Buddhist community demands control over Bodh Gaya temple

The Buddhist community globally has signed a memorandum demanding the control over the management of Mahabodhi temple to be transferred to the Buddhists. Currently, the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949 allows non-Buddhists the rights to manage the Buddhist pilgrimage site.

The Bodh Gaya temple, in central Bihar, holds immense religious significance for the Buddhist community across the globe. It is believed that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment here under the Bodhi tree, where the current Mahabodhi temple is standing for centuries..

The memorandum is addressed to the President of India, Prime Minister of India, Chief Minister of Bihar, Governor of Bihar and many other important figures. The memorandum reads, “The present arrangement, where individuals of other faiths are involved in the management of the most sacred Buddhist shrine and non-Buddhist practices are allegedly permitted, is not only incongruous but also deeply disrespectful to the legacy of Lord Buddha and the sentiments of hundreds of millions of Buddhists around the world. It is imperative that the sanctity and the exclusively Buddhist character of the Mahabodhi Temple be preserved and protected.”

Several Buddhist monks have been observing an indefinite hunger strike since February 12, demanding their “rightful ownership of the temple.” Various Buddhist organisations have also signed the petition demanding “full transfer of Mahabodhi Temple  management to Buddhists, Repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, and end of state interference in Buddhist religious affairs.” 

The petition calls for amendment of Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, which allows non-Buddhists the control over the management of the temple. “Under the Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949, the temple’s governing body (BTMC) unfairly places non-Buddhists in the majority, including the chairperson’s role. This discriminatory structure denies Buddhists the fundamental right to manage their holiest pilgrimage site — an autonomy granted to every other religious community in India. The current administration’s actions have led to repeated attempts to distort Buddhist history and diminish the temple’s sacred identity,” the petition states.

At present, the temple is managed by a nine-member committee headed by district magistrate, on behalf of the Bihar government. The act allows only a Hindu to be the head of the managing committee. If the district magistrate happens to be non-Hindu, the act allows the state government to nominate a Hindu to head the committee for the period during which the district magistrate is a non-Hindu.