Temple 3, Nalanda

Gupta period, late 6th - early 7th century AD

Temple 3 stands over 100 feet high. Its elevated stupa was accessed by a staircase, seen here, on the north side of the monument. Smaller stupas surround the platform, and original plasterwork is preserved on the NE and SE corners.

The temple underwent seven stages of remodelling between 300 BC and 1100 AD. The great stupa was built in the Gupta period. It is this (fifth) layer that is mostly visible today, although traces of the other layers can also be followed.