Odantapuri
Photograph of the old ruined gate of the fort at Bihar Sharif in Bihar, taken by Joseph David Beglar in the 1870s. The fort is believed to have been part of Odantapuri | |
| Location | Bihar, India |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 25°11′49″N 85°31′05″E / 25.197°N 85.518°E |
| Type | Centre of learning |
| History | |
| Founded | 8th–9th century CE |
| Abandoned | 13th century CE |
| Events | Destroyed by Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji in the late 12th-century |
Odantapuri (also called Odantapura or Uddandapura) was a prominent Buddhist Mahavihara in what is now Bihar Sharif in Bihar, India. It is believed to have been established by the Pala ruler Gopala I in the 8th century. It is considered the second oldest of India's Mahaviharas after Nalanda and was situated in Magadha. Inscriptional evidence also indicates that the Mahavihara was supported by local Buddhist kings like the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya.
The vihara fell into decline in the 11th century, and was looted and destroyed by Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji, a Turkic Muslim invader in the late 1100s, when he launched multiple raids on Bihar and adjoining territories.