Recent events over the last one year at the Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya has left me and a lot of other Buddhist pilgrims concerned about the honesty of the Temple Management Committee and as to why we still need the control of Government in the administration of the most important Buddhist site? One recent event has been the cutting of a healthy branch of the Bodhi tree, which, according to the media was sold for a fabulous amount of money to some person from an Asian country. Eventually the crime was detected and the officers of the Committee taken to task and finally sacked. A new Committee has been installed some months ago, no one is sure how honest this new team is or how well they will undertake the duty of preserving the Mahabodhi Temple, the Bodhi Tree or supervising that all donations made by devout pilgrims are used for the purpose and do not go into private pockets.

 There are many things that pilgrims wish were available on the premises of this holy Temple such as a branch of a Nationalized Bank where pilgrims could make a donation and instantly get a receipt and be assured that the money has been rightly accounted for. There are many things that need to be put in order here, including the myth of the health of the Bodhi Tree…the Buddha image within the temple or whatever else you have observed while on pilgrimage that needs to be put right. We invite you to express your view on this subject or anything else you feel is of importance and should be brought to the attention of others. We invite you to express your views not only about the Mahabodhi Temple but about anything else you would like others to know about.

Suresh Bhatia

Web Content Editor