Pandu Pokhar is set to give competition to the city's walls from Ajatsatru's period, Bimbisara's Jail, Jarasandh's Akhara, Gridakuta Hill, Sonabhandara cave and the Jain temples on the five peaks.

Rajgir, hitherto associated with marvels of the ancient era, now boasts of a park opposite the Rajgir International Convention Centre that has all the potential of putting the city on the well-heeled tourist's map. The sprawling 22-acre park offers tourism-centric amenities such as lakes with fountains.

Rajgir has grown and how.

The fortunes of the town have seen a rise with the revival of the Nalanda University and now hotels, restaurants and new tourist spots have sprung up after the varsity started functioning from September 2014.

Last year, chief minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the Pandu Pokhar development project. Functioning since last month, the park has two lakes with fountains.

Daniel, a student of Nalanda University, said: "Pandu Pokhar, located opposite to our hostel Tathagat Vihar, is the new tourist destination. Located at the foothills of Rajgir Hill, even Nalanda University students visit the park."

Apart from Pandu Pokhar, many restaurants and hotels have come up in Rajgir in the last one year.

Daniel said: "New restaurants such as Gargee Gautam Vihar Resort, which came up last year, are in no way inferior to restaurants in big cities."

Echoing a similar sentiment, Andrea Acri, visiting assistant professor of historical studies at Nalanda University, said: "We get all essential items at Rajgir market. At times, when there is a shortage or scarcity of necessary items, the shop owners get the stuff in a day or two from Patna or other business centres."

Nalanda University chancellor George Yeo, naturally, is happy with the simultaneous growth of the university and the town. He said: "I have seen Rajgir growing. The town is developing with people becoming more economically driven. A lot of shops have come up and the market is growing."

The chancellor added: "The launch of more courses will help market growth thereby helping the residents economically. At present, around 63 students study at the varsity's two schools - School of Historical Studies and School of Ecology and Environment Studies. From the next academic session, the university will launch School of Buddhist Studies, Comparative Religion and Philosophy and increase the students' intake from 63 to 300.

The university has plans to open two more schools in the next two years. Yeo said: "Opening of new schools means students' intake at the varsity will go up, which will mean increased spending at the market."

Sources said the state government has planned several schemes for the development of Rajgir. It has planned to set up an IT park across 200 acres apart from an international cricket stadium.