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Hindu monk strives to save Mahabodhi temple
Published on Sun, May 04, 2008 at 01:01 in Nation section
Tags: 30 Minutes, Mahabodhi Temple , Bodh Gaya
SAVING THE TREE: The man fighting to secure the future of this Buddhist site is a Hindu monk.
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“This involves the religious sentiment of the people. We have to be careful. Also this involves monasteries being built by foreign countries. We have to move very carefully,” says District Magistrate, Gaya, Sanjay Singh.
To clear up the mess, the State government had drawn a master plan for Bodh Gaya for the year 2030, which aims to convert the area around the temple into a green zone, but two years after the plan was unveiled, the ground reality is very different.
Monasteries like this one being built by Thai Monks are coming up within the green zone of the proposed master plan where construction is completely prohibited.
Today many of those who came here in search of peace are feeling disappointed. Dwarka Sundarani came to Bodh Gaya almost five decades ago and never went back, however, today he feels out of place.
“Buddha came here for enlightenment. Material life is developed here. But Buddha did not come here for material wealth,” says Resident, Bodh Gaya, Dwarka Sundarani.
Sirisopa is a devotee from Thailand and on her fourth visit to the temple she says that the money business is going from bad to worse.
“The little children outside the temple shout, pull at ours shirts and ask for money. There is so much commercialization,” says Buddhist Devotee, Sirisopa.
However, not everyone has lost hope. Priya pal is a young monk who is trying to turn things around. From filing right to information applications to speaking his mind in public forums this monk is demanding more transparency in the running of the temple.
“Our rights have been snatched away, we have to work hard to improve things here,” says Priya Pal.
Priya Pal believes that local communities should also have a stake in the temple. He warns against harming the interests of those whose livelihood depends on the temple.
Perhaps Bodh Gaya needs more people like Priya Pal, who know that something needs to be done urgently before it's too late.
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Total Comments: 2
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I can't see why Bodh Gaya cannot be shared by both Buddhists and Hindus. I'm a Hindu, and venerate Lord
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I wonder why hindus are so stuck up with possessing this temple. This is a very important buddhist location and
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