Disputes between Hindu priests and Buddhists deepened in Bodh Gaya, demand for removal of BT Act

In Bodh Gaya, Bihar, tension has increased between Hindu priests and Buddhist community these days. The Buddhist monks have been performing for the past one month and their main demand is that the Bodh Gaya Temple Act should be abolished. This dispute is not new, but this issue was also raised in the Congress session held in Gaya in 1922.

After independence, after the intervention of several leaders including former President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the Bodh Gaya Temple Bill was introduced in the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1948 and it was implemented in 1949. Later in 1953, the administration of the temple was handed over to the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC).

What is Bodh Gaya Temple Act?

The Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) was formed under the BT Act, which consists of 8 members –

• 4 Hindu and 4 Buddhist representatives.
• The committee is chairman of the District Officer (DM).
• Earlier it was mandatory for DM to be Hindu, but this provision was removed in 2013.

Buddhist objection

• The Buddhists say that Hindus should not have any role in BTMC, as the Mahabodhi temple is a pilgrimage center of Buddhists.
• They are accusing Hindu priests of occupying the temple.
• He claims that the statue of Lord Buddha is being “saffronized” and idols of Hindu deities are being installed in the temple.

Side of Hindu priests

• The priests say that Bodh Gaya is not only of Buddhists, but also the holy place of Hindus.
• There are also temples of Shivling and five Pandavas, which have been established since ancient times.
• Hindus come to Bodh Gaya in large numbers every year for Pitra Tarpan.
• He argues that Lord Buddha was also associated with Sanatan Dharma, so it is not right to remove Hindus from the temple premises.

Mahabodhi Temple is 2300 years old

It is believed that Mahatma Buddha received knowledge under the Bodhi tree (Peepal tree) in Bodh Gaya. Subsequently, Emperor Ashoka built the Mahabodhi Temple here in the third century BC.

• The temple was controlled by the Buddhists till the 13th century.
• In the 16th century, a priest named Ghamand Giri started worshiping in the temple with Hindu customs, since then the dispute has been going on.
• In 1891 too, the Buddhist community launched a major movement on the control of the temple.

Bodh Gaya Math also part of the dispute

Bodh Gaya Math is also involved in this dispute. The Hindu members of BTMC are Mahanta of Bodh Gaya Math.

• The Mahant and the priests say that the temple complex is not only the temple of Mahatma Buddha, but also the temples of other Hindu deities.
• Because of this, the temple claims Hindu and Buddhist and two.

What can be a solution?

• The Buddhist community is demanding to abolish the BT Act, so that the temple administration comes completely in their hands.
• The Hindu priests want to continue their traditions and worship in the temple.
• The government has to find a solution to balance the BTMC, so that the sentiments of both communities are respected.