A sports revolution in the middle of Bihar could make it India’s next sporting hub
Not too far from the ancient academic complex at Nalanda, a new sports centre in Rajgir is driving the state’s bid to emerge as India’s next sporting powerhouse
Once upon a time, Lord Buddha spent some time here, teaching. The first Buddhist council was also held here. And then, in the fifth century CE, possibly the world’s oldest residential university, Nalanda, came up here. The university flourished for seven centuries, and then was destroyed in the 12 century. Rajgir, about 100 km south of Patna, still remains a major draw for its many Buddhist attractions. But now, this ancient Buddhist university town has a new calling card.
About 20 km away from the ruins of Nalanda, a new landmark looks all set to steal the spotlight from the ancient academic centre: a state-of-the-art sports complex spread across 97.9 acres and built at a cost of about Rs 770 crore.
