Mumbai News: Buddhists To Hold Rally In Bodh Gaya On October 14 Demanding Control Of Mahabodhi Temple

Mumbai: Buddhists campaigning for the handover of the Mahabodhi Mahavihar in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, to the community, have planned a rally in the city on October 14, the anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism in 1956.

However, the police have asked the organisers to cut the route of the rally from the planned 5.5 km from the Veer Jijamata Udyan (Byculla zoo) to 750 meters from Metro cinema, Dhobi Talao, to Azad Maidan.

The march is being organised by the Mahabodhi Mahavihara Mukti Andolan Kruti Samiti, a group formed to campaign for exclusive Buddhist management of the historic temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Currently, the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Act mandates a nine-member committee to oversee the site’s administration. The committee includes four Hindus, four Buddhists, and the district magistrate of Gaya, who serves as the ex officio chairperson.

Buddhists have called for an amendment to the law, demanding that the temple be managed solely by Buddhists.

“In preparation for the march, a delegation from our committee met with Dr Pravin Munde, deputy commissioner of police oolice (zone 1), to request permission for the original route. However, the request was declined,” said Gautam Sonawane, state general secretary and spokesperson of the Republican Party headed by Ramdas Athawale.

The temple marks the spot where Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment around 2,500 years ago. The demand for exclusive Buddhist control of the site has been a long-standing one, with monks and activists in Bodh Gaya frequently staging protests for a change in the law

“This movement is not a political protest but a spiritual journey. It is about reclaiming a sacred symbol of enlightenment and ensuring that Buddhists are the rightful custodians of the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment,” Sonawane said.

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