Nawada is a city and municipality in Bihar, India. It is also the headquarters of Nawada district. It is located on both sides of the Khuri River at latitude 24º 53' N and 85º 33' E. The name comes from Nau-abad, which means new city. In 1845 it was established as a subdivision of Gaya district. On 26 January 1973, Nawada was formed as a separate district from Gaya district. It is part of Magadh division.
Nawada is part of the ancient Magadh Empire in southern Bihar. The origin of the name Nawada comes from the Sanskrit Nau-abad, meaning "New Town", formerly known as "The Eliot Market (Bazaar)". Before the takeover by the East India Company, Nawada was ruled by the quasi-independent Rajas of Hisua, who ruled over the Muslim Mayi (clan). After the takeover, Nawada was in great disarray until 1845, when it became the headquarters of the newly created sub-division. Elements of disorder arose again during the mutiny of 1857, when Nawada was overrun by marauding parties. Local offices were destroyed, but native officials preserved government documents and hid them in a cave on a neighboring hill. These are the only public records available dating back to before 1857 in the district. Two miles to the north there is a Jain temple in the center of a large water tank west of the public road, but the town itself contains no important buildings and is of little historical interest. The city contains one of the two Satyagraha ashrams in the country founded by Gandhi ji. It was also the birthplace and workshop of Indrabhuti Gautama, the chief disciple of Lord Mahavir in Jainism. The modern city is just 40 kilometers from Nalanda University, the oldest university in the world.
