Chief priest of Mahabodhi Temple of Bodh Gaya Bhadant Bhodipal has resigned, fearing prosecution on criminal charges in a case related to the illegal felling of a branch of the sacred Bodhi tree.
'The Mahabodhi temple is the only example in the world where a religion's most sacred place is controlled by people belonging to another religion.'
A high-security alert has been sounded across Bihar following inputs suggesting that three terrorists from Pakistan have entered the state through Nepal, an official said on Thursday.
The Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as a World Heritage Site, shined as its dome was inlaid with 280 kilograms of gold donated by devotees from Thailand.
Expressing deep anguish over the blasts, President Mukherjee said it was a "senseless act of violence targeting innocent pilgrims and monks who had gathered to worship at this temple dedicated to the great apostle of peace -- Gautam Buddha", while Prime Minister Singh said such attacks on religious places will "never be tolerated".
Amid protests by various political parties to his visit Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who arrived in Indian early on Friday morning, offered prayers at the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, soon after his arrival.
"The serial blasts deserve the strongest condemnation in the strongest possible words as the perpetrators targeted the place of religious faith of crores of people with an aim to create fear among them," the Bihar chief minister told reporters after inspecting the blast sites at the Mahabodhi temple and surrounding areas in Gaya district with senior civil and police officials
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Wednesday visited the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya which was rocked by multiple explosions on Sunday.
In what may be considered the silver lining of a very dark cloud, the 500-year-old Mahabodhi temple and Bodhi tree have not been damaged in spite of the nine serial blasts that rocked the 500-year-old temple premises in Gaya, Bihar.
Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Vihar All India Action Committee will launch a nationwide fresh agitation for control of the management of the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi temple in Bihar's Bodh Gaya town.
A year after serial bomb blasts hit the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar still awaits a security beef up. Central Industrial Security Force personnel are yet to be deployed at the shire, a police official said.
"Today, I have the information of 10 blasts. A total of 13 bombs were placed there. I will not go into details where they were kept and all. Two persons have been injured -- 50-year-old Dorji and Bala Sanga (30)," Shinde told media persons.
Buddhist monks have demanded the arrest of chief priest of Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, Bhante Bodhi Pal, ex-officio secretary of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BMTC) Kalicharan Yadav and public relations officer Bhajju Yadav for chopping off a branch of the Bodhi tree.
Delay in formation of a new panel of the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee's by the state government led by Nitish Kumar raised eyebrows among Buddhist monks, who have been fighting for Buddhist control over the management of the temple at Bodh Gaya , about 110 km from Patna, where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment 2,550 years ago. In the absence of a proper panel to look after its management, the temple has been facing difficulties in coping with day today affairs.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced that comprehensive development of Vishnupad Temple corridor at Gaya and Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar will be supported by the government to transform them into world-class pilgrim and tourist destinations. These corridors will be modelled on the successful Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor, she said. Vishnupad Temple is one of the most ancient Hindu shrines located next to the Falgu river, while the Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The much awaited work to inlay with gold the dome of Bodh Gaya's 1,500-years-old Mahabodhi temple began on Wednesday by a team of technical experts from Thailand.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain was made to wait a good 30 minutes on Tuesday outside the gate of the Mahabodhi temple, the site of serial blasts on Sunday, due to the visit by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Sri Lanka, where he will hold talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and strengthen ties through agreements on defence, energy security, and digitalisation. This visit aims to further bolster the already strong relationship between the two nations and is expected to include several outcomes, including a defence cooperation agreement, debt restructuring, and a currency swap. This visit comes at a time when Sri Lanka is recovering from an economic crisis, where India played a significant role in providing financial assistance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka is expected to yield at least 10 ambitious outcomes, including a defense cooperation agreement and frameworks for deeper engagement in the energy sector. The visit comes at a time when Sri Lanka is recovering from an economic crisis, with India providing significant financial assistance. Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will also dedicate several projects built with India's assistance and virtually inaugurate the Sampur solar energy project.
The two sides are also likely to firm up a currency swap framework and seal several other agreements including one on debt restructuring following talks between Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka on April 5, people familiar with the matter said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a tri-services ceremonial welcome in Colombo, Sri Lanka, marking the first time such an honor has been bestowed upon a foreign leader. The welcome took place at the historic Independence Square, the venue for national day celebrations. Modi's visit comes as Sri Lanka shows signs of recovery from a recent economic crisis, with India playing a significant role in providing assistance. During the visit, both leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including defense cooperation, energy, and digital initiatives.
A special National Investigation Agency court in Patna on Friday convicted eight operatives of the Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh terror group for planting IEDs at the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya in 2018, an official said.
Buddhist monks participate in an International Tipitaka Chanting ceremony, praying for World Peace, at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, April 6, 2022.
Addressing a gathering at Bodh Gaya, the Dalai Lama said he has no ill will against those who provoke anger in him.
With the reality of coalition politics staring the BJP in its face, this was inevitable, points out Ramesh Menon.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the terror attack on Mahabodhi temple in Bihar's Bodh Gaya district.
'There are 36 foreign tourists from China, Italy, USA, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand and other countries.'
Mahabodhi temple, the target of serial blasts, has been closed for the general public but the prayers will continue to be held as usual, Bihar police chief Abhayanand said on Sunday. The director general of police said no harm has come to the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Buddhist temple, but some peripheral damage has occurred.
Groping in dark over the Mahabodhi temple serial blasts, security agencies have now started looking into the role right wing extremists, Maoists, Rohingya Muslims besides Indian Mujahideen in the incident.
Colonel (retd) R Hariharan offers his take on the recent blasts at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya.
DIG, Magadh Range, Nayyer Hasnain Khan said an identity card was found within the temple premises on Sunday on the basis of which the person was detained.
'The world is reeling under violence, often in the name of religion. This must not happen and humanistic values must be promoted'
After having failed to make any breakthrough in the serial bomb blasts case in the Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi temple in Bihar, the National Investigation Agency has released sketches of five suspects including a foreign national, police officials on Tuesday said.
Faced with mounting attack by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal for "failing" to avert the terror strike at the Mahabodhi temple despite specific warnings of intelligence agencies, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday alleged that both parties have joined hands in their "desperation" for power.
The Bihar police have said they have the entire footage and this could help investigators crack the case.
The attack on the Mahabodhi temple is a precursor before Pakistan-based terror outfits launch a major 'war' in support of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims, reports Vicky Nanjappa
A year after the holy Buddhist city of Bodh Gaya in Bihar was rocked by serial bomb blasts, the city is gearing up for the three-day International Buddhist Conclave in which 300 scholars, historians and Buddhists from across the world will participate. The conclave will be held in September, officials said on Saturday.
Arvind Singh, a member of Mahabodhi temple management committee, said the two injured included a national of Myanmar and another of Tibet. They have been admitted to the Magadh MedicalCollege and Hospital, he said
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances