His wisdom and scholarship were like the sun, bringing light to the world. When Hiuen Tsang, the learned pilgrim from China, made the perilous journey to the land of Buddha, his prayers were said to work miracles. From Turfan to Bamiyan and from Gandhara to Prayag, hostile rulers and merciless thieves were rendered powerless by his calm courage. His accounts bring 7th-century India to life even today.