Patna: Union Minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) president Ramdas Athawale has called for the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya to be managed exclusively by Buddhists. He also recommended relocating the Shivling, currently placed in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, to a nearby Hindu temple within the complex.
Athawale, a Dalit leader and Buddhist practitioner, emphasized that while Hindu worship practices like Shivling worship are valid, they should not occur within a Buddhist sacred site. He stated, “People of Hindu religion have to worship Shivling, it is their religion, but it should not be done in Buddha Temple, Buddha Vihar.”
The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is currently managed under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, which mandates a nine-member committee comprising four Buddhists, four Hindus, and the district magistrate of Gaya as chair. Athawale criticized this arrangement, arguing that a Buddhist temple should be managed solely by Buddhists.
His remarks come amid protests in Gaya demanding reforms to the temple’s governance. Athawale urged the Bihar government to revisit and revise the existing legislation to align with the community’s long-standing demands.
