Gujarat-based firm to design Nalanda University

A Gujarat-based company will draft the masterplan and design the upcoming Nalanda International University at the ancient seat of learning in Bihar, its vice chancellor said Tuesday.

Ahmedabad-based company Vastu Shilpa Consultants was selected for the job by a jury in New Delhi, Vice Chancellor Gopa Sabharwal said.

"Vastu Shilpa Consultants was one of the eight shortlisted architects and it impressed the jury that finalised its name...," Sabharwal told IANS, adding that they would have start the work at the earliest.

She said 79 proposals had been received.

The jury includes architects Liu Thai Ker of Singapore, Li Xiaodong of China, Osamu Ishiyama of Japan and Neelkanth Chhaya of India. The jury had visited the site of the proposed university in Nalanda district last week.

The university is set to come up on 446 acres in Rajgir, 10 km from the site of the ancient university in Nalanda, about 100 km southeast of Patna.

The university will be fully residential, like the ancient Nalanda university. It will offer courses in science, philosophy and spiritualism along with social sciences.

The project took shape in 2006 at the initiative of then president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

The ancient university at Nalanda was home to over 10,000 students and nearly 2,000 teachers. It existed until 1197 and attracted students and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.