With growing numbers of Buddhist monks and devotees gathering at the site of the Buddha’s awakening in Bodh Gaya in recent weeks to call for sole Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple complex, protests have sprung up across India in support, including in Ladakh and Maharashtra. The growing protests represent an intensification of demonstrations that began more than a month ago, when several hundred monastics and their supporters began a hunger strike.*

Protesters have converged on Bodh Gaya from across India, including Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Ladakh, and Rajasthan, to call for the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA) of 1949, which mandates joint management of the temple by a committee of four Hindus and four Buddhists, chaired by the district magistrate. The demonstrations, which have been made up of by peaceful gatherings, hunger strikes, and rallies, have gained momentum since the removal of the fasting monks from the temple premises by local police.

The protests stem from longstanding dissatisfaction among Buddhists over management of the temple and an increase in Hindu rituals within the temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “Buddhists have not received justice,” said protester Abhishek Bauddh, who traveled 540 kilometers from Chhattisgarh to attend. “What should we do if we do not protest peacefully?” (Al Jazeera)

The general secretary of the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF), Akash Lama, which is leading the campaign, confirmed the scale and coordination of the movement. “Buddhists from all over the country are gathering here,” he said. (Al Jazeera)

“All religious places, like temples, gurdwaras, and mosques, are managed by people of those religions, but the BTA is so flawed that it recommends Hindus in the management committee of the Mahabodhi Temple, a sacred place for Buddhists,” said Akash Lama. “We also demand that worship in the Mahabodhi Temple should be conducted according to Buddhist rituals.” (Newslaundry)

The removal of more than two dozen monks on hunger strike from the temple premises on 27 February was a turning point for many.

“Are we terrorists? Why cannot we protest in the courtyard that belongs to us?” asked the secretary of the National Confederation of Buddhists of India, Pragya Mitra Bodh. “The temple management act and committee setup taints our Buddhist identity.” (Al Jazeera)

The Mahabodhi Temple was constructed in the third century BCE, during the reign of Emperor Ashoka, and remained under Buddhist stewardship for several centuries. By the 13th century, Buddhist influence in the region had declined, following invasions by Turko-Afghan forces, and the temple was abandoned. According to Patna University historian Imtiaz Ahmed, a Hindu monk named Ghamandi Giri began living at the temple site in 1590 and conducting Hindu rituals, later establishing the Bodh Gaya Math, which claims custodianship over the complex to this day.

Efforts to reclaim the site for Buddhist administration were revived in the late 19th century by Sri Lankan and Japanese monks, who formed the Maha Bodhi Society. A proposed settlement under British colonial rule in 1903 failed, and the Bodh Gaya Temple Act was passed in 1949, after India’s independence, to formalize joint management.

Many Buddhists argue that the Bodh Gaya Math, through its historical presence and local influence, effectively controls day-to-day affairs at the temple. Legal efforts to challenge the arrangement have been slow; a 2012 petition to the Supreme Court has yet to be heard.

The current head of the Bodh Gaya Math, Swami Vivekananda Giri, dismissed the protests as “politically motivated,” suggesting that they were aimed at garnering support ahead of Bihar’s upcoming state elections. “Our Math’s teachings treat Lord Buddha as the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and we consider Buddhists our brothers,” Giri told reporters. “We have hosted Buddhist devotees for years and never disallowed them from praying. If the Act is repealed, the temple will solely belong to the Hindu side.” (Al Jazeera)

Giri also emphasized that the Math had preserved the site during centuries of Buddhist absence, stating: “When the Buddhists abandoned it after the invasion of Muslim rulers, we preserved and took care of the temple. Yet we never treated Buddhist visitors as ‘others.’” (Al Jazeera)

Despite skepticism over governmental response, protesters remain committed. “The rights of Buddhists are being gradually violated,” said Akash Lama. “The temple should be handed over to Buddhists.” (Al Jazeera)

Protesters such as Abhishek Bauddh find strength in the growing numbers. “This unity makes our protest strong,” he said, echoing a sentiment that the convergence in Bodh Gaya is as much about reclaiming religious rights as it is about reinforcing a collective Buddhist identity in India’s diverse religious landscape. (Al Jazeera)

India is home to approximately 8.4 million Buddhists, according to 2011 census data, many of whom identify with the Dalit community and view the struggle for temple control as part of a broader assertion of religious and social identity. That makes up just 0.7 per cent of the nation’s population. Meanwhile, 79.8 per cent of the nation’s citizens are counted as Hindu, 14.2 per cent are Muslim, 2.3 per cent are Christian, and 1.7 per cent are Sikh.

* Buddhist Monks Continue Hunger Strike, Seeking Full Control Over Mahabodhi Temple (BDG)

See more

Buddhism’s holiest site erupts in protests over Hindu ‘control’ of shrine (Al Jazeera)
Tracing the Bodh Gaya temple conflict: From Ashoka to Viceroy to Lalu and roadside protests (Newslaundry)
Buddhists Under Attack in Modi’s India: The Battle Against Brahminical Takeover (Sri Lanka Guardian)
Bodh Gaya: Buddhists at loggerheads with the VHP (National Herald)

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