On April 26, Gangtok hosted a peace demonstration in favor of a national call to revoke the 1949 Bodhgaya Temple Management Act. The All India Buddhist Forum’s Sikkim Chapter led the march, which demanded that the Mahabodhi Buddha Vihara in Bodhgaya, Bihar, be fully turned over to the Indian Buddhist community for supervision.
The protest is in line with ongoing protests in Bodhgaya, where activists and monks have been holding a continuous dharna for more than 60 days in support of solely Buddhist authority over the holy site. By guaranteeing that one of Buddhism’s holiest sites is managed properly, the demonstration highlighted the importance of respecting Buddhists’ religious feelings. In addition to calling on the government to address the long-standing demands of the Buddhist community, organizers reaffirmed that the movement aims to preserve the Mahabodhi Temple’s holiness and cultural legacy.
