The new Nalanda University campus at Rajgir in Bihar, remodelled after the 1,600-year-old Nalanda Mahavihar, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2024, marking a significant revival of the first residential university in the world, originally founded in 427 CE by Emperor Kumaragupta.

Steeped in history

The world’s first residential university gained its name from ‘nalam’ (lotus) and ‘da’ (to give), symbolising the blossoming of knowledge.

Green campus

Revival of the university gained momentum in 2006 after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, then President of India, proposed its reestablishment. The architectural design was chosen on the basis of a global competition and the jury, consisting of architects including Liu Thai Ker, chose Pritzker Prize laureate and Padma Vibhushan late BV Doshi’s firm, Vastu Shilpa Consultants, as the winner of the design competition.

The new campus, built at an initial cost of Rs 18 billion and spread over 485 acre, merges eco-friendly architecture with ancient Vaastu principles. The campus is among the largest in India and its commitment to sustainability is evident in its net-zero green campus, which includes a 6.5-MW DC on-grid solar plant, a 500-kld water treatment plant, a 400-kld water recycling plant and 100 acre of water bodies with an innovative 1.2-MW AC biogas-based waste-to-energy plant. Indeed, the new campus of Nalanda University symbolises the revival of an ancient institution and serves as a beacon of modern educational excellence and sustainability.

A Forest of Memories

Smritivan Earthquake Memorial is on UNESCO's 2024 list of the most beautiful museums.

The Smritivan (Forest of Memories) Earthquake Memorial Museum in Bhuj, Gujarat, has been honoured as one of the world’s seven most beautiful museums globally by UNESCO’s Prix Versailles Award for Architecture and Design. It is the first museum in India to receive international recognition for adherence to local culture, environmental conservation and sustainable practices.

Situated on the Bhujiyo Dungar (a small hill) on the outskirts of Bhuj and spread over 470 acres, it is the first earthquake memorial in the country. The site features the world’s largest Miyawaki forest, with around 0.5 million trees, 50 check dams adorned with plaques bearing the names of the victims of the 2001 earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, which claimed close to 13,000 lives and affected 890 villages. The museum also includes a special theatre that offers a realistic simulation of the earthquake experience using sound, light and vibration along with a 360º projection. The architect was Rajeev Kathpalia from Vastushilpa Sangath LLP while the exhibition design and curation for the museum was done by Design Factory India.

Design intent

The hill’s steep slope posed a challenge in constructing a building that blended with the landscape as the hill holds cultural significance to the community and constructing a large-scale box contrasting with the hill was considered inappropriate. So, the natural contours of the hill were incorporated into the design.

Resilience and regeneration

As Smritivan was planned to be a pilgrimage site for bereaved families of the victims, each element of the museum, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, stands as a symbol of Gujarat’s resilience in the face of adversity and focuses on regeneration and hope for a better future.

- R SRINIVASAN