Vikramshila

Vikramaśīla University was one of the two most important centers of Buddhist learning in India, along with Nālandā University during the Pala dynasty. Vikramaśīla was established by King Dharmapala (783 to 820) in response to a supposed decline in the quality of scholarship at Nālandā. Atisha, the renowned pandita, is sometimes listed as a notable abbot.

A fortified Vikramaśīla was destroyed by Muslim invaders fighting the Sena dynasty along with the other major centers of Buddhism in India around 1200. The remains of the ancient university have been partially excavated at village Antichak in the Bhagalpur district, Bihar state, India, and the process is still underway.

The Vikramshila University was founded in the 8th century AD, which 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.

Vikramshila is not directly associated with Buddha but became a great center of Buddhist learning later. The Vikramshila Monastic University was founded in the 8th century AD and developed into the intellectual center for Tantric Buddhism. The university lies on top of the hill on the banks of the River Ganga. There was a temple at the center of university enshrining the life-size copy of the Mahabodhi tree. 53 small temples were in the vicinity for the study of the Guhyasamaja Tantra. Another 54 ordinary temples were also there. The main temples had statues of Nagarjuna and Atisa at the entrance. Santipa, Jetari, Ratnavajra, Jnanasrimitra, Naropa and Atisa were great scholars at Vikramshila University at that period of time.

Source: http://travelvikramshila.blogspot.in