Buddhist Leaders Unite In Mumbai, Demand Full Control Of Mahabodhi Temple
The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is currently managed under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, which mandates a nine-member committee comprising four Buddhists, four Hindus, and the district magistrate of Gaya as ex-officio chairperson.
Mumbai: In a rare show of unity, Buddhist leaders across various parties joined hands on Tuesday to demand complete control of Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya to be handed over to Buddhists. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale led a mega rally in Mumbai demanding the Mahabodhi Mahavihar Trust must be wholly managed by Buddhists.
“Regardless of which party is in power in Bihar, justice should be given to the Buddhists on the Mahabodhi Mahavihar issue. The Bodh Gaya Temple Act should be repealed and the management of Mahabodhi Mahavihar should be handed over to the Buddhists,” said Athawale, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and president of the Republican Party of India, while addressing the rally.
“The Mahabodhi Temple is the holiest site for Buddhists across the globe. It is where Lord Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. Such a sacred institution must be wholly managed by Buddhists,” he said.
The rally was seen as a show of strength from the Buddhist leaders, who came together under the Mahabodhi Mahavihar Liberation Action Committee on the occasion of Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Day. Leaders from various parties including Athawale, Congress MPs Varsha Gaikwad and Chandrakant Handore, NCP (AP) MLAs Rajkumar Badole and Sanjay Bansode and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLAs Balaji Kinikar and Santosh Bangar participated in the rally. Buddhist priests Bhadant Rahul Bodhi Mahathero; Bhante Vinacharya, Bhadant Harshavodhi and Akash Lama were also present in the rally.
The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is currently managed under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, which mandates a nine-member committee comprising four Buddhists, four Hindus, and the district magistrate of Gaya as ex-officio chairperson. Athawale criticized this arrangement, arguing that a Buddhist temple should be managed solely by Buddhists.
The demand for exclusive Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Mahavihar — a UNESCO World Heritage site — has persisted for decades. Buddhist monks in Bodh Gaya are actively protesting for ‘liberation of the Mahabodhi Temple trust.’
The Mahabodhi Temple has been built in Bodh Gaya where Buddha was said to have attained ‘enlightenment’ about 2,500 years ago.
