The temple is currently administered under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, which prescribes a nine-member committee: four Buddhists, four Hindus, and the District Magistrate of Gaya as the ex-officio chairperson
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI — Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale has announced a mega rally in Mumbai on October 14 to demand exclusive Buddhist management of the Mahabodhi Mahavihar Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar — a move that could create ripples within the BJP-led NDA government.
Athawale, who heads his faction of Republican Party of India (RPI), said the rally, titled Mahabodhi Mahavihar Mukti Andolan, will start from Ranibaug in Byculla and culminate at Azad Maidan. The date, he noted, was chosen to coincide with Dr BR Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism in 1956.
“The Mahabodhi Temple is the holiest shrine for Buddhists worldwide, where Lord Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. Such a sacred institution must be wholly managed by Buddhists,” Athawale said, announcing the campaign on Wednesday at a meeting organised by his party in Mumbai.
The temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is currently administered under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, which prescribes a nine-member committee: four Buddhists, four Hindus, and the District Magistrate of Gaya as the ex-officio chairperson. Athawale criticised this arrangement, calling for amendments to the Act so that “a Buddhist temple is managed solely by Buddhists.”
Political Undertones
The issue has long been sensitive in Bihar, where the temple is located, and nationally for its religious overtones. By pressing for legislation to alter the temple’s management structure, Athawale’s activism may test the BJP’s balancing act between Dalit-Buddhist aspirations and Hindu sentiments.
Athawale, a Dalit face in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, said he had already taken up the matter with Prime Minister Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. “The demand of Buddhists has been pending for decades. It is time the government recognised their right to manage their holiest site,” he asserted.
Buddhist monks and organisations in Bodh Gaya have repeatedly staged protests seeking “liberation” of the Mahabodhi Mahavihar Trust, arguing that the current structure undermines Buddhist autonomy over their most sacred pilgrimage centre.
Long-standing Demand
The Mahabodhi Temple, built at the site where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago, draws thousands of pilgrims and tourists annually. While Buddhist activists have periodically sought full control, successive governments have refrained from altering the 1949 Act, wary of triggering tensions between religious communities.
Athawale’s October 14 mobilisation — invoking Ambedkarite symbolism — signals a renewed push. Political observers say it will also test the BJP’s willingness to accommodate an ally’s assertive campaign that touches on complex religious and historical questions.
