Kanpur, May 20:Their technical know-how makes IITans an asset for the country's future, but a group of students from IIT-Kanpur are now trying to look back and ``re-create'' the Nalanda University through animation and computer-generated 3-D models to tell the world more about the ancient seat of learning.

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Abhishek Upadhyaya, a Final-Year Master of Design student at IIT-Kanpur, has designed Nalanda University the way it was before the Mughal rulers decided to raze it. Titled ``Information Visualisation and Digital Re-creation of Ancient Nalanda University'', the project collates and restructures data about the ancient university from vast and varied resources.

The idea, Upadhyaya said, is to bring to the fore the life and times of Nalanda of yore -- a time when it was the cynosure of knowledge and attracted over 10,000 students and 1,500 teachers -- to help present-day researchers, students, tourists and archeologists.

Making a brief tour of the date- and time-lines, Bishakha Bhattacharya, professor at IIT-Kanpur's Mechanical Engineering department, said the university existed between 4th century BC and 12th century AD near what is now Patna. Even the ruins of the university, which can be seen at Bargaon village near Rajgir in Patna district, offer enough indication of its splendour, Bhattacharya said.

The numerous monasteries/ viharas, temples and stupas ``confirm that it was a seat of learning not just for the region but the entire world''.

Though Nalanda has been part of history since 4th century BC, when Lord Buddha went there, Bhattacharya said it captured the world's attention as a university around 4th century AD, under the Gupta dynasty.

Gaurav Shukla, an animation and visual art student who assisted Upadhyaya in the ancient varsity's 3-D modelling, said technology could open a new vista with its near-perfect visualisation of historical artefacts. ``Computer-generated 3-D models makes possible virtual reconstruction of architectural and structural detail of any historical monument,'' Shukla said, ``though it is an extremely challenging task to do it practically.''

Shukla said the IIT-Kanpur group is trying to get a government authority or some agency involved in history to promote the fact that Nalanda University could be revived. ``If the cause is taken up by some responsible agency, Nalanda can be reconstructed with the help of animation and 3-D imaging developed by us.''