Demands for Control Over Mahabodhi Temple

Recent large-scale demonstrations across India have called for the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, to be handed over to Buddhists. These protests are part of a long-standing dispute over the temple's control, with Buddhists seeking the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949 (BGTA).

Historical Background of Mahabodhi Temple

• Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya in 589 BCE.
• A simple shrine was originally constructed by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.
• The current pyramidal structure dates back to the Gupta period in the 6th century CE.
• The site was largely abandoned from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

Control Struggles and the Bodh Gaya Math

The shrine was restored in the 1880s by Alexander Cunningham. A popular legend suggests a Shaivite monk, Mahant Ghamandi Giri, established the Bodh Gaya Math, a Hindu monastery, in the late 16th century, which continues to control the temple.

Controversy over the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949 (BGTA)

• The BGTA established a Committee to manage the temple, comprising four Buddhists and four Hindus, with the Chairman being a Hindu unless the District Magistrate is non-Hindu.
• This arrangement has led to tensions, with Buddhists claiming the predominance of Hindu rituals at the temple.

Legal Complications and Ongoing Protests

• The Places of Worship Act, 1991, complicates the Buddhists' legal case as it maintains the religious character of places as of August 15, 1947.
• In 2012, a petition to repeal the BGTA was filed in the Supreme Court but has not yet been heard.
• Current protests, led by the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF), were intensified after monks were removed from the temple premises.