The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared by M/s Astro Links(consultants). The objective of the DPR is to study the site and to suggest measures to enhance the significance of the site by undertaking conservation interventions which would not only safeguard its significance but would also provide its visitors a holistic and authentic experience. Nalanda is an important site both historically as well as culturally. With an average foot fall of 2.5 Lakh visitors per year it is very crucial that its significance is well interpreted by the visitors. The present site museum was built probably in 1915 as a guest house for the archaeologists working on the site excavations. It was converted into a museum in 1917 to house the antiquities excavated from Nalanda and Rajgir. Further, it was revamped in 1956. The museum building, with the coverage area of 390 sq. meter only is certainly not sufficient for about 13,463 artifacts. The physical structure of the building needs to be conserved with only minimum interventions to protect the original fabric of the museum. The block will primarily cater to the visitor interpretation and facilitation. It will house functions like ticketing counter, interpretation center, cloak room, museum shop children education area, etc.
The Nalanda Museum is categorized as a ‘site museum’ and it is very different from any other museum. This facet should be enhanced and well interpreted through design interventions. In a site museum the remains/ explorations should be displayed very carefully so that their relationship with the site can be easily comprehended by the visitors. Project is a part of National Culture Fund's vision of safeguarding India’s rich cultural heritage. The initiative would provide a platform for exchange of ideas and their implementation by an experience multidisciplinary team with wide range of disciplines covered, such as antiquity preservation, conservation display, archaeology, art history, historic building conservation, museology, documentation, structural and civil engineering, project management, landscape designing amongst others.