Nalanda was an ancient centre of learning for which religion?

The correct answer is Buddhism.

• Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian Subcontinent. It engaged in the organized transmission of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years.
• The historical development of the site testifies to the development of Buddhism into a religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions.
• It was a major Mahavihara or a large Buddhist monastery that also doubled up as an important center of learning from the 5th to 1200 AD in the erstwhile kingdom of Magadh.
• The construction of Nalanda university began in the 5th century AD and flourished under the Gupta rulers.
• It came to an end in the 12th century when it was destroyed in 1193 AD by the invading Turkish army led by its commander Bakhtiar Khilji.
• UNESCO has declared Bihar’s much-awaited ancient site – the ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara – a World Heritage Site.