On the lines of International university of Nalanda, Bihar Government is going to start the project to expand tourist facilities and promotion of archaeological heritage at Vikramshila University Bhagalpur.
It is being funded by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and will be completed in several stages. In the first phase of the program in February this year, the look of historic Vikramshila heritage would be decorated..
Patnkr Juthika, Additional Director General of Archaeological Survey of India, said that the first phase work will start in the second week of February 2012. In this phase, at the cost of around Rs. 50 lakhs, tourist facilities will be expanded in the center of the archaeological heritage at Vikramshila University Circle Kahalgaon.
In the second stage of the project, search promotion and protection of Vikramshila heritage would be materialized. This would also facilitate the research and development activities.
Out of 208 dorm rooms of the Vikramshila known only 62 have been discovered yet. The task is to explore the rest of the rooms.
Founded in the eighth century by Pal dynasty rulers Vikramshila was an international center of learning grammar, logic, pharmacy, human anatomy, metallurgy, painting, etc. It was one of the two most important centers of Buddhist learning in India during the Pala dynasty, along with NÄlandÄ University. Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed the Mahavihara after attacking in the 12th century