Bodh Gaya Dispute: ‘What Are Hindus Doing at the Place Where Buddha Gained Spiritual Enlightenment?’

The Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bihar, India, is revered as a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists worldwide. According to Buddhist teachings, Buddha attained spiritual enlightenment here, and this place marks the beginning of Buddhism. However, this holy site is currently embroiled in controversy. The temple’s management is controlled by a committee with a Hindu majority. Indian Buddhists demand that the administration of the temple be fully entrusted to them. On the other hand, Hindus assert their rights over the Mahabodhi Temple associated with Buddha. Thousands of Buddhists across the country are protesting this issue. Many people have been staging sit-ins near the Mahabodhi Temple for the past eighteen months, calling for the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA) and full administrative control of the temple.

Established in 1949, the Act formed a management committee for the Mahabodhi Temple comprising four Buddhist and four Hindu members. The committee is headed by the district magistrate, who is typically a Hindu. These members are government-appointed with a three-year term. For this reason, Buddhists say the committee remains under Hindu control. The committee’s secretary, Bhante Pragya Sheel, has served as the temple’s chief monk for eight years. He asserts that Bodhi Vihar is the heritage of Buddhists. “The entire world recognizes this place as belonging to Buddhists. No one has ever claimed that this is not a Buddhist temple. We want it to be managed by Buddhists,” he said. “Any honest chief minister or prime minister must act justly according to the Constitution. What rightfully belongs to someone must be given to them. Whether today, tomorrow, or any day later, they must hand it over. This irregularity cannot continue indefinitely.”