State PCS
The ancient Vikramashila University was located in:
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Answer: Option A — Bhagalpur district, Bihar
Detailed Solution
The ruins of the ancient Vikramashila University (Vikramashila Mahavihara) are located at Antichak village, in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar, near the Ganga river.
About Vikramashila:
- It was founded by the Pala king Dharmapala in the late 8th or early 9th century CE.
- It was, along with Nalanda, one of the most important centres of Buddhist learning in ancient India.
- It was especially famous for the study of Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism.
- It had a large central stupa (a cruciform, two-storeyed structure), surrounded by monastic cells, as well as temples, a library and other buildings.
- It had six gates, each guarded by a scholar ("dvarapandita") who tested students before admission.
- It attracted students and scholars from many countries, especially Tibet.
- Its most famous teacher was Atisha Dipankara Srijnana (982-1054), who went to Tibet in 1042 at the invitation of the Tibetan king and helped revive and reform Buddhism there.
- It was destroyed around 1203 CE by the Turkish general Bakhtiyar Khalji, who also destroyed Nalanda and Odantapuri.
Excavation:
Its site was identified at Antichak, and it was excavated by Patna University (1960-1969) and later by the Archaeological Survey of India (1972-1982).
Revival:
The Government of India has announced plans to set up a new central university at Vikramashila, near the ancient site.
Other ancient universities of India:
- Nalanda (Bihar): founded by the Gupta emperor Kumaragupta I in the 5th century; UNESCO World Heritage Site (2016).
- Odantapuri (Bihar): founded by the Pala king Gopala; near present-day Bihar Sharif.
- Takshashila (Taxila, now in Pakistan): one of the oldest centres of learning; associated with Chanakya and Panini.
- Valabhi (Gujarat): a centre of Hinayana Buddhism under the Maitraka kings.
- Somapura Mahavihara (now in Bangladesh): founded by Dharmapala; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Nalanda district has the ruins of Nalanda University.
- ✗Gaya district has Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
- ✗Varanasi district has Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon.
Quick tip
Remember: Vikramashila = Antichak, Bhagalpur, Bihar (founded by Pala king Dharmapala; Vajrayana; Atisha Dipankara; destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khalji about 1203); Odantapuri = Gopala; Nalanda = Kumaragupta I.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.