Organisers of the Mission Mahabodhi Mahavihara liberation movement will stage a rally in Bengaluru on 6 January, with participants gathering at Freedom Park at 11.30am. The group said it expects approximately 6,000 people from across Bidar district and beyond to join the demonstration.
Mission Mahabodhi Mahavihara campaign to press officials
Speakers at a press conference in Bidar outlined the movement's central demand: that administration of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara, the sacred site associated with Lord Buddha and the historic Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, be handed entirely to the Buddhist community. The organisers said the campaign will seek formal petitions to the Karnataka governor and the state chief minister following the Bengaluru rally.
The movement will open in Bengaluru with a ceremonial viewing of a relic of Lord Buddha brought from Sri Lanka, organisers said. They plan a Buddhist prayer service to mark the start of the agitation and to convey the religious significance of the demand.
At the Bidar press conference, representatives including Suresh Jojnakar, Kapil Godbole, Amrut Muttangikar, Rajkumar Mulbharati, Ambadas Chakravarti and Sashidhar outlined a broader campaign calendar. They said a subsequent demonstration will be held in Delhi on 12 February as part of efforts to draw national attention to the issue.
Organisers described the Mahabodhi Mahavihara as a site of immense spiritual value, linked to Emperor Ashoka and recognised as one of the holiest Buddhist places in the world. They argued that transferring full administrative control to Buddhists would honour the site's religious heritage and ensure that its management conforms to Buddhist practices and custodianship.
Local leaders stressed that the movement is peaceful and devotional in nature. They invited followers and sympathisers from neighbouring regions to participate in the Bengaluru action to demonstrate the depth of support for their demand. The protest, they said, is intended to be a lawful civic expression aimed at influencing public authorities.
Analysts said the rally is primarily a domestic religious and political campaign rather than a dispute with international implications. While the relic from Sri Lanka underscores cross-border Buddhist ties, the organisers' demand centres on national and state-level administration of a heritage site within India.
Observers noted that sensitive religious sites often generate strong sentiments and that authorities will need to balance the right to peaceful assembly with public order and heritage protection. The state administration has not yet issued an official response to the organisers' announcement.
The Mission Mahabodhi Mahavihara movement follows a wider pattern of community groups seeking greater control over religious heritage sites. Its leaders said they will continue to pursue legal and political channels alongside public demonstrations, and they urged participants to remain peaceful during the Bengaluru rally and the planned Delhi action.
Photographs and updates from the event are expected to appear on regional news platforms and social media channels. The organisers said they will formally submit their petition to the governor and chief minister after the Bengaluru gathering.
Key Takeaways:
- Organisers will hold a Mission Mahabodhi Mahavihara rally in Bengaluru on 6 January, expecting around 6,000 participants.
- The movement will present a relic from Sri Lanka and petition the state governor and chief minister to return full administration of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara to Buddhists.
- Leaders said the campaign aims to reclaim the sacred Mahabodhi site in Bodhgaya as a purely Buddhist-administered shrine; a Delhi protest is planned for 12 February.
