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Soon former Bihar governor, Ram Nath Kovind today elected as 14 th president of India , fresh hope generated among the  residents at Bhagalpur – the hope for revival of ancient Vikramshila Buddha Mahavihara like that of Nalanda.

Different social organizations along with a large section of people from different walks of lives who especially alleging the concerned government machineries for its alleged hostile attitude towards this ancient seat of learning vis-a vis demanding for the revival of Vikramshila in the pattern of Nalanda or other ancient landmarks in the country, were quite hopeful today.

“We hope the new president who visited Vikramshila recently along with the than president of India, Pranav Mukherjee, would take care about this unique heritage of India,” said N K Jaiswal, convener of Vikramshila Nagarik Samity, a Kahalgaon based body which has been fighting for the cause of Vikramshila since long. He said that the Samity would send a formal request to Kovind urging his immediate intervention in Vikramshila affairs.

Foreign tourists at half-excavated site of Vikramshila Buddha Mahavihara.

Rajiv Siddharth, the president of Press Club of Eastern Bihar, a body of media persons at Bhagalpur was excited with the appointment of Kovind as the next president of this country. He hoped that the new president would certainly remember the demands which were placed by the Club before the than president of India , Pranav Mukherjee during his visit to the half-excavated site of Vikramshila on April 3,2017. “We have been fighting for the cause of Vikramshila since long as we included it in our agenda, the philanthropical affairs of the Club. We already have documented Vikramshila in a souvenir format which was unveiled by Pranav Mukherjee on April 3 last in presence of Kovind at Vikramshila,” Siddharth pointed out. The only thing which would be required is the  persuasion from Kovind’s side as the nation head to the concerned government agencies for Vikramshila, said Pradeep Kumar, a social activist here.

“Vikramshila should immediately be included in Buddha Circuit and also be tagged in the World Heritage Site of UNESCO as like Nalanda. And Vikramshila really deserved for it,” said Pawan Kumar Choudhary, a well known scholar in Vikramshila affairs. He said that Vikramshila still has immense tourism  potentialities and if it would have been attached in the two above sites, the inflow of tourists from abroad would increase.

Many local residents also echoed the same view and hoped for the rival of Vikramshila with the initiative taken by Kovind as new President of India. Many among them said that since Kovind is familiar with the facts of Vikramshila and also is aware of the plights and problems of this ancient seat of learning, he might not be taught for motivating for the cause of Vikramshila.

People here also quite hopeful not only for revival of Vikramshila but also for the proposed central varsity in the name of Vikramshila here which the central government announced on 2015. Unfortunately, the project gets delayed mainly due to lack of state government’s lackadaisical attitude towards Vikramshila. However Bhagalpur district administration recently has sent proposal to state government after demarking lands for the proposed central varsity near the half-excavated ruins of Vikramshila.

“We could hope that the concern shared by Kovind would result in the elimination of impediments coming in the way of establishment of the central University at Vikramshila as announced by the central government earlier and also in the inclusion of this region into Buddha Circuit and World Heritage site of UNESCO,” said Subhalakshmi, a local scholar here hopefully.