Context:
The Supreme Court has declined to hear a plea seeking exclusive control of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya by the Buddhist community, advising the petitioner to approach the High Court instead.

About Mahabodhi Temple:

• The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, revered as the place where Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.
• It is one of the four key Buddhist pilgrimage sites associated with Buddha’s life.
• The original shrine was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE after his conversion to Buddhism. The present structure dates back to the 5th–6th centuries CE.
• It is among the earliest brick-built Buddhist temples, marking a significant step in ancient brick architecture.
• Initially managed by Buddhists, control shifted after the 13th-century invasion by Bakhtiyar Khilji. In the 16th century, a Hindu monk, Ghamandi Giri, established the Bodh Gaya Math at the site.

Post-Independence Administration:

• Governed under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, the temple’s management committee includes members from both Buddhist and Hindu communities, under the oversight of the Bihar government.

Did You Know?

• Although Buddhists are included in the constitutional definition of Hindus, they were recognized as a religious minority in 1993 under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

Source: Hindustan Times