Buddhist monks want control of Bodh Gaya temple

Bodh Gaya (UJI): Buddhist monks want control over the management of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, one of the holiest shrines of Buddhism, where Lord Buddha Enlightened. They have decided to intensify their agitation against the Bihar Government until not paying heed to their demands.

They have been demanding total control over Temple management since long times. They are unhappy with the Bihar Government for ‘deliberately’ delaying an amendment to the Mahabodhi Temple Management Act, 1949, to ensure Buddhist control over the management of the temple.

It is very clear that the Bihar Government does not want to favor the Buddhist Monk’s genuine demand for total control over the Mahabodhi temple. We will have to fight for it by mobilizing support for it, Venerable Ananda, president of the Bodhgaya Mahabodhi Vihar All-India Action Committee, said.

The committee has decided to spread its network across India to intensify the agitation for total control over the Mahabodhi temple.

“We will launch a membership drive to induct new people in our fold and will open offices of the committee at different places in the country to mobilize support for our agitation,” Ven. Ananda said.

The delay is a ‘conspiracy’ by the government to keep the management under the control of non-Buddhists. “We fail to understand why non-Buddhists have control over the holiest shrine of Buddhists. We have decided to take up the issue by lobbying support to demand Buddhist control over the management by any means” Ven. Amanda said.

According to the existing law, the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BGTMC) should comprise four Buddhists and the same number of Hindu members for a three-year period with the Gaya district magistrate as its ex-officio chairman.