One readily available option is to move the vendors and the parking lot to the old bus stand area on the north-east corner of the Ancient Nalanda Remains. This bus stand is approximately 50 mt X 50 mt stretch of open space. This shift needs to be coupled with the idea of separate gates for the entrance and exit to the ruins complex. The tourist path is to be devised in a manner which provides an opportunity for tourist-visitors interaction. In this case an exit from the Teliya Bhandar (north side) is suitable. With a drop off location at the main entrance and about a 300 meter walk from exit to the parking lot will add to the vendor-visitor interaction without causing any inconvenience; and the fact that this spot is away from the main road and helps reduce the traffic congestion is an added benefit.
The above mentioned solution is a readily available one but it is not a long term viable option. The available space at the bus stand might not be sufficient to accommodate the vendors and the parking lot requirements of average peak day at Nalanda. So far Nalanda has seen a growth of about 10% annual increase in foreign visitors and around 5% annual increase in domestic visitors and if it continues at the same pace then this new arrangement will not work. The vendors will likely grow in same proportion of those of tourists and the chaos will reemerge.
Nalanda is already in the tentative list of world heritage site and future planning has to be done keeping that in view. We know from past experience that the world heritage status will bring new tourists with increased set of expectations; and this will provide lot more opportunity for the over all economic growth of the area. Also in that situation we will have WHS norms and guidelines to take into account. For a good heritage site management plan and for its conservation we need to have buffer zones as an added layer of protection.
A more suitable option will be to consider the west side of the Nalanda remains to explore for the possibilities. On the east side the space is limited and on the north and south side there is dense habitation besides the little space is available is pregnant with the past heritage.
The above mentioned solution is a readily available one but it is not a long term viable option. The available space at the bus stand might not be sufficient to accommodate the vendors and the parking lot requirements of average peak day at Nalanda. So far Nalanda has seen a growth of about 10% annual increase in foreign visitors and around 5% annual increase in domestic visitors and if it continues at the same pace then this new arrangement will not work. The vendors will likely grow in same proportion of those of tourists and the chaos will reemerge.
Nalanda is already in the tentative list of world heritage site and future planning has to be done keeping that in view. We know from past experience that the world heritage status will bring new tourists with increased set of expectations; and this will provide lot more opportunity for the over all economic growth of the area. Also in that situation we will have WHS norms and guidelines to take into account. For a good heritage site management plan and for its conservation we need to have buffer zones as an added layer of protection.
A more suitable option will be to consider the west side of the Nalanda remains to explore for the possibilities. On the east side the space is limited and on the north and south side there is dense habitation besides the little space is available is pregnant with the past heritage.
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