Vikramaśīla University was one of the two most important centres of Buddhist learning in India during the Pal dynasty, along with Nālandā University. Vikramaśīla was established by King Dharmapal (783 to 820) in response to a supposed decline in the quality of scholarship at Nālandā. Atish, the renowned pandit, is sometimes listed as a notable abbot.
Vikramasila (village Antichak, district Bhagalpur, Bihar) is located at about 50 km east of Bhagalpur and about 13 km north-east of Kahalgaon, a railway station on Bhagalpur-Sahebganj section of Eastern Railway. It is approachable through 11 km long motorable road diverting from N.H.80 at Anadipur about 2 km from Kahalgaon.