By Ravi Velloor, South Asia Bureau Chief

Nalanda, Bihar - A touch of Singapore will soon grace Bodh Gaya in India, the most important of the four main pilgrim sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha.

A Singapore Pilgrims House will take its place alongside similar facilities set up in this ancient Buddhist holy town by several countries.

Foreign Minister George Yeo announced the plans after calling on Mr Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of India's eastern state of Bihar, last Friday.

Revival of ancient university on track

By Ravi Velloor

Plans to revive an ancient university are well under way in a dusty corner of eastern India, Foreign Minister George Yeo and others of the Nalanda Mentor Group were told on a visit to the site late last week.

More land will be acquired for the Nalanda International University, and the project envisions tie-ups with Thailand's Chulalongkorn University and Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Headed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, the mentor group held its fifth meeting last Thursday and Friday at the Buddhist holy city of Bodh Gaya, about 30km from Nalanda.

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