VALLABHI – The Port University of Equals
Vallabhi University was located in Bhavnagar of Gujarat, which was an important center of Buddhist learning, this university was built by Raja Bhattaraka of Maitraka. An interesting aspect of this is that, along with being the center of Buddhism, teachings of Vedic practices and Brahmanism were also given here. One of the most beautiful things about this university was that here, without any discrimination, a king’s son and a poor man’s son used to sit together and take education.
Vallabhi University, which was the center of Hinayana Buddhism, was famous for agriculture, public administration, religion and law, medicine, architectural science, economics, and accounting. Here the students after completing their education would get absorbed with all the kings who supported this university. Here the duration of most of the courses was up to 10 years, for which one teacher was appointed for every five students. In the middle of the 7th century, Xuanzang told about here that about 6000 students used to study together here, and 100 monasteries were established for their stay.
The end of Vallabhi University is considered to be in 775 CE when the Arabs attacked there, and it was almost completely destroyed, but the successors of the Maitraka dynasty preserved it by donating a lot, but its academic activity till the 12th century slowed down.
In recent times, a resolution was passed by the government to Vallabhi University that the idea of reviving this old heritage was started. So under this, it is our duty as well that we should protect this heritage of ours.
