The admission was secured on the basis of a very tough entrance exam. Knowledge was imparted on virtually all subjects including science, philosophy, medicine, warfare etc. Its fame ran not only in India but also in south-east and central Asia. Its Mathematical as well as the Astronomical department was quite renowned.

In fact Nalanda was the first university in the world to have given Astronomy a separate status from Mathematics. When Hsuen Tsang visited Nalanda he was astonished to see the collection of books in the library. The books contained in the library belonged to a wide range of topics, which he had never seen before in his life.

Hsuen Tsang also refers to his interaction with the gatekeeper of the library. Who he says knew far lot more than him in almost all the subjects including Medicine and Astronomy. Unfortunately many of the works of Hsuan Tsang got lost in Brahmaputra river during his return journey to China, as such our knowledge about Nalanda and its students are very limited.

In 1200 A.D. Islamic zealots led by Bhaktiyar Khilji destroyed the Nalanda university completely. It is said that the library containing invaluable books, kept on burning for nearly six months. With the library all the knowledge mankind had gained in years went into the flame.

What Newton discovered many centuries later (Gravity) had already been discovered by the students and teachers of Nalanda university. The books were thrown into the flames by persons who thought that there is no truth other than that written in Quran. And thus pushed the India into the dark age through which she is still groping to pass through.