  Optical potential parameters in nuclear model calculations are determined by
fitting elastic scattering angular distribution data. Due to the dominance of
Coulomb part, elastic scattering is performed at much higher energies. A
different approach using ($\alpha$,n) reaction is suggested to determine the
alpha optical potentials suitable for astrophysically relevant low energy
regions. Reaction on p-nuclei in the mass region A $\approx$ 92-168 have been
chosen and a modified McFadden-Satchler $\alpha$-optical potential is obtained
from fitting the ($\alpha$,n) reaction data. The effect of level density and
$\gamma$-ray strength function is also studied using this new potential by
analyzing ($\alpha,\gamma$) cross-sections.
