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New Delhi: “If all temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras across the country are managed by their respective communities, then why should Buddhist monks not possess complete authority over the Mahabodhi Mahavihara, a world-renowned Buddhist pilgrimage site?” Bhante Vinacharya of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara Liberation Movement told The Wire over the phone.

On February 12, Vinacharya participated in a massive protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi making exactly this demand of the government – repeal the Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA), 1949, which allows non-Buddhists to get involved in the temple’s affairs through the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) it sets up.

Followers of Buddha from various states participated in the February demonstration, where they arrived holding pictures of Gautama Buddha and the first law minister, B.R. Ambedkar, who became a Buddhist months before he died. Some protesters held placards saying: “Repeal the BT Act, 1949” or “All members of BTMC should be Buddhists.”

The BTA, passed by the Bihar government soon after independence, deals with the management and administration of the renowned Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Buddhist monks have been protesting the provision mandating the BTMC for a long time.

In February 2025, a major protest was held in Gaya over this issue.

Photo from a 2025 demonstration.

The 2025 protest and Bhante Vinacharya’s arrest

Vinacharya said, “On February 12 last year, Buddhist monks started their protest near the Mahabodhi Temple. Gradually, people from other states joined, raising awareness about the advantages of a Hindu-free BTMC and how this would benefit the Mahabodhi. Subsequently, the movement spread to other parts of the country, with rallies and demonstrations.”

He said that the administration attempted to stifle this movement in May last year by using the India-Pakistan conflict as an excuse. Then on May 12, 2025, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan participated in a Hindu prayer and ritual at the Mahabodhi Temple, provoking outrage. On February 13 the same year, visitors from Maharashtra were assaulted inside the Mahabodhi complex, and slogans of Jai Shri Ram and Jai Hanuman were raised.

Vinacharya said the police detained him around that time, citing threats to his own life and that three false cases were filed against him. He was released from jail only after 68 days, and that is when he and some other Buddhist monks resolved to take the movement to repeal the 1949 law to the public.

Vinacharya and others travelled to several states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh and finally announced the demonstration that was held on February 12 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

“So far, the only outcome of our endeavours is that the chief minister of Bihar has given us an appointment on February 23,” he told The Wire. “We will see what the result is and our future strategy will be decided accordingly.”

According to Vinacharya, his efforts are garnering support within the country and abroad from those who believe in the Buddha and from countries whose monasteries are located at Mahabodhi. Many countries with a Buddhist population, such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Myanmar, Bhutan, etc., have built monasteries around the Mahabodhi Complex in Bodh Gaya. These monasteries serve pilgrims from those countries.

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