century BC it became an important Buddhist centre of learning, at its peak accommodating some 3-10,000 monks. In the late 12th century it is thought to have been destroyed by Islamic invaders, though another theory suggests that it was razed by native brahmin extremists.
In 1951 a modern centre for Buddhist studies was founded.
Nalanda is also the name of two modern-day colleges, one in Sri Lanka and one in Toronto, Ontario Canada, and a monastery in France.
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