What is the Bodh Gaya temple dispute, why is there a movement for Buddhist control

#News India April 1,2025

The Mahabodhi Temple of Bodh Gaya, where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment, is considered the holiest site of Buddhism. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. In recent months, the temple has become the center of a major controversy, where Buddhist monks and the community are demanding full control over the management of the temple. The dispute is linked to the Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA) of 1949, under which the temple is managed by a joint committee. The protests that started in February 2025 have brought the issue into discussion at the national and international level.
Since February 2025, about 100 Buddhist monks led by the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) started protesting near the Mahabodhi Temple. Their main demand is to repeal the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, under which the temple is managed. Initially the protest took place in the temple premises, but it was shifted to a nearby road after the intervention of the local administration. Protesters say the act fails to give Buddhists full rights over their most sacred site.

What is the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949
The 1949 Act sets up an eight-member committee for the management of the temple, consisting of four Hindu and four Buddhist members. The Gaya district magistrate is the ex-officio chairman of this committee. Earlier, the condition was that the magistrate should be a Hindu, which led to a Hindu majority in the committee. In 2013, the Bihar government amended it, after which the magistrate can be of any religion.

However, the Buddhist community says that the Bihar government’s amendment does not meet their basic demand—complete Buddhist control over the temple. They argue that joint management undermines their religious autonomy and the Buddhist identity of the temple. The Nitish government also includes the BJP. The BJP wants Hindu control over it. However, none of its leaders have made any open statement.

The story of the Mahabodhi Temple dates back to the 3rd century BC, when Emperor Ashoka built it. The temple remained a centre of Buddhism for many centuries. But after the invasion of Bakhtiyar Khilji in the 13th century, Buddhism weakened in India, and the temple fell into ruins.

In 1590, during the reign of Akbar, a Hindu monk founded the Bodh Gaya Monastery, and the temple came under Hindu control. After Independence, the 1949 Act was an attempt to create a balance between Hindus and Buddhists. But the Buddhist community considers it part of a historical injustice, which now needs to be corrected.

What are the Buddhists’ objections
The current protest has raised several specific grievances from Buddhist monks. They allege that Hindu rituals, such as idol immersion and wedding ceremonies, are conducted at the temple complex, which are against Buddhist principles. Idol worship and such rituals have no place in Buddhism.

The AIBF has submitted a memorandum to the Bihar government, saying that no other major religion in India—Hinduism, Islam or Christianity—has co-management of its holy sites with another religion. Why then does this arrangement continue at the holiest site of Buddhists, they ask?

The protests have included hunger strikes and rallies. The AIBF has the support of several major Buddhist organisations. The movement has also drawn international attention, as Bodh Gaya is one of the four holiest sites of Buddhism—the other three being Lumbini, Sarnath and Kushinagar.

The dispute is not new. In 2012, Buddhist monks had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking the repeal of the Act. The matter has remained unaddressed till now. In 2023-2024 rallies in Gaya and Patna raised the issue again. By March 2025, the hunger strike lasted for more than 45 days, the longest demonstration in the recent history of Bodh Gaya.

The importance of the Mahabodhi Temple is not only religious, but also cultural and historical. Poet Edwin Arnold called it the “Mecca of Buddhism” in his poem The Light of Asia. It played a major role in popularizing Buddhism in the West. The Bodhi Tree located in the temple complex is the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment after meditation. The temple is still a center of attraction for Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.

The Bodh Gaya temple dispute is a complex issue, reflecting the conflict of historical changes, religious identity and administrative policies. The Buddhist community considers it a fight for the right to their holy site, while the existing system is described as a symbol of communal harmony. The 1949 Act was a post-Independence India compromise, but it did not satisfy Buddhist hopes for autonomy. To date, the dispute remains unresolved, and protests continue.