21

Mar

Mahabodhi Temple:  A Historical Injustice to Buddhists! 

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Prashant Gautam 

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New Delhi | Friday | 21 March 2025

Hindu fundamentalists who accuse the Muslim rulers of destroying Hindu temples in India need to have a relook at our history. It is a bitter truth that the number of Buddhist sites destroyed by Hindu kings and religious groups before the advent of Muslim rule in India far exceeds the number of Hindu temples destroyed by Muslim invaders. Is it not ironic that, on the one hand, these Hindu fundamentalists raise an uproar over the destruction of Hindu temples while on the other hand, they ignore the same injustice done to the followers of Buddhism? 

The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, stands as the greatest proof of this. This is the site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree around 2,500 years ago. It is as sacred to Buddhists as the Ram Mandir is for Hindus or Mecca is for Muslims. Yet, the unfortunate fact is that today this Buddhist temple is inhabited more by Hindus who tarnish it with their religious rituals. 

The history of the Mahabodhi Temple witnesses how this sacred Buddhist site was forcibly brought under Hindu influence. Emperor Ashoka constructed this temple in the third century BC, but over time, Hindu Mahants and Pandits gained control of it. Even after India’s independence in 1947, the government failed to restore rights to Buddhists and enacted the Bodh Gaya Temple Act. Under this Act: 

Article at a Glance
The article critiques Hindu fundamentalists who condemn Muslim rulers for destroying Hindu temples while overlooking the historical destruction of Buddhist sites by Hindu kings prior to Muslim rule in India.
It highlights the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, a significant Buddhist site where Buddha attained enlightenment, which has been predominantly controlled by Hindus despite its sacredness to Buddhists. The article discusses the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, which established a management committee with Hindu dominance, leading to the marginalization of Buddhist practices.
Despite repeated protests from the Buddhist community, their demands for administrative control and the cessation of Hindu rituals at the temple have been ignored. The article calls for a reevaluation of historical injustices and urges the Indian government to restore the temple's rightful status to Buddhists, questioning the fairness of Hindu control over a site of immense Buddhist significance.

- The administration of the temple was assigned to the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC). 

- This eight-member committee includes four Hindus and four Buddhists. 

- The chief priest (Mahant) of the temple will always be a Hindu. 

- The District Magistrate of Gaya District shall automatically serve as the Chairman of this Committee, and if he is not a Hindu, the Government shall appoint a Hindu Chairman. 

In a place designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, more Hindu rituals are performed than any Buddhist religious practice. Pind daan, havan, and other rituals are carried out that are contrary to the fundamental principles of Buddhism. The question is: Is this the same India that prides itself on being the 'land of Buddha'? Is this the same country where the Prime Minister proclaims on international forums that “I have come from the land of Buddha"? 

Buddhists have repeatedly voiced their concerns against this injustice, but each time, Hindu institutions have attempted to suppress them: 

- 1891: Sri Lankan Buddhist saint Anagarika Dharmapala first raised the demand to hand over the temple to Buddhists, but Hindu monks rejected it. 

- 1922: This issue was raised during the Gaya Congress session, yet no resolution was reached. 

- 1949: Even after independence, Gandhiji's promise was broken, and the government established the BTMC. 

- 1992, 1995, 2017: Buddhist monks protested, but the government made only symbolic changes, maintaining Hindu control over the temple. 

- 2024: The All India Buddhist Forum once again launched a movement, demanding the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, but the administration disregarded it. 

The demands of Buddhist monks and organisations are clear: 

- The Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949 should be revoked. 

- Full administrative control of the BTMC should be granted to the Buddhist community alone. 

- The Mahabodhi Temple should be freed from Hindu rituals. 

- Buddhist sites should be removed from Hindu Mahants' control. 

The Mahabodhi temple is just a living example. The fact is that over a long period, Hindu rulers obliterated thousands of Buddhist monasteries and stupas. 

The question being asked by the Buddhists is that if followers of no other religion are granted administrative rights in Hindu temples then why is there Hindu control over the Mahabodhi Temple? 

The government must find a balanced solution to this dispute or we will continue to sin erasing Buddha's heritage in his land. 

Finally, a question for all members of the  Hindu community: If the Mahabodhi Temple belongs to Buddhists, should it not be fully handed over to them?

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