Nava Vihara

The Nava Vihāra (Sanskrit: नवविहार "New Monastery", modern Nawbahār, Persian: نوبهار‎) were two Buddhist monasteries close to the ancient city of Balkh in northern Afghanistan. Historical accounts report it as flourishing as an important centre of Buddhism between the seventh and eleventh centuries CE. It may have been founded considerably earlier, perhaps in or after the reign of the Kushan emperor Kaniṣka, in the second century CE.

Quotes

• The Arab authors have left interesting accounts of the destruction of Nava-Vihara (Nava-Bahara as they call it), and call its chief- priest, 'Baramik’. They describe the Nava-Vihara as a very wealthy monastery....
  • C.S. Upasak, in his History of Buddhism in Afghanistan, [1]

• Though the Nava-Vihara was pillaged and plundered many a time by the Arabs, in the beginning, however it continued to be a place of veneration for the surviving Buddhist community. Several revolts were made against the Arab rule in Balkh. The city and its great Buddhist monastic establishments suffered considerably and much devastations and destructions were done by them. The viharas were razed to the ground and their shrines were demolished and city turned into the heaps of ruins. The Arabs could bring this great town of Buddhist culture and religion under control only in 715 A.D. inspite of several stubborn resistances and rebellions by the people. The Arabs not only betook the riches, jewels and gems accumulated in the monasteries of Balkh but burnt to ashes those treasures which were enshrined in the form of manuscripts in the libraries of the monasteries. Perhaps it was the greatest cultural loss. Buddhist monks, the true upholders of Buddhism (Dhammadharas) were either put to sword or were forced to embrace Islam. The Buddhist community not only lost their sacred religious places but also became forlorn for want of their religious leaders, the Buddhist monks and was left to no way out but to adopt the new strange religion, the Islam. Probably Balkh was the first place in Afghanistan to lose its pristine glory, excellence and cultural heritage by the hands of Arabs and was set in ruins for the good.
  • C.S. Upasak, in his History of Buddhism in Afghanistan, [2]