Department of Mahayana Buddhist Studies

The Centre for Mahayana Buddhist Studies was established in 1982 under the scholarly guidance of Padma Vibhushan Prof. K. Satchidananda Murthy, the inspiration of late Prof. R. Subrahmanyam, who extensively excavated the Nagarjunakonda site in 1960 and the then External Affairs Minister Dr. P.V. Narasimha Rao. His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuk inaugurated the Chair of Mahayana Buddhism and donated an endowment fund. The UGC grant had provision for constructing a Chaitya model building to house the Centre. Padma Vibhushan Prof. K. Satehidananda Murthy is the Honorary Director of the Centre.
I. Teaching Programme : In accordance with the guidelines provided for the Centre by the National Committee of Experts, the Centre lays focus on the multidimensional study of Buddhism in general and Mahayana Buddhism in particular. In 1993, Master degree in Philosophy with emphasis on Buddhism was started. In 1998, a Master’ degree in Mahayana 1998 Buddhist Studies was started. This course is unique and the centre is the only institution in India offering this programme. A diploma programme on Mahayana Buddhist Studies is proposed to be introduced by the centre to develop awareness among the interested people apart from making it an add-on course to the P.G students of Tourism Management, History & Archeology and others.