Entertainment News | From 5th Century to 21st: Abhay K's Book Rekindles India's Intellectual Heritage Through Nalanda

By Neeraj Barbudhe

New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI): The ancient university of Nalanda, once the intellectual heart of Asia, was at the centre of attention as poet-diplomat Abhay K unveiled his latest book, 'Nalanda: How It Changed the World', on Wednesday at the Vivekananda International Foundation in the national capital.

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The event drew academics, students, and literature-lovers eager to revisit the enduring legacy of one of the history's greatest centres of learning.

Abhay K., known for his poetry and diplomacy, takes readers on a journey from Nalanda's rise as a 5th-century Buddhist Mahavihara to its catastrophic destruction in the 12th century.

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Yet the book looks far beyond ruins and relics. It asks a pointed contemporary question: What would it mean to revive the spirit of Nalanda today?

Abhay K highlights six core principles that made Nalanda exceptional: a world-class knowledge infrastructure and immersive residential learning; a cosmopolitan student body drawn from China, Korea, Sri Lanka, Tibet and Persia; merit-based access regardless of wealth or caste; robust patronage from emperors and local communities; and a vision of education aimed at human flourishing, not just employability.

These pillars, the author argues, resonate strongly with the goals of India's National Education Policy 2020: critical thinking, interdisciplinary research, and global academic collaboration.

Academics attending the launch praised the book for bridging historical scholarship with present-day challenges.

The evening concluded with a call to action, to see education not just as a path to jobs, but as a public good and a moral endeavour.

As the audience left clutching signed copies, the message was clear: Nalanda's legacy is not locked in the past. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)