Patna: The state tourism department is planning to set up a cultural village to depict all the important things related to the Champaran Satyagraha.

The department intends to set up this village on part of a 55 acre plot located in Chakia block of East Champaran district, around 121km north of Patna.

The department has written to the East Champaran district administration to complete the measurement of the plot and also to remove encroachments from it if there are any.

The plot came on the radar of the department during a recent visit of state tourism minister Pramod Kumar.

"The place is known as Sagar Gram and it has an old fort and a pond," the minister told The Telegraph. "It is said that Gautam Buddha had taken bath in this pond during his visit to the place. There is a huge plot adjacent to the old fort."

He said that he would also draw the attention of art and culture department towards the fort for excavating the place to find out its historical significance.

The minister said that it was government land and he wanted to get it measured done so that the empty land could be used effectively for tourism purpose.

"We may develop a cultural village on this plot which could house all the details related to the Champaran Satyagraha. It can be developed on the pattern of a similar village the department intends to develop in Nalanda district for which land has already been acquired," said the minister.

To develop a cultural village in Nalanda, 60 acres of land has been acquired and at present a boundary wall is being constructed around the plot. The department will soon prepare a detailed project report for this village and send the report to the Centre seeking financial help for the project. The village would have separate enclosures about various important sites of Bihar so that visitors can gather authentic details before actually visiting a tourist spot.

The minister said a similar kind of project could be executed at Sagar village too because it is located at a very suitable place and the famous Kesaria Stupa is just 20km from the spot.