Buddhist monks protest over control of Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya

Nearly 100 Buddhist monks under the All-India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) have been protesting since early February, demanding a repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA), 1949. The protest began first at the Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi Temple or Mahavihara, and later a little down the road, in India's Bihar State. It has now spread to Maharashtra.

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

The AIBF has support from prominent Buddhist bodies, and has submitted a memorandum to the Bihar government. The Bodh Gaya is one of the four sacred sites of Buddhism. The other three are Buddha's birthplace Lumbini in Nepal close to the border with India, Sarnath where he gave his first sermon and Kusinagar where he attained parinirvana. Sarnath and Kusinagar are in Uttar Pradesh.

(Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya at the age of 35 after mediating for 49 days. The event is traditionally dated around 528 BCE. However, some scholars suggest it could have occurred between 500-400 ВСЕ.)

Buddhist monks held a rally in Gaya in November 2023, and submitted a memorandum to the Central and State governments. As it failed to have the desired effect, the monks scaled up the protest and held a rally in Bihar's capital Patna last year to press for repealing the Act. Back in 2012, monks had filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court to repeal the Act. The petition is yet to be heard.