NALANDA OPEN UNIVERSITY
NALANDA OPEN UNIVERSITY The Nalanda Open University (NOU) is the only university in Bihar that offers distance learning and it was founded in March 1987. The emblem of the university has a dharma chakra with eight spokes in blue and yellow colours supported by an eight petalled lotus in red colour with a black border of sixteen petals. On each side below this motif laurels are placed and a swastika is placed in between them. Below these on a yellow banner the name of the university is inscribed in Devanagari. The motto in Sanskrit ‘पावका नः सरस्वती’ (Rig Veda 1.3.10) meaning ‘Sarasvatī, the Purifier’ surmounts the emblem. The chakra represents the Magadha dynasty and its Buddhist origin; the lotus denotes purity, enlightenment, rebirth, transformation, personal growth, resilience, overcoming obstacles and divine beauty; the laurels denote ceremonies, victory, achievement, hard work and dedication and the swastika means ‘That which is good’.