Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is a deemed university offering education from the state of Bihar. In the early 1950’s with a view to revive the lost glory and heritage of ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, the first president of the nation Dr. Rajendra Prasad, declard the ancient seat of Buddhist learning at Nalanda would be revived. The Bihar Government introduced the Allied Languages and Buddhist Learning at Nalanda and Magadh Institute of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Pali in the year 1951 and the former institute was renamed as Nava Nalanda Mahavihara.

The inspiration behind the establishment of this university was to develop a centre for higher studies in Buddhism and Pali along the lines of ancient Nalanda Mahavihara. Right from the beginning, the institute has been functioning as a residential institution with restricted number of not only Indian students, but foreign students as well.

The campus of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is located at a distance of about 100 kms from the metropolis of the city of Patna on the southern bank of Indrapuskarani, which is a historical lake. Near to the northern bank lie the ruins of the ancient Nalanda University. The list of courses offered by the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is given below:

List of Courses:

• Certificate course in Pali

• Diploma Course in Pali

• Bachelor of Arts (honors) in Pali

• Master of Arts in

o Pali

o Philosophy

o Ancient History, Culture & Archeology

o Buddhist Studies

o Sanskrit

o Hindi

o English

o Tibetan Studies

o Buddhist and Languages

• Preparatory course in Tibetan Studies

Course Admissions:

In addition to these courses, the university is also offering research course of Ph. D in Pali and Buddhist Studies for which admission is done purely on merit secured by candidates in the entrance examination conducted by the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara on its own. For all other courses offered by the university, candidates are selected based on their merit in the Admission/Proficiency Test conducted by the university on its own.

In the process of admission of students to the different courses, the university offers preference to the Buddhist recluses as per the motto of the founder Director of the University Late Ven. Jagadish Kashyap, who has laid down the objectives and aims of the university. Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is acting as Deemed University under Ministry of Culture of the Indian Government. Thus, the university is dedicated towards the development of Pali language and Buddhist Studies.