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The great Chinese traveller and monk scholar, Ven. Xuanzang, was a student at Nalanda Mahavihara and subsequently became the teacher of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara. He gave a vivid geographical and historical account about the life of Nalanda Mahavihara, which was a great centre of learning in the 7th century AD.
 During a visit to China in the 1950's, Ven. Kashyapji had the opportunity to meet the Premier Zhou-en-lai with whom he discussed the possibility of the Chinese Government giving some of the part of body relics of Ven. Xuanzang, said to have been carefully preserved in Buddhist shrines in China for over 13 centuries to Nava Nalanda Mahavihara. On January 12, 1957, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, on behalf of the Government of India, received the relics of Ven. Xuanzang from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a function at the Mahavihara, along with a cheque for the construction of a Xuanzang memorial at Nalanda. The relics, which will be enshrined in this hall, are currently kept in the Patna Museum, in Patna. The dream of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru to develop Xuanzang Memorial Hall as a symbol of Indo-Chinese friendship has materlized. On 12th February, 2007 the Xuanzang Memorial Hall was inaugurated with the grand success and opened for public. At the occasion several dignitaries of the both countries, India and China attended the function. From Indian side H.E. Shri R.S. Gavai the Governor of Bihar, Hon'ble Shri Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, Hon'ble Smt. Ambika Soni, Minister of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of India, Hon'ble Dr. Karan Singh, Chairman, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi attended this function. From Chinese side H.E. Mr. U. Zhaoxing, Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Ye Xiaowen, Administrator of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, Mr. Xue Cheng, Vice President and Secretary General of the Buddhist Association of China, Mr. Zhang Xiqin, Deputy Director General of the China National Tourism Administration attended this function.
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