vikramshila university

#IndianHistory Vikramaśīla University was one of the two most important centers of "Buddhist learning" in India, along with Nālandā University by Pala Kings (750 CE–1161 CE). It was established by King Dharmapala (783 to 820) due to the supposed decline in the quality of scholarship at Nālandā. A renowned Pandit named Atisha, was the principal abbot. The remains of the ancient university have been partially excavated at village Antichak in the Bhagalpur district, Bihar state, India.

The Vikramshila University grew to become the intellectual center for Tantric Buddhism. In the beginning of the 11th century AD, during the reign of King Ramapala, there were 160 teachers and 1000 students in the monastery.

The university lies on top of the hill on the banks of the River Ganga. There was a Buddhist shrine at the center of university enshrining the life-size copy of the Mahabodhi tree. 

The main teaching temples had statues of great Buddhist scholars namely; Nagarjuna and Atisa at the entrance. Santipa, Jetari, Ratnavajra, Jnanasrimitra, Naropa and Atisa teaching at Vikramshila University during that period. Over several centuries 53 small temples of teaching were built in the vicinity for the study of the Guhyasamaja Tantra along with another 54 ordinary temples. 

A fortified university was destroyed by Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji fighting the Sena dynasty along with the other teaching centers of Buddhism in India in 1193CE. (Ref: Rare Book Society of India)