Stories from 2002 (176 items)

[note: sorry links not active, scroll down to find story]

UNESCO unhappy with Mahabodhi temple maintenance
Buddhist monks pray for world peace
Neo-Buddhists step up attack on Dalai Lama
Idols desecrated in Gaya temple
Crowds of Lamas Begin to Gather in Bodhgaya
Rabri Government Keen on Getting Maitreya Project Going
Inaugural IA Bangkok-Gaya flight diverted to Kolkata
Buddhist monks demand Dalai Lama's deportation
Security Arrangements for Dalai Lama and Karmapa's visit Checked
Ven Anand will be kept in the scope of the Law: DM
Kalachakra prayers at Bodhgaya
Bumpy ride awaits Kalchakra visitors
Buddha mahotsava: Will past mistakes be repeated again?
Layer of Red Plaster on Mahabodhi Temple attracts Tourists
MCC blows up house of its ex-cadre in Gaya
No private upkeep of monuments: Jagmohan
Commissioner Inspects Preparations for Buddhist Festival and Kakacakra Puja
Ven. Dharmviriyo openly Criticises Ven. Anand
Controversy mars Buddhist conference
Buddhist leader threatens to disrupt Kalchakra puja
Warning of Campaign if Buddhists are Ignored Gaya
RAJD Allege Foreign Guest Houses are Businesses
Kathina ceremony Performed for World Peace and Fellowship
Maitreya Project: BJP Will Maintain Pressure on State: Nand Kishor
Bodhgaya Block Foreign Guest House Tax Arrears
Direct flights begin from Sri Lanka to Bodhgaya
Gaya now an international airport
Rejoicing at Start of International Flights
Police Bothered by Controversial Buddhist Monk Vimalasara
Bus service between Nepal and Bihar to start soon
Gaya-Bangkok Flight Postponed for Unexplained Reasons
7 pilgrims killed, 25 hurt in Bihar road mishap
IA to start Gaya-Bangkok flight
Hundreds embrace Buddhism
Sri Lanka Airlines to fly first From Gaya Airport
Bihar: Tourist Protection Force soon
Gift of Cloth to 350 Monks at Mahabodhi Temple
Christians and Buddhists Pray Together For Peace in the Mahabodhi Temple
Christian clerics pray for world peace
MCC Extremists Hold Torch Light March
SriLankan flies to Buddha Gaya
Bihar to get extra paramilitary forces
Operators may get 74% in non-metro airports
Bodhgaya Prepares For Tourist Season
Gaya Gears Up for Maiden International Flight from Next Month
Land of the Buddha Resounds to the Sound of Vedic Mantras
Possibility of International Flights from Gaya Airport by Month's end
Fast Against Animal Sacrifice at Mangala Gauri
Fast Against Animal Sacrifices
Maya to give UP world's tallest Buddha
Pitripaksa Fair Concludes with Offerings at Akshayvat
Demolition of Monasteries in Buffer Zone?
BOUDDHISME EN INDE: DISPUTES AUTOUR DU TEMPLE DE BODHGAYA
Ancestor Offerings in Vaitrani Lake, Fair concludes Today
Sabotage caused Rajdhani crash: Panel
Gaya is the City of Liberation
Auspicious Sign in Arrival of Foreign Tourists before Tourist Season
6000 "Hits" on Bodhgayanews in September
Bodhgaya MLA says it is essential to be open about the "Buffer Zone"
Temple attack hits Bihar priests' earnings
Bihar: Female pickpocket gang busted
Meeting in Delhi over Bodhgaya Development
High Security at Gaya Temples, Metal Detectors at Vishnupad and Mahabodhi Temples
Places of worship put on alert nationwide
Security enhanced for Pitri Paksha fair in Bihar
Seventy Thousand Pilgrims Arrive
Offerings to Ancestors aimed at establishing Social Status
Bajrang Dal activists attack foreign nationals
Pilgrims Start Arriving In Gaya, Rituals Begins Today
Gaya Gears Up to Hold Pitripaksha Mela, Security Tight
World Famous Pitripaksa Mela Begins Tomorrow
Bodh Gaya Airport For Sale
Three Mobile Vehicles of Medical College Rusting in Garage
British-Government-Built-Phalgu-River-Road-Bridge Witness to Several Deaths
Claim of Firm Arrangements for Health in Pitripaksa Mela
Two FIRs issued over railway inquiry
Railway Line Re-opens
Terrorist Incident Cannot Be Ruled Out: Dattatreya
Fifty Die in Rajdhani Express Crash Near Gaya
Bodhgaya Sanskrit College Head Declared Unqualified
Possibility of Expense of Fifty Lakhs for Pitripaksa Mela
Truck Burnt in Bodhgaya
Plane Does Not Take Off from Gaya Airport
Government Regulations Broken Near Temple
"To Talk of Protecting the Nation is dishonest unless we protect the Mother"
Students Set to Strike at Magadh University
Buddhist monks demanding control of Bodh Gaya temple seek UN intervention
Indian Buddhist monks body demands arrest of Sri Lankan monks
Dilemma over ancient Buddhist Manuscript Collection
Sri Lanka President Urges Prime Minister to Ensure Monk's Release
Maitreya Project To Move To Kushinagar
Pakistani Flag Burnt With the Resolution for United India
Eviction Notice to Bodhgaya Monastery Shopkeepers
Bodhgaya Archeological Dig Hit by Corruption
Farmers Breath a Sigh of Relief due to Heavy Rain
Soil Testing Centre Closed Five Years Due to Lack of Chemicals
Mayor of Bhagalpur and Gaya reserved for Women
Direct Flights from Gaya for Haj Pilgrims from September: Shahnaz.
Gaya to Offer Direct Flight to Jeddah for Hajj Pilgrims
Bihar Bans Sale of Gutkha
Dainik Jagran Gaya News Down Again
Grievous Attack on Secretary of Magadh University Technical Cell
Al-Qaeda Supremo Osama Bin Laden alive and in Pakistan under the protection of Pakistan Secret Service ISI: Fernandez
Investigation of FEMA case against Vimalasara begins
Appeal To End Animal Sacrifices At Manglagauri
Several Challenges Face New DSP
Lalu is playing politics while wearing a mask of "non-discrimination between religions"
Implementation of Standard Criteria for World Heritage Essential: Ven. Anand
Was the Buddha a Buddhist?
Workers to Demonstrate against Disruption of Health Programmes
Five Hundred Meditation Huts for Temple Compound?
Offender Absconds, Officer Honoured
UNESCO site description of Bodhgaya online
Bodhgaya Development Plan
Letter to Government over safety of pilgrims and the Mahabodhi temple
World Heritage Site Reports
"Mega Plans for Mahabodhi"
Mahabodhi Temple Bodhgaya included in World Heritage List.
Driver Killed, Loaded Truck Stolen
Direct flights between Gaya and Thailand
Government to Spend 112 Crore Rupees on Bodhgaya Airport.
Mahabodhi Temple Draft Development Plan Ready
Three die from Smallpox Fury in Barachatti Village
Smallpox outbreak in Pakistan?
Outbreak of Smallpox in Barachatti
Lone Doctor Runs Bodhgaya Health Centre
Vimalasara Claims to be Victim of Police Excess
Monk is wrong say Buddhist Scholar and VHP
Lord Buddha Not Avatar of Vishnu: Ven. Anand
New-Buddhists Call Again for the Liberation of the Mahabodhi Temple
2546th Buddha Jubilee Joyfully Celebrated in Bodhgaya
Multi-Faith Prayer Meeting for World Peace
Administration Bows to the All India Monks Association
Bodhgaya decorated with Buddhist Flags for Festival
Stalemate over Kalacakra Maidan
Gangs of New Buddhists Start Arriving at the Land of the Buddha
Mahabodhi Temple to be World Heritage Listed by June: DM
Accused in Vijay Manjhi Murder Case Arrested
"Arrested monk brings disrepute to robe "
Sri Lankan Government Requests no extension of Vimalasara's Visa
Robbers Shoot Resisting Householder Dead, One Arrested
Justice Worships at Mahabodhi Temple
Congress Makes Demolition of Party Office a matter of Honour
Administration Demolishes Congress Office Under Construction
Childless Woman Murdered
Scale of Poll Violence Baffles Gaya Watchers
Polling Concluded amongst scattered incidents in Bodhgaya
Vimalasara Thero of the Mahabodhi Society arrested over Lakhs of rupees racket
Outbreak of Smallpox in Barachatti
Responsibility for Conserving Ancient Monuments Lies in Women's hands
Dispute Flares up over the Ramnavami Procession at Vishnupad Temple
Christian Missionaries spreading their nets in Barachatti area
No Takers for Surrender Package for Naxalites
Dr Ambedkar Anniversary Celebrated
Five Criminals Arrested in Bodhgaya Robbery Case
"Robbery in Bodhgaya due to police inaction"
NGO Group works to Clear up Bodhgaya
Mobile Inspector loots several vehicles, Case Registered against Inspector
Minorities Commission Members Tour Bodhgaya
Jagannath Temple in Bodhgaya losing its historical Importance
Atmosphere not right for Private Capital Investment in Bihar: Fernandes
Two Different Invitations issued in one day for Foundation Stone Ceremony at Airport
Archaeology Department finds several historic locations at the Sujata mound
Peaceful Celebrations of Holi
Two arrested with ancient Statues
Seven Killed and Several Injured during Holi in Gaya
Scattered incidents in the Naxalite affected areas during Holi.
Ambedkar's son's wife to visit Bodhgaya
MLA Dhammaviryo announces 33 lakhs for the construction of a Dharmsala in Bodhgaya.
Foundation Stone for Passenger Terminal at Gaya Airport.
Buddhist Monks form Human Chain around Mahabodhi Temple
General Conference of Buddhist Council Begins with Call to Do or Die
Hundreds of Hindus convert to Buddhism by taking the five refuges
Bell sent from America to Hang in Mahabodhi Temple
Buddhist Council presents 22 point petition to DM.
Statue Project "not to be moved to Kushinagar"

UNESCO unhappy with Mahabodhi temple maintenance Imran Khan, Indo-Asian News Service Patna, December 31 (Hindustan Times).
The United Nations' cultural arm Unesco might threaten to revoke heritage status for the Mahabodhi temple at Buddhism's birthplace in eastern India if the government continues to flout its maintenance guidelines.
Unesco officials are reportedly unhappy with both the Bihar and Indian governments for the poor maintenance of the temple in Bodh Gaya town, about 110 km from here. .... The Bihar urban development department had assured Unesco that its guidelines -- including the enforcement of a strict ban on all construction in a one-kilometre radius around the temple -- would be strictly followed. But the ban is being openly violated and new structures are coming up fast within the restricted area. Link to Full Story

Buddhist monks pray for world peace Imran Khan, Indo-Asian News Service Patna, December 31, (Hindustan Times). Hundreds of Buddhist monks from across the world have gathered at their religion's birthplace in eastern India for weeklong prayers for world peace that began Tuesday. About 7,000 Buddhist monks, including 17 incarnate lamas, have congregated in Bihar's Bodh Gaya town for the Kagyu Monlam Chenmo prayer that the 17th Karmapa, Ugyen Trinley Dorji, was scheduled to lead. Link to Full Story

Neo-Buddhists step up attack on Dalai Lama
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2002 01:37:44 AM ] (Times of India) Gaya: With less than two weeks left for the beginning of the Kalchakra Pooja, the most important religious ritual of the Mahayana sect of traditional Buddhists, the Bodh Gaya-based Ambedkarites, better known as neo-Buddhists, have stepped up the anti-Dalai Lama campaign and printed material is being distributed against the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile led by His Holiness. Earlier, the neo-Buddhists demanded expulsion of the Dalai Lama and Karmapa, the two Tibetan spiritual leaders enjoying Indian hospitality. The two-page printed material in Hindi captioned “Bharat ki bhoomi par gair desh ki sarkar (alien government on Indian soil), questions the very logic behind the decision to allow Dalai Lama to run what was, according to the material being distributed in Bodh Gaya, a “CIA-sponsored show” from the Indian soil. Link to Full Story

Idols desecrated in Gaya temple Gaya,Sunday, December 29, 2002: (PTI). Unidentified persons desecrated idols at a temple in Gaya district of Bihar on Saturday night sparking off tension in the area today, police said. Some idols, including that of Hanuman, were desecrated at a temple located on Ram Shila hillock, they said. link to full story at PTI

Crowds of Lamas Begin to Gather in Bodhgaya Bodhgaya, 28 December (Dainik Jagran). Thousands of monks and followers of the Dalai Lama have started to gather in Bodhgaya for the Kalacakra Puja. Several meetings have been held by the district administration and the puja committee to arrange for food, tents, electricity, drinking water and basic facilities. However the arriving tourists can be seen wandering hither and thither.
Electicity poles have been set up for tents which have been erected at various sites, however there are no wires. Work on drinking water is ongoing. There is no efficiency visible in the departments concerned with cleaning the area. The result of which is piles of refuse surround the Kalacakra field site on all sides. From the viewpoint of security the field is regarded as fairly sensative.
Due to this the restaurants, which are encroachments, around the site will experience considerable inconvenience during security checking. The police and administration and special branch are active inspecting in Bodhgaya.

Rabri Government Keen on Getting Maitreya Project Going Patna: December 23, 2002 (PatnaDaily). In spite of passionate attempts by the Uttar Pradesh government to attract the Maitreya Project to Kushinagar, the Bihar state tourism department is showing even more passion in the project to ensure it remains in Bodh Gaya in Bihar where Buddha had attained enlightenment nearly 2500 years ago. link to full story

Inaugural IA Bangkok-Gaya flight diverted to Kolkata KOLKATA, DEC 21 (PTI) (Outlook India), The inaugural Indian Airlines IC-730 Bangkok-Gaya-Kolkata flight was diverted to Kolkata due to delayed takeoff from the Thailand capital today. The delay in the take off of the flight launched with much fanfare by Indian Airlines led to its termination here as Gaya Airport has no night landing facilities, official sources said. link to full story

Buddhist monks demand Dalai Lama's deportation Imran Khan, Indo-Asian News Service Patna, December 16 (Hindustan Times). A section of Indian Buddhist monks has demanded that Tibetan leader Dalai Lama be deported from this country.
The monks associated with the Mahabodhi temple in Bihar demanded that President APJ Abdul Kalam order the deportation of both the Dalai Lama and the 17th Karmapa, Ugyen Trinley Dorji, who heads a sect of Tibetan Buddhists.
All India Monks Association general secretary Bhadant Anand, in a memorandum to the president, alleged that the Dalai Lama, through his "questionable" acts and "pretensions", had caused avoidable tension between India and China. The Tibetan leader's deportation, he argued, could improve Sino-Indian relations. link to full story

Security Arrangements for Dalai Lama and Karmapa's visit Checked Gaya 16 December (Dainik Jagran). An inspection has been carried out of the security arrangements for the proposed visit to Bodhgaya of the the Nobel Prize winning religious leader the Dalai Lama and the 17th Karmapa Urgyen Trinle Dorjai. Under the leadership of the Magadh area Police Deputy General Inspector senior Police officers discussed security arrangements. [the remainder of the story is a list of police officers present and notes that His Holiness will spend the nights at the Maitreya Statue Project Compound for which security arrangements will need to be made. Also it notes that in January 2002 17,3050 foreign pilgrims attended and the majority of pilgrims were Indians [Tibetans?]. More than 300 police will be on duty at the ceremony.

Ven Anand will be kept in the scope of the Law: DM Gaya, 16 December (Dainik Jagran). The District Magistrate has affirmed that there will be no shortcomings in the security for the Dalai Lama's visit. Mr Mehotra said that Ven. Anand and other Neo-Buddhists would not be allowed to take the law into their own hands. He said that whatever security measures were deemed appropriate by centre and state would be put into action by the local administration. He said that at the appropriate time decisions would be made on Ven. Anand's demands.

Kalachakra prayers at Bodhgaya
Gangtok, Dec 7 (Sify News). His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso will initiate the Kalachakra (wheel of time) prayers at Bodhgaya January 11 to 19. Sources said the Kalachakra Puja will start on the morning of January 19 with earth ritual. The main Kalachakra Preparation Teaching will begin on January 16. His Holiness will empower the devotees with the 'long life initiation' on the last day, sources added. full story

Bumpy ride awaits Kalchakra visitors ABDUL QADIR (The Times of India) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2002 GAYA: With less than six weeks remaining for the Kalchakra prayers, the mega Buddhist ritual to be performed by his holiness, the Dalai Lama, in Bodh Gaya between January 11-18, 2003, the devotees are in for a bumpy ride as National Highway 83 and the Gaya-Rajgir road routes are full of potholes. full story [apologies to the Times of India for not simply linking to their story but their website seems dreadfully slow at the moment from Australia.]

Buddha mahotsava: Will past mistakes be repeated again? ABDUL QADIR (The Times of India) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2002 GAYA: With Buddha Mahotsava preparations picking up, the question uppermost in the minds of the Bodh Gaya watchers is whether the 5th Mahotsava would be any different from the previous ones. The experience of the last four years has not been very encouraging as the festival starting with much fanfare in October 1998 has so far not achieved the basic objective. full story

November 2002 Stories

(20 Stories)

Layer of Red Plaster on Mahabodhi Temple attracts Tourists Bodhgaya, 29 November (Dainik Jagran). The Mahabodhi Temple situated on the sacred site of the Tathagata's austerities is being covered in a layer of red plaster as part of the preservation work being undertaken by the Archaeological Department and this is acting as an attraction for tourists. As part of this work the surface layer of the temple which is damaged is being removed and replaced under the direction of archaeologist with great precision. more

MCC blows up house of its ex-cadre in Gaya GAYA, NOV 28 (PTI) (Outlook India). Activists of the banned Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) have blown up the house of a former activist in a village of Bihar's Gaya district, a delayed report reaching the district headquarters said today. Suspecting former cadre Sukhdeo Yadav of being a police informer, MCC workers blew up his house with dynamite after asking the family members to come out on Tuesday night in Budhaul village, Gaya District Magistrate Brajesh Mehrotra told PTI. The house was reduced to rubble, though there were no reports of any casualty, Mehrotra said adding Sukhdeo Yadav was not present at the time of the attack. Budhaul village is around six km away from the historical Bodh Gaya town. Full story at Outlook India

No private upkeep of monuments: Jagmohan Parul Gupta in New Delhi Published : November 27, 2002 (Business Standard). Historical monuments will not be given out to the private sector now for either promotion or preservation.... The ministry is spending over Rs 40 crore this year itself in creating six tourism circuits in India which will involve development of heritage sites along these circuits. Also, about Rs 600 crore has come from JBIC for the development of a Buddhist circuit around Bodhgaya. .... Full story at Business Standard

Commissioner Inspects Preparations for Buddhist Festival and Kakacakra Puja Gaya, 26 November (Dainik Jagran). District Commissioner Hemcand Sirohi today inspected the proposed Buddhist Festival and Kalacakra Puja's administrative arrangements. In the inspectation meeting were the District Magistrate Brajesh Mehrotra, Police Superintendent Ravindran Shankaran and other high officials. more

Ven. Dharmviriyo openly Criticises Ven. Anand
Bodhgaya, 25 November (Dainik Jagran). Ven. Dharmariryo the former member of the state legislative assembly (MLA) while staying in Bodhgaya today at a Press Conference openly criticised Ven. Anand the General Secretary of the All India Monks Association. more

Controversy mars Buddhist conference
BHOPAL: 24 November (Central Chronicle). "When Buddhists of different countries were known by different names, why can't the term Dalit Buddhism be coined?" The comment by a speaker on the second day of the International Buddhist Conference generated so much heat that the delegates even suggested that the contents of lectures should be checked before allowing a participant to speak. Full story on Central Chronicle

Buddhist leader threatens to disrupt Kalchakra puja ABDUL QADIR (Times of India) [THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2002 01:21:55 AM ] GAYA: Bhadant Anand, general secretary of the All-India Monks Federation and the Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Vihar All-India Action Committee, has threatened to disrupt the proposed Kalchakra puja, tentatively scheduled for the second week of January next year, if the demands of the neo-Buddhists are not met. full story

Warning of Campaign if Buddhists are Ignored Gaya 18 November (Dainik Jagran). The All India Buddhagaya Temple Liberation Movement's councils national general secretary has once again accused the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee of ignoring Buddhists. The secretary has written to the district magistrate asking to know his view on the five points at question along with warning that if by the 10th of December full information was not supplied then a national campaign would be launched.

RAJD Allege Foreign Guest Houses are Businesses Gaya 18 November (Dainik Jagran). The Leader of the RAJD (Lalu Prasad's party) has demanded an immediate decision and action from the district registration officer on action against the organisers of foreign guest houses.
In this connection Bodhgaya Town Council Ward Appointee and assistant Student general Secretary of the RAJD Vijay Yadav said that under the shelter of the temple the organisers of the foreign guest houses were running businesses.

Kathina ceremony Performed for World Peace and Fellowship Bodhgaya 17 November (Dainik Jagran). The auspicious inauguration of the kathina ceremony to give robes to monks was begun by the Mahabodhi Society last night in Bodhgaya the sacred site of the Buddha's enlightenment and was dedicated to World Peace and Harmony.

Maitreya Project: BJP Will Maintain Pressure on State: Nand Kishor Gaya, 15 November (Dainik Jagran). Nand Kishor Yadav, the State Chairman of the BJP has said that the BJP will maintain pressure on the state government to bring the Maitreya Project to Bodhgaya. Due to the non-cooperation of the state government the project has shifted to UP, Mr Yadav said today while addressing journalists. full story

Bodhgaya Block Foreign Guest House Tax Arrears Bodhgaya, 15 November (Dainik Jagran). There are a number of guest houses and restaurants run by foreign monasteries in the international tourist site of Bodhgaya. According to the Bihar and Orrisa Municipal act of 1922 the temple itself is not liable to tax but residential and restaurant areas are liable. full story

Direct flights begin from Sri Lanka to Bodhgaya GAYA, India, Tuesday (AFP) 14 November. (DailyNews.lk) A Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A-320 with 75 tourists on board arrived here Tuesday inaugurating international flights to one of Buddhism's holiest sites. Gaya airport is about 30 kilometers (18 miles)rom Bodhgaya, where the Buddha achieved enlightenment in the sixth century BC. full story at DailyNew.lk

Gaya now an international airport
Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Nov 13 (Sify.com)Sri Lankan Airlines(SLA) commenced its maiden flight to Bodh Gaya on Tuesday adding a second destination in one year to its growing portfolio of flights to India. With the inaugural flight UL 195, an Airbus A-320 aircraft will leave Colombo every Tuesday at 1205 hrs to arrive in Gaya at 1505 hrs. link to full story

Rejoicing at Start of International Flights
Gaya, 12 November (Dainik Jagran).People have expressed joy at the commencement of international flights from Gaya airport. The city MLA and BJP workers praised the central government while expressing their joy. more

Police Bothered by Controversial Buddhist Monk Vimalasara Gaya, 9 November (Dainik Jagran). The Police department faces a difficult situation over the case of the controversial Buddhist monk Vimalasara who is accused of corruption. The validity of the Sri Lankan national's visa has now expired, and papers have been submitted in court against him. In such circumstances were he to be deported from the country it would effect the case pending against him. full story

Bus service between Nepal and Bihar to start soon Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna, November 9 (Rediff.com). Transport Minister Awadh Bihari Choudhary on Saturday said the international bus service between Bihar and Nepal will soon be ready. link to full story

Gaya-Bangkok Flight Postponed for Unexplained Reasons Gaya: November 6, 2002 (PatnaDaily). True to much of the developing programs in Bihar, the much-touted flight from Gaya to Bangkok was suddenly put off a day before the scheduled flight for reasons best known to the Indian Airlines officials and the Civil Aviation Ministry. link to full story

7 pilgrims killed, 25 hurt in Bihar road mishap
PTI RAJGIR (BIHAR): (NewIndpress.com) Seven Buddhist pilgrims were killed and 25 others injured, five of them seriously, when a tourist bus plunged into a river near Banganga in Bihar's Nalanda district early on Tuesday, police said. Sources said the accident took place when the driver lost control over the vehicle near Banganga under Rajgir police station while going to Bodh Gaya from Rajgir, a key Buddhist pilgrim centre, killing seven pilgrims on the spot. Of the injured, five were shifted to Patna Medical College hospital in critical condition, they said, adding others were being treated at nearby hospital. The victims were members of Buddhist Society of India, founded by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. link to full story

IA to start Gaya-Bangkok flight
Press Trust of India Kolkata, November 1(Hindustan Times). The Indian Airlines will provide direct connection between Gaya and Bangkok from November 6. The flight would operate on the Kolkata-Gaya-Bangkok-Kolkata sector on Wednesdays and on Kolkata-Bangkok-Gaya-Kolkata sector on Saturdays, a release issued by Indian Airlines said. link to full story

October Stories

Hundreds embrace Buddhism
SHYAM PAREKH TIMES NEWS NETWORK
[ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2002 12:19:32 AM ] AHMEDABAD: Nearly a thousand Dalits in Ahmedabad embraced Buddhism on Sunday, in the presence of monks from Asian countries. Followers of Babasaheb Ambedkar chanted "Budham Sharanam Gachchhami, Sangham Sharanam Gachchhami, Dhammam Sharanam Gachchhami" during the ceremony. full story at the Times of India

Sri Lanka Airlines to fly first From Gaya Airport
Gaya, 28 October (Dainik Jagran). Preparations for the first flight from Gaya International Airport are just about complete. The first flight will be on the 6th November. Official information to this effect has been received by Gaya airport. The first flight will be by Sri Lanka airlines which will fly once a week to Colombo.
Gaya air port assistant manager of communications A. K. Varma today told 'Jagran' that the Indian Airports Authority had fixed the date of November 6th for the first flight. full story at Dainik Jagran

Bihar: Tourist Protection Force soon
Patna, Oct. 26. (PTI): (The Hindu) The State Home Department has approved a proposal of the Tourism Department to raise a Tourist Protection Force to ensure a safe and hassle-free visit for foreign and domestic tourists, official sources said today. The proposal would soon be forwarded to the State Cabinet for its approval, they said. The sources said the proposal called for setting up police stations for tourists at important tourist destinations including Patna, Rajgir, Bodh Gaya and Vaishali. full story at The Hindu

Gift of Cloth to 350 Monks at Mahabodhi Temple Gaya, 23 October (Dainik Jagran). The ceremony of kathina for giving cloth to monks was today celebrated in the compound of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya. On this occasion food and cloth for robes was given to 350 monks. In the Theravada tradition after the monks have spent four months on the rains retreat lay people offer to them robes. more

Christians and Buddhists Pray Together For Peace in the Mahabodhi Temple Bodhgaya, 22 October. (Dainik Jagran). Buddhist and Christian leaders took part in a common prayer for world peace today in the Mahabodhi temple. A group of 40 Christians from Patna under the leadership of the Archbishop arrived in Bodhgaya this afternoon. About three in the afternoon the party of around fourty bishops prayed under the Bodhi tree for about an hour and a half and the heads of most of the main Buddhist monasteries in Bodhgaya also took part in the prayer meeting. The head monk of the Temple Management Committee Ven. Bodhipala led the puja and archana [worship]. The Committee Chairman Kalicaran Yadav gave all the Christian followers mementos of the temple. On this occasion Father Mathew Ujahutal [?] of the Patna Archbishop house said that the ceremony for world peace had been organised by the Japanese Monk Ekai Korematsu and around one hundred Buddhists and Christians had taken part in it. [Note: Ekai Korematsu is a Melbourne resident who visits Bodhgaya each year to teach meditation:-PGF]

Compare the Jagran report with the PTI report....

Christian clerics pray for world peace
Press Trust of India Gaya, October 22 (Hindustan Times) A 40-member team of archbishops, bishops and other clerics from India and Indonesia on Tuesday prayed for world peace at the famous Mahabodhi temple here. The team, led by archbishop of North India V J Costa, visited Bodh Gaya early today after a three-day triennial meeting which began on October 20 in the state capital. The prayer meeting was organised by the secretary of the Mahabodhi Temple Executive Body, Kalicharan Yadav, temple sources said. Besides the visiting dignitaries, foreign monks living at Bodh Gaya participated in the meet and prayed for peace in the world, they said. Full story at Hindustan Times

MCC Extremists Hold Torch Light March
Gaya, 22 October. (Dainik Jagran). The banned extremist organisation the MCC [Maoist Communist Council] held a torch light march last night in the hope of ensuring the success of the Kolkata [Calcutta] convention. In the village of Mathurapur in the extremist effected area of Gurua precinct slogans were shouted in support of the MCC. more

SriLankan flies to Buddha Gaya
October 20 (Sunday Observer). SriLankan Airlines will launch flights to Buddha Gaya in India and resume flights to Frankfurt in Germany, among other scheduled enhancements, in the Winter 2002 season. The Airbus A320 will be deployed to Bodh Gaya every Tuesday afternoon, beginning November 12. This raises SriLankan's destinations in India to seven, the other six being New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Trichy and Trivandrum. full story at the Sunday Observer

Bihar to get extra paramilitary forces
Gaya, Oct 20. (PTI) (The Hindu): The Union Home Ministry has agreed to provide 12 companies of additional paramilitary forces to Bihar to deal with the challenge posed by naxalites in rural areas, according to a top police official. full story at the Hindu

Operators may get 74% in non-metro airports
Amrita Dhar New Delhi, 18 October (Business Standard). The civil aviation ministry is planning to give 74 per cent equity to the private operator in case of privatisation of non-metro airports. According to senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials, the private player will have control as far as terminal management is concerned. full story at the Business Standard

Bodhgaya Prepares For Tourist Season
Bodhgaya, 18 October. (Dainik Jagran). The international tourist season begins during this month in Bodhgaya. But so far the arrival of foreign tourists is next to nothing. more

Gaya Gears Up for Maiden International Flight from Next Month Gaya, October 16 (PatnaDaily.com). Comes November, Bihar will be connected with Sri Lanka and Thailand by air with Gaya Airport acting as the hub thanks to the World Heritage Site accorded to it recently. Shahnawaz Hussain, the Civil Aviation Minister on Wednesday, said that Air India flights will open from November 6 and 8 for Bangkok and Colombo respectively. full story at PatnaDaily.com

Land of the Buddha Resounds to the Sound of Vedic Mantras Bodhgaya 14 October (Dainik Jagran). The sacred land of the Buddha is resounding to the sacred sounds of the recitation of Vedic chants at various functions held on the occasion of Durga Puja. According to custom on the Seventh day of Navaratri ("Nine nights") the final form is given to the pavilions in which statues of the goddess are erected and the ceremony of "Opening the Eye cloth" takes place. more

Possibility of International Flights from Gaya Airport by Month's end Gaya (Dainik Jagran). The Gaya international airport reconstruction is now complete. There is the possibity of the first flights taking off by the end of the month. No official announcement has yet been made by the Airports Authority of India. But there is news of the possibility of the first flight on the 29th of October. more

Fast Against Animal Sacrifice at Mangala Gauri
Gaya, 11 October (Dainik Jagran). Under the banner of the Sarva Mangala Shanti Mission a one day fast against animal sacrifice was held in the courtyard of the Mangala Gauri temple. Several notable citizens of the city and the ward council took part in this fast. During the fast speakers spoke on the need for the ending of the practice of animal sacrifice. more

Fast Against Animal Sacrifices Gaya 9 October (Dainik Jagran). The Sarva Mangala Shanti Mission ("Universal Mangala Peace Mission") has announced a one day fast for the 11th of October against the practice of animal sacrifice at the famous Shaktipith (site sacred to the goddess) of the temple of Mangala Gauri. more

Maya to give UP world's tallest Buddha
New Indian Express R.B. Singh, 30th July 2002
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh will soon have the world's tallest statue of Lord Buddha in its Kushinagar district. Chief Minister Mayawati has agreed to provide 700 acres of land free to private global organisation Maitreyi to install the 500-foot statue of the sitting Buddha, an art gallery, a museum, hospital of international standards, philosophical university, women's college and hotel. Sources say Maitreyi is prepared to spend more than Rs 2,000 crore on the project. (Read a copy of the rest of the article on http://www.ambedkar.org/ which may load quicker than the Indian Express site.)

Pitripaksa Fair Concludes with Offerings at Akshayvat Gaya, 6 October (Dainik Jagran). The Pitripaksa Fair which has been going on in Gaya for the last fortnight was today concluded with the ceremony of Suphala for the Gayapal Brahmins at the Akshayvat Altar. The pilgrims have now started to return to their homes. more

Demolition of Monasteries in Buffer Zone?
Melbourne, 7 October. I just came across an article from the 30th of July on Rediff.com which gives a good picture of the issues related to the "buffer zone". The article included the following: "Now that it is a world heritage site, almost all the structures within a one-kilometre radius around the temple have to be removed in order to create the buffer zone as specified by UNESCO. If this is not done, UNESCO can withdraw the declaration. What is worrying many is not the ugly shanties, including shabby restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and shops, but a string of breathtaking monasteries built by various countries, including China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan and Nepal, in their own architectural styles. Buddhist monks, in particular, see these monasteries as a part of the Mahabodhi temple and are emotionally attached to them." and also "The authorities have still not spelt out what they plan to do. But Lohani says there is absolutely no question of demolishing any of the monasteries, as they are a part of the site. He explains that UNESCO only specifies there should be a buffer zone of one kilometre around the site. This, he says, means that no new constructions would be allowed and, if there are any, they would have to blend with the heritage site and should not be above 33 feet. The Bodhgaya Temple Advisory Board has already declared a protected buffer zone, beginning from the boundary wall of the temple, wherein no encroachments or illegal structures will be allowed. The Bihar government plans to persuade those living around the temple to shift. Around 1,000 acres of land have been earmarked just for this and may be called Gautamnagar after Gautama Buddha. But the local populace, whose lives are linked to the tourist traffic that visits the temple, are not keen on shifting to an area where their livelihoods are threatened. " link to article.[note an extemely similar article attributed to Ramesh Menon is on the Sri Lankan Daily News website for the 21st of August, see this link]

BOUDDHISME EN INDE: DISPUTES AUTOUR DU TEMPLE DE BODHGAYA Religioscope - 24 août 2002 (Religioscope). Désireux de voir des bouddhistes contrôler le temple de Bodhgaya (Bihar), lieu où le Bouddha aurait atteint l'illumination il y a 2.500 ans, des moines bouddhistes demandent à l'ONU d'intervenir. link to article [an interesting article on a French Webserver about the Bodhgaya temple]

Ancestor Offerings in Vaitrani Lake, Fair concludes Today Gaya, 5 October (Dainik Jagran). Rituals have been being conducted at the Vaitarani Lake in the South of the City since this morning. There is a particular importance to making water offerings for the ancestors at the Vaitarani Lake the day before the new moon. Tomorrow the Pitripaksa fair will be concluded with offerings made at the Akshayvat altar. more

Sabotage caused Rajdhani crash: Panel
New Delhi, Oct 3 (Sify.Com). An official probe into the Rajdhani train mishap in Rafiganj in Bihar last month has found that sabotage was the cause of the accident. full story at Sify.Com

Gaya is the City of Liberation
Gaya, 2 October, (Dainik Jagran). Ramesh Joshi, a pilgrim [to the Pitripaksa Fair] who has come from Kolkata [Calcutta] in West Bengal says that Gaya is the city of liberation and most pilgrims come here due to faith. He also said that when Bhagwan [Buddha?] came to Gaya the Vishnupad temple must already have been here as this is what history tells us. It is also clear that the enlightenment that Bhagwan Buddha obtained in Bodhgaya is somehow connected with having faith in Bhagwan Vishnu. more

Auspicious Sign in Arrival of Foreign Tourists before Tourist Season Bodhgaya, 1 October (Dainik Jagran). The arrival of foreign tourists before the beginning of the tourist season is being perceived by local tradespeople as an auspicious sign. more

September 2002 Stories

6000 "Hits" on Bodhgayanews in September Melbourne, 30 September (Peter Friedlander). This website has been running now for about six months or so and the number of page requests has gone up from 365 in March when it began to over 6000 in September. Or to look at it another way, so far there have been visits from 2,986 host computers, including 872 different hosts in September. Quite what that really means is impossible to say, but it certainly seems to reflect a considerable growth in visitors. Thanks for visiting, hope that the site helps you get a picture of what is happening in Bodhgaya.

Bodhgaya MLA says it is essential to be open about the "Buffer Zone" Bodhgaya, 29 September (Dainik Jagran). The inhabitants of Bodhgaya are even now concerned about the proposed Buffer Zone after the inclusion of the Mahabodhi Temple in the World Heritage List. more

Temple attack hits Bihar priests' earnings
IANS [ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2002 11:57:07 AM ]
PATNA: The terror attack on the Swaminarayan temple in distant Gujarat has cast a shadow on an annual Hindu festival in Bihar, seriously affecting the earnings of the powerful priests known as 'pandas'.
The pandas are saying that the September 24 terrorist storming of the Swaminarayan shrine in Gandhinagar that killed 32 people was mainly to blame for the poor turnout at the 'Pitrapaksha Mela' in Gaya town. It is an annual gathering where Hindus make offerings in memory of their ancestors' souls.
Full story at Times of India

Bihar: Female pickpocket gang busted
Gaya, Sept. 29. (PTI): A gang of inter-state female pickpockets was busted today with the arrest of 44 from Gaya railway station by the police. Gaya District Superintendent of Police Ravindra Shankaran said the female pickpockets had arrived in the city by the Ganga Damodar Express. Full story at The Hindu

Meeting in Delhi over Bodhgaya Development
Bodhgaya, 26 September (Dainik Jagran). The tourism ministry has announced a meeting on the integrated development of the Mahabodhi temple and a conference following the inclusion of the Mahabodhi temple in the world heritage listing. The chairmanship of the meeting will be performed by the central tourism minister Jagmohan. more

High Security at Gaya Temples, Metal Detectors at Vishnupad and Mahabodhi Temples Gaya, 25 September (Dainik Jagran). After yesterday's terrorist attack on the Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar security measures have been made extremely tough at all Monasteries and Temples in Gaya. Gurkha BSF [Border Security Force] B-19 has been deployed at several locations in the city whilst the security of the Vishnupad temple has been entrusted to the CRPF. [Central Reserve Police Force]. Worshippers are only being allowed into the Vishnupad and Mahabodhi Temples after checking with metal detectors. more

Places of worship put on alert nationwide , 25 September (Rediff.com). Places of worship were put on alert nationwide following Tuesday's terrorist attack on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. link to story at Rediff.com

Security enhanced for Pitri Paksha fair in Bihar GAYA, SEP 25 (PTI) (OutlookIndia.com). Security measures have been tightened in and around the famous Vishnupad temple and other religious sites during the ongoing ' Pitri Paksha' fair here in the wake of terrorists attack on Swaminarain temple in Gujarat, official sources said today. link to story at OutlookIndia.com

Seventy Thousand Pilgrims Arrive
Gaya, 24 September (Dainik Jagran). The arrival of pilgrims to the sacred site of Gaya is now almost continuous. Today, the third day of the pilgrimage, reliable sources say that so far seventy thousand pilgrims have arrived. full story

Offerings to Ancestors aimed at establishing Social Status Gaya 23 September (Dainik Jagran). Pilgrims are arriving by their thousands now to make offerings to their ancestors. From amongst them there are those who are coming because they are concerned with what people might say about them [if they didn't] and in view of maintaining their social status. The pilgrims who have come for the Fair are not looking pleased with the arrangements for cleanliness in the town and Fair area. full story

Bajrang Dal activists attack foreign nationals BEGUSARAI (BIHAR), SEPT 23 (PTI) (OutlookIndia.com) Activists of Bajrang Dal attacked a group of South Koreans staying at the house of a co-religionist here and snatched their valuables including passport and injured one of them for their alleged bid to convert Hindus to Christianity, police said today. full story [Note Begusarai is in Northern Bihar not near Bodhgaya.]

Pilgrims Start Arriving In Gaya, Rituals Begins Today Gaya 21 September (Dainik Jagran). The Pitripaksa Fair has begun in Gaya the Sacred Site of the Eternal Dharma. Pilgrims have started arriving via the roads and railways. Tomorrow is Ashwin Pratipada and from the morning the rituals of Pindadana will begin at both the Phalgu river and at Vishnupada temple. full story

Gaya Gears Up to Hold Pitripaksha Mela, Security Tight Gaya: September 21, 2002 (PatnaDaily.com) Hundreds and thousands of Hindu devotees have gathered in Gaya for a two-week Pitripaksha Mela that, according to the Hindu customs, seeks to liberate the wandering souls to a more heavenly state of nirvana. [full story at PatnaDaily.com]

World Famous Pitripaksa Mela Begins Tomorrow Gaya, 18 September (Dainik Jagran). The world famous Pitripaksa ("Ancestors Fortnight") Mela ("fair") begins this year on the day of Anant Chaturdashi ("Infinite Fourteen") on Friday 20 September and runs to the 6th of October. The Mela will be inaugurated at seven pm in the compound of the Vishnupada temple by Ashok Kumar Singh the Bihar minister for Art, Culture, Youth Work and Tourism. full story

Bodh Gaya Airport For Sale
Melbourne, 17 September. The Government of India is intending to privatise the four major Indian Airports and ten regional airports, including Bodh Gaya airport. "Civil aviation minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain has cleared privatisation of 10 regional airports — Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, Calicut, Goa and Jaipur, Lucknow, Trichy, Trivandrum and Udaipur. “I have signed the file and we will set the ball rolling soon to open up these airports to private sector,” Mr Hussain told FE. " full story on FinancialExpress.com website. [story dated September 4th]

Three Mobile Vehicles of Medical College Rusting in Garage Gaya, 16 September (Dainik Jagran). Three mobile vehicles worth 60 lakh rupees are rusting in the garage of the Anugraha Narayana Medical college. Up to today not even the slightest advantage has come to villagers from these vehicles. full story

British-Government-Built-Phalgu-River-Road-Bridge Witness to Several Deaths
Gaya, 15 September (Dainik Jagran). The steel bridge built over the Phalgu river during the time of the British Government is in a run down condition. Due to administrative carelessness the bridge has witnessed several dozen deaths. full story

Claim of Firm Arrangements for Health in Pitripaksa Mela Gaya, 15 September (Dainik Jagran). The Civil Surgeon has claimed that firm arrangements for health during the Pitripaksa Mela have been put into place. But the Pilgrim Hospital itself looks unhealthy nowadays. full story

Two FIRs issued over railway inquiry
Melbourne, 15 September. Two FIRs have been issued in regard to the Rajdhani crash according to a report in OutlookIndia.com.
"In the light of conflicting statements on the mishap, two firs were lodged against each other by the railways and the Bihar government with the Rafiganj police station. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and Railway Board Chairman I I M S Rana had advocated sabotage theory while the Bihar government pinpointed faulty maintenance of Dhave bridge by the railways as the cause. " full report on OutlookIndia.com
(Note an FIR or "First Information Report", is the way a case is registered in India).

Railway Line Re-opens
Melbourne, 14 September. The line over the railway bridge which was the scene of the accident has re-opened. The question of what caused the accident is also an open question. There is a good special article about the present state of Indian railways on Rediff.com which paints a picture of a railway system which faces considerable challenges in terms of safety in the coming years.

Terrorist Incident Cannot Be Ruled Out: Dattatreya Gaya, 11 September (Dainik Jagran). The State Rail Minister Dattatreya Bagarampa has said that a terrorist hand in the Rajdhani Express Train crash cannot be ruled out. This afternoon at four o'clock Mr Dattatreya arrived at the crash scene for an inspection of it. He was accompanied by Sushil Kumar Modi the leader of the State Legislature Opposition Party. full story (Latest reports now suggest over a hundred casualties see Indian Express report and also another view on the possible cause, the old bridge, see Rediff.com)

Fifty Die in Rajdhani Express Crash Near Gaya
Melbourne, 10 September. There are reports that at least fifty people have died in a train crash at Rafiganj near in Aurangabad District near Gaya. The Calcutta-Delhi Rajdhani Express was derailed and some reports say eight of its eighteen bogies fell 50 to 60 feet into the river which was in flood. There are some reports, subsequently denied (see report in Hindustan Times), that it might have been due to sabotage. For more details see Reuters Report. and Rediff.com report. The Dainik Jagran report is largely the same as English language reports although it starts out saying that it is feared that more than 120 have died and the figure of 50 refers to recovered bodies and stresses the details of where medical teams are coming from to give aid to the passengers.

Bodhgaya Sanskrit College Head Declared Unqualified Bodhgaya, 7 September (Dainik Jagran). Due to being declared as not having the qualification of Principal the Head of Bodhgaya Sanskrit College has been declared to be unqualified by Choti Sahayak the secretary of the ad hoc committee of the Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University. full story

Possibility of Expense of Fifty Lakhs for Pitripaksa Mela Gaya, 5 September (Dainik Jagran). The administration has said that it may spend about 50 Lakhs on expenses for the convenience of pilgrims to the 2002 Pitripaksa Mela. full story

Truck Burnt in Bodhgaya
Melbourne, 4 September. Its now over a month since a transport strike began in Bihar in protest against a hike in road taxes. In one incident related to this ongoing strike "agitated transporters burnt a sugar-laden truck in Bodh Gaya as part of their bid to force their hostile colleagues not to run their vehicles." Full story at Express India

Plane Does Not Take Off from Gaya Airport
Gaya, 1 September (Dainik Jagran). After a long awaited delay even today a plane could not take off from Gaya airport. Due to technical problems and lack of information for the moment the work was halted again. Meanwhile the parks minister has appointed two new committees for Gaya airport. full story

Government Regulations Broken Near Temple
Bodhgaya, 1 September (Dainik Jagran). Despite the prohibition on parking outside the Mahabodhi Temple Committee Office it has become a normal matter. After looking at the "No Parking" sign lesser and greater drivers alike break the law and park. full story

August 2002 Stories

"To Talk of Protecting the Nation is dishonest unless we protect the Mother" Gaya, 31 August (Dainik Jagran). As long as we do not protect the cow, the Ganges, and mothers who give birth it is dishonest to talk of protecting the nation. Therefore along with protecting cows it is essential we protect the environment and national integrity. full story

Students Set to Strike at Magadh University
Bodhgaya, 26 August (Dainik Jagran). The communal picket by the workers at Magadh University today gained more strength when two separate student organisations announced campaigns. The Post Graduate Students today began a picket and the student Union continued its opposition to opening branches in Patna. Full story

Buddhist monks demanding control of Bodh Gaya temple seek UN intervention Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna (22 August Rediff.com) A body of Buddhist monks fighting for control of the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar has sought the intervention of the United Nations Organisation (UNO). Read full story at Rediff.com also read text of the Petition here.

Indian Buddhist monks body demands arrest of Sri Lankan monks Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna (21 August Rediff.com) The Akhil Bharatiya Bhikshu Mahasangh, a powerful body of Indian Buddhist monks, demanded the immediate arrest of two Sri Lankan monks, who it alleged were 'involved' in the shifting of rare relics of Lord Buddha's disciples from Sanchi Stupa at Varanasi to Sri Lanka. ABBM general secretary Bhante Anand told rediff.com that two Sri Lankan monks -- Bhante Wimasara Thero, Bangala Upattisa and their aide Rajpal Rana -- were the main 'conspirators'. Full story at Rediff.com

Dilemma over ancient Buddhist Manuscript Collection Melbourne, August 27, 2002. Not a story directly related to Bodhgaya but one illustrative of the complexity of the problems of preserving Buddhist Heritage. A substantial collection of priceless ancient Buddhist manuscripts has been slowly smuggled out of Afghanistan during the last decade or so. This now poses the ethical dilemma of how to deal with the material as to pay for it is in a sense to reward those who looted it, yet by smuggling it out the looters saved it from destruction by the Taliban. Read an excellent account of this story on The Art Newspaper.Com

Sri Lanka President Urges Prime Minister to Ensure Monk's Release Gaya, May 22, 2002 (PatnaDaily.com) The Patna Daily reported that the President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Kumaratunga had asked the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to try and get the Sri Lankan monk Bhadant Wimalsara Thero released from prison. He said also said that "Thero was a victim of a well-orchestrated conspiracy hatched by the monastery administration against the Buddhist monks in Gaya." Story at PatnaDaily [I know this is a bit late but I just found it and its a different spin on the Vimalasara Story]

Maitreya Project To Move To Kushinagar
Melbourne, August 20, 2002. It is now clear that the Maitreya Project is almost certainly on the move to UP. The latest issue of the Full Moon Newsletter (Vol. II.2 - June / July 2002 ) contains a Progress Report by Peter Kedge, Director and CEO of the project in which he says that: "Maitreya Project has been offered a number of beautiful sites in the vicinity of Kushinagar" full story

Pakistani Flag Burnt With the Resolution for United India Gaya, 14 August (Dainik Jagran). Today in Gaya and Bodhgaya on the day of resolution for a united India the Bajrang Dal burned the Pakistani flag. The leaders of the Bajrang Dal said that in order to build a united India it was essential to remove Pakistan from the world map. full story

Eviction Notice to Bodhgaya Monastery Shopkeepers Bodhgaya, 14 August (Dainik Jagran). The Block Office has once more begun an attempt to free the international tourist site of Bodhgaya from encroachments. In this regard the block officer Ravi Bhusana has issued an eviction notice to about a dozen shopkeepers to vacate their premises by the 17th of August. All of these shopkeepers have been renting their shops for years which are constructed on the land of the Bodhgaya Monastery. full story

Bodhgaya Archeological Dig Hit by Corruption
Patna, 12 August. (The Times of India) The times of India reports that investigations are ongoing into corruption in the Bihar State Directorate for Archaeology and that no records for expenditure since 1998 are available. One of the results is that, "The conservation work of the famous archaeological site at Taradih in Bodh Gaya is pending for the last several years despite the allotment of Rs 20 lakh." full story on The Times of India website.

Farmers Breath a Sigh of Relief due to Heavy Rain Patna, 11 August (Dainik Jagran).
Due to heavy monsoon rain in almost all districts of the state farmers who had been fighting with the drought breathed a sigh of relief. From three hours of torrential rain the hope arose again in farmers of the possibility of a fair aid in farming work. full story

Soil Testing Centre Closed Five Years Due to Lack of Chemicals Gaya, 11 August (Dainik Jagran). Due to a lack of chemicals the only Soil Testing Centre in the District has been closed now since five years. Whilst the Government is spending lakhs of rupees on it without any reduction in costs. full story

Mayor of Bhagalpur and Gaya reserved for Women Patna, 8 August (Dainik Jagran).
The Gaya town Council has reserved the post of Mayor for a Scheduled cast Woman and the Bhagalpur Council to a woman of any community. The State Election Commission Secretary Mr Suman Kumar said that the reservation would be rotated according to the population. full story

Direct Flights from Gaya for Haj Pilgrims from September: Shahnaz. Kishanganj, 6 August, (Dainik Jagran). For the first time Haj pilgrims will be able to fly direct to Mecca-Medina and for only 12 thousand rupees. Formerly Haj Pilgrims flying from Mumbai or Delhi had to pay 35 thousand rupees. This news was given by the Central Urban Parks minister Saiyad Shahnavaj. full story (another Minister's speech which ends with some very tendentious claims about the BJP and the minorities)

Gaya to Offer Direct Flight to Jeddah for Hajj Pilgrims Patna: August 5, 2002 (PatnaDaily.com) Much to the delight of many Hajj pilgrims in Bihar, the Gaya airport, that is now considered an international facility, will be adding a direct flight to Jeddah, according to the Minority Welfare minister Shakeel Ahmed Khan, who made the announcement on Sunday. full story (PatnaDaily is a great new Bihari site)

Bihar Bans Sale of Gutkha
Melbourne, 7 August. Bihar has joined other states and banned the sales of the mixture of pre-processed powdered tobacco, Betal (areca nut) and other ingredients in the form called gutkha or pan masala. I am not sure whether its the pan ingredients, or that fact that its mostly consumed as a form of chewing tobacco that makes it a health risk.
Story at Rediff.com (an excellent Indian Website)

Dainik Jagran Gaya News Down Again
Melbourne, 7 August. So far there has only been Gaya news on the Dainik Jagran one day in August, and that was only three stories. I think this might be due to the floods, the transport strike, or something else, but I doubt its due to a lack of events in Gaya. Incidently to find Bihar news a good technique is to use the News Search on the Advanced Page on Google.

Grievous Attack on Secretary of Magadh University Technical Cell
Bodhgaya, 3 August (Dainik Jagran). Yesterday unknown persons carried out a grievous attack on Lal Bahadur Singh the Membership Secretary of the Technical Cell of the Medical, Dental, Engineering Committee situated in the central office of Magadh University. full story

July 2002 Stories

Al-Qaeda Supremo Osama Bin Laden alive and in Pakistan under the protection of Pakistan Secret Service ISI: Fernandez New Delhi 30 July. The Dainik Jagran lead story today ... or read an English version of the story at the Hindustan Times or at Reuters (the story is based on an interview with Channel 4 in the UK)

Investigation of FEMA case against Vimalasara begins Gaya, 28 July. (Dainik Jagran). The investigation has begun against the Ven. Vimalarsara, who is on remand in custody in regard to the law on Foreign Exchange (FEMA). An officer who arrived in Gaya today took into his possession various papers.full story

Appeal To End Animal Sacrifices At Manglagauri
Gaya, 25 July. (Dainik Jagran). The founder of the Annapurna Ashram which is an institution for the revival of Indian culture, Sanskrit language and the eternal Dharma has appealed for Animal Sacrifices at Manglagauri to be stopped. full story

Several Challenges Face New DSP
Gaya, 25 July. (Dainik Jagran). Siddheshwar Mandal was today appointed as City Deputy Superintendent of police. There will be considerable pressure on him to free the town from crime. Gaya inhabitants are talking about whether he will be able to solve in the future several contraversial crime incidents. full story

Lalu is playing politics while wearing a mask of "non-discrimination between religions"
Gaya, 21 July. (Dainik Jagran) The National General Secretary of the All India Buddhist Monks Association Ven. Anand has once more taken issue with the RAJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. Ven. Anand today said openly that Lalu Prasad Yadav was practicing politics whilst wearing the mask of "non-discrimination between religions." full story

Implementation of Standard Criteria for World Heritage Essential: Ven. Anand
Gaya, 20 July. (Dainik Jagran). All India Monks Association National General Secretary Ven. Anand has expressed pleasure over the inclusion of the Mahabodhi temple in the World Heritage Listing. He has written a letter to the District Magistrate Brajesh Mehotra stressing the need to fulfill the conditions for inclusion in the world heritage listing. Ven. Anand arrived two days ago for his residence and yesterday issued a press statement to this effect. full story

Was the Buddha a Buddhist?
Melbourne, 19 July. There is an article on the Buddhist Council of New South Wales website (from 1993) that poses this interesting question in a discussion about the then campaign to liberate the Mahabodhi temple.
I quote from part of the article. "The local leader of the Hindu fundamentalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) geography Professor Lalan Singh from Bihar's Magadh University argues that there's no difference between Hindus and Buddhists and its the MAC leaders who want to create conflict. "We always said that Lord Buddha was the 10th reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. So Buddhists and Hindus are both from the same sect" he said. This is a view supported by Dwarko Sundarani who was the secretary of the MMC for over 30 years. "Buddha was a Hindu. He lived as a Hindu, he died as a Hindu" he argues, thus adding that the joint MMC has worked well for 40 years. Prof Singh says that the Buddhists who are now in the MMC wants to get control of the shrine to stop the Hindus worshipping there. He also claims they want to make money out of tourism. He notes that there's increasing numbers of South-East Asian Buddhists now visiting Budhagaya. Ven Pragyaseel agrees that a lot of problems are due to money and potential tourist revenue. "Because the potential for tourism is good. So the Hindus want to get its hands on it (money)" he says." link to story
(Note: some Hindus hold that Buddha was the ninth incarnation of Vishnu, a famous instance of this is in the 12th century Gita Govinda by the Bengali Poet Jayadeva which describes the ten incarnations (dasavatara) of Vishnu, link to translation of this text)

Workers to Demonstrate against Disruption of Health Programmes
Gaya, 17 July, (Dainik Jagran). The Bihar Medical and Health Workers Union has announced their intention to demonstrate and perform satyagraha against the constant disruption to health services by the government under the name of Globalisation (vaishvikaran), liberalisation and privatisation. full story

Five Hundred Meditation Huts for Temple Compound?
Melbourne, 17 July. The Temple Management Committee website now has a page on which it describes a number of development schemes it wishes to undertake. These include: $250,000 US on temple restoration, $700,000 on five hundred meditation huts to be be built in the Meditation Garden part of the temple compound, and $2,500,000 US on the construction of an accommodation 'rest shed' for up to 5000 pilgrims at a time on the Kalacakra Maidan. link to page cached version

Offender Absconds, Officer Honoured
Gaya, 16 July, (Dainik Jagran). At the Crime Meeting it was announced that the in-charge of Cherki police station was to be honoured for recovering a stolen bicycle. full story

UNESCO site description of Bodhgaya online
Melbourne, 9 July. You can look at the UNESCO description of Bodhgaya at this URL also there is a detailed account of the criteria for listing on the site. See extract.

Bodhgaya Development Plan
Melbourne, 9 July. There are parts of what may be the Bodhgaya development plan on the Mahabodhi Temple Website these include this extract:
"MARKET COMPLEX : Buddhagaya is a town of international importance. The area around the temple complex is full of way - side shops. These encroachments block the smooth movement of the pilgrims and obstruct the view of the ‘Mahabodhi’ from outside. The shopkeepers also disturb the pilgrims. The encroachments need to be removed. New area should be developed as a modern shopping complex so that these encroachments do not come up again. This can be kept in mind while preparing the master plan for Buddhagaya township."
See www.mahabodhi.com and follow the link to Development Program and Projects to see some of the ideas currently being put forward. Many are admirable, some will have a negative impact on poor people such as street traders who it sounds like will be harassed and evicted from the temple area.

Letter to Government over safety of pilgrims and the Mahabodhi temple
Gaya, 6 July, (Dainik Jagran). The Police Superindent has sent a memo to the state head office over the safety of pilgrims to the Mahabodhi Temple. In which there are requests for several police 'O.P' vehicles, extra police force and officers. [Article also includes a clarification by the District Magistrate that there are "No plans to demolish Buildings within one kilometre of temple"] full report

World Heritage Site Reports
Melbourne, 7 July, Following the naming of Bodhgaya as a world heritage site there has been widespread coverage of this news. Most like the BBC are simply including it in a list of sites notified by UNESCO. The longest report in an English language news source was in Rediff.com from their correspondent Anand Sahay in Patna who reported the comments of local DM. But nobody has picked up much on the report in the Times of India of the nature of the development proposed for Bodhgaya. more

June 2002 stories

"Mega Plans for Mahabodhi"
Patna, June 29 (Times of India). The Times of India report on the plans announced after the inclusion of the Mahabodhi Temple in the world heritage list includes details of the proposed destruction of Bodhgaya which is being denied by the local District officials. According to the Times of India the majority of Bodhgaya is to be demolished and its inhabitants moved to a new location outside of the town as part of its "development".
[excerpt from TOI report]
"The development plan was announced jointly by the Magadh division commissioner-cum-secretary Temple Advisory Committee Hemchand Sirohi and the Gaya district magistrate, Brajesh Mehrotra. Earlier in the day, the Mahabodhi Temple was included in the list of World Heritage sites at the Budapest meeting of the UNESCO committee for World Heritage sites.
As per the announcement made in Bodh Gaya on Friday evening, a buffer zone has to be created within a radius of one km from the temple to meet the conditions laid down by UNESCO for the privilege of the temple entry into the UNESCO list.
Mahabodhi Temple, it may be recalled, is the second monument from Bihar, Bengal and Jharkhand to be included in the World Heritage Sites list. All shops, business establishments, government buildings and residential premises would be relocated within a period of next five years to create the buffer zone.
Strict restrictions have also been imposed on all future constructions outside the buffer zone. To commemorate the inclusion of the temple in the UNESCO list, the foundation for the Buddha Meditation Park and Yashodara Kunj were laid down on Friday afternoon. The divisional commissioner also announced the plan to develop the Kalchakra ground, Pargati Maidan and other pilgrim infrastructure. Some foreign monasteries too, are likely to be relocated and hotels demolished for the creation of the buffer zone.
The residents displaced from Bodh Gaya would be resettled on a 1,100-acre government land to the west of Gaya-Dobhi road and the colony would be named as Gautam Nagar. " link to story at TOI

Mahabodhi Temple Bodhgaya included in World Heritage List.
Gaya, 28 June, (Dainik Jagran). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation 26th Meeting was concluded in Budapest last night. In which the announcement was made that the Mahabodhi temple would be included in the World Heritage list. full story

Driver Killed, Loaded Truck Stolen
Gaya, 23 June. (Dainik Jagran). Last night on the GT road in Gaya district a truck driver was killed and his loaded truck stolen. Due to police alertness the thieves then abandoned the truck and fled. The police then recovered the truck and its load, the deceased driver was from the Allahabad area of UP. Near Pathar Kanthi in Sherghati district the criminals blocked the road by parking an empty truck across it and stopped the truck... full story

Direct flights between Gaya and Thailand
Samastipur, Bihar, June 21. (UNI): Direct flight services between Gaya and Thailand would start during the last week of September to boost tourism and attract Buddhist tourists to Bihar, Civil Aviation Minister, Sayed Shahnawaz Hussain, said today. full story

Government to Spend 112 Crore Rupees on Bodhgaya Airport. London, 13 June. The Hindustan Times Newspaper reports that Air India announces various investments including "the government has earmarked Rs 112 crores for the development of the airport at Bodhgaya, the Buddhist pilgrimage centre in Bihar, which was added to the list of world heritage centres by the UNESCO recently. " link to full story

Mahabodhi Temple Draft Development Plan Ready Bodhgaya, 13 June (Dainik Jagran). Several draft development plans have been prepared by the central Tourism Minister bearing in mind the memo given by Kalicaran Singh the secretary of the Temple Management committee for the 1400 year old ancient historic Mahabodhi Temple and the all round development of the world famous [town of] Bodhagaya. full story

Three die from Smallpox Fury in Barachatti Village Barachatti 4 June, (Dainik Jagran). In Patiauna village of Vinda Council in Barachatti block a dreadful outbreak of smallpox is raging. Due to the smallpox so far three children have died and about a dozen children are in its grip. full story

[Related story in WorldNetDaily Smallpox outbreak in Pakistan? Newspaper stands by story reporting deadly disease 'epidemic' link to story]

[See also an earlier story: Outbreak of Smallpox in Barachatti Gaya, 24 April. (Dainik Jagran) There is news that hundreds of people are struck by fear due the dreadful outbreak of Smallpox in the village of Amukhapa in the Barachatti block of the district.
[Note: it is possible that the Hindi word 'cecak' which means smallpox, is being used to refer to a condition like smallpox here, rather than smallpox itself:-PGF] Full story.

Lone Doctor Runs Bodhgaya Health Centre
Bodhgaya, 3 June, (Dainik Jagran). The only health centre in the international tourist centre of Bodhgaya is nowadays on the brink of breaking down. It is forced to preach a message of living in a clean environment whilst itself being surrounded on all sides by piles of refuse. full story

Vimalasara Claims to be Victim of Police Excess
Gaya, 3 June. Controversial Buddhist Monk Vimalasara claims to be a victim of police excess. He will soon be judged by the court. The Venerable Vimalasara has been imprisoned in the prison ward of the medical college for the last three weeks. full story

May 2002 Stories

Monk is wrong say Buddhist Scholar and VHP
Gaya, May 31st. The statement made by the Ven. Anand the National Secretary of the All India Monks Association after Buddha Purnima is wrong according the Buddhist scholar P.C. Ray and the VHP. full story

Lord Buddha Not Avatar of Vishnu: Ven. Anand
Bodhgaya, 29 May. Ven. Anand the National Secretary of the All India Monks Association said that saying that the Buddha was an Avatar of Vishnu and that the Pandavas came to Bodhgaya is a fantasy being put forward in order to gain possession of the Mahabodhi Temple. full story

New-Buddhists Call Again for the Liberation of the Mahabodhi Temple
Bodhgaya, 27 May. After the announcement of all sorts of measures to liberate the Mahabodhi Temple from the clutch of Hindus the caravan of Ambedkarite New-Buddhists is eager to leave Bodhgaya again. full story

2546th Buddha Jubilee Joyfully Celebrated in Bodhgaya Bodhgaya, 26th May. In Bodhgaya the scene of the Buddha's austerities, today the occasion of the 2546th Buddha Jubilee was joyfully celebrated. On this occasion a dawn procession, puja and worship, sutra recitation etc. were all organised. full story

Multi-Faith Prayer Meeting for World Peace
Bodhgaya, 26 May. On the occasion of Buddha Jubilee in the sacred land of Bodhgaya a Multi-faith Prayer meeting for world peace was organised. Representatives of all Religions were present in this meeting. The chief participant was Prof. Samdong Rinpoche the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile. full story

Administration Bows to the All India Monks Association Bodhgaya, 25 May. The District Administration has given in to the demand of the All India Monks Association. The site for the Temple Management Committee cultural program has been changed and the program for Buddha Purnima tomorrow in the Kalacakra Maidan completely handed over to the All India Monks Association. full story

Bodhgaya decorated with Buddhist Flags for Festival Bodhgaya, 24 May. The Temple Management Committee is completely caught up in the preparations for the joyful celebration of the 2546 Anniversary Full Moon of the Lord Buddha. The whole of the temple, temple Management Committee offices and Mahabodhi Society area is being decorated... full story

Stalemate over Kalacakra Maidan
Bodhgaya 21 May. Buddha Purnima will be celebrated in five nights in Bodhgaya the site of the Buddha's enlightenment. Over this there is a stalemate between the Temple Management Committee and the All India Monks Association regarding holding programs on the Kalacakra Maidan. Both organizations have announced they are holding programs on that site on the occasion of Buddha's Jubilee. full story

Gangs of New Buddhists Start Arriving at the Land of the Buddha
Bodhgaya, 21 May. The Mahabodhi Temple of Bodhgaya which is the site of the enlightenment of the Buddha and the sacred site of love, non-violence, peace and compassion has been for the last few years caught up in controversy. full story

Mahabodhi Temple to be World Heritage Listed by June: DM
Bodhgaya, 20 May. The District Magistrate Brajesh Mehotra inaugurated the first one day seminar of the "Buddha Parikrama 2002" lecture series in the BTMC library building held under the joint auspices of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee and the Buddhist Cultural Centre Patna. full story

Accused in Vijay Manjhi Murder Case Arrested
Bodhgaya, 19 May. The Police claim to have unravelled the knot of the case of the murder of Vijay Manjhi resident of Mauniya [village] on the night before the town council election. full story

"Arrested monk brings disrepute to robe "
11 May. The Times of India reports on the case of Wimalasara Thero's arrest for allegedly accumulating wealth disproportionate with his income. Link to Story

Sri Lankan Government Requests no extension of Vimalasara's Visa
Gaya, 9 May. The Sri Lankan High Commission has requested that there should be no extension of the duration of the validity of the visa of Vimalasara who has been arrested over allegations of involvement in a racket. full story

Robbers Shoot Resisting Householder Dead, One Arrested Bodhgaya, 9 May. In Ahmadnagar of Itra village in the Magadh University Precinct last night when householder Jamaruddin Ansari resisted robbers they shot and killed him. full story

Justice Worships at Mahabodhi Temple
Bodhgaya, 6 May. The Dainik Jagran reports that High Court Justice Shivakriti Singh worshipped at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya. full story

Congress Makes Demolition of Party Office a matter of Honour
Bodhgaya, 5 May. The Dainik Jagran reports that Congress Party Officials strongly criticised the demolition of the Congress Block Office by the area officer and Police Station in-charge. full story

Administration Demolishes Congress Office Under Construction
Bodhgaya, 3 May. The Dainik Jagran reports that the Building being constructed for the District Congress Block Office was demolished by the local administration. Along with this a ban was put on further construction. full story

Childless Woman Murdered
Bodhgaya, 3 May. The Dainik Jagran reports that in Babu Bigaha village in the Magadh University Police Station Precinct the family of a woman called Jamuni Devi murdered her and then burnt her body. full story

April Stories

[18 stories]

Scale of Poll Violence Baffles Gaya Watchers
Gaya, April 30. The Times of India reports that the loss of seven lives in polling during the local government elections has a number of possible causes. Link to full Story

Polling Concluded amongst scattered incidents in Bodhgaya
Bodhgaya, 28 April. The Dainik Jagran reports that apart from scattered ordinary incidents polling was peaceful in the 14 wards of the Bodhgaya Town Panchayat. [the incidents include throwing the voting boxes down wells, tearing up the voting slips, attempts to capture booths, etc.] full story

Vimalasara Thero of the Mahabodhi Society arrested over Lakhs of rupees racket
Gaya, 26 April. The Dainik Jagran reports that the former in-charge of the Mahabodhi Society of India and assistant general secretary M. Vimalasara Thero was today arrested by police over an allegation of a lakhs of rupees racket. [note: this story does not seem to have appeared in any English Language Indian Paper:-PGF] full story

Outbreak of Smallpox in Barachatti
Gaya, 24 April. The Dainik Jagran reports that there is news that hundreds of people are struck by fear due the dreadful outbreak of Smallpox in the village of Amukhapa in the Barachatti block of the district. [Note: Barachatti is just to the south of Bodhgaya. It is also possible that the Hindi word 'cecak' which means smallpox, is being used to refer to a condition like smallpox here, rather than smallpox itself:-PGF] Full story.

Responsibility for Conserving Ancient Monuments Lies in Women's hands
Bodhgaya (Gaya), 20th April. The Dainik Jagran reports that there are various ancient and world famous monuments in Ward no. 13 of the Bodhgaya Scheduled Territory which lies in the lap of the settlement of Bodhgaya which was at the time of Nadi Kashyapa and Urubila Kashyapa the scene of Buddha's austerities. full story

Dispute Flares up over the Ramnavami Procession at Vishnupad Temple
Gaya, 19 April. The Dainik Jagran reports that a dispute has arisen over the procession for Ramnavami at the sacred Vishnupad Temple. Whilst the committee is fully engaged in preparations for the procession the secretary has sent a letter opposing it to the police station. full story

Christian Missionaries spreading their nets in Barachatti area
Barachatti, (Gaya), 17 April. The Dainik Jagran reports that in numerous villages in the Dobhi, Barachatti and Mohanpur blocks of the Barachatti constituency area there has been a sudden increase in the activities of Christian Missionaries. more...

No Takers for Surrender Package for Naxalites
Gaya, April 17. The Times of India reports that a scheme to reward Naxalites for surrendering has had no success in Magadh. Times of India Article

Dr Ambedkar Anniversary Celebrated
Gaya, 14th April. The Dainik Jagran reports that the Anniversary [of the birth] of Dr Bhimrav Ambedkar the creator of the Indian Constitution was celebrated more....

Five Criminals Arrested in Bodhgaya Robbery Case
Bodhgaya, 14 April. The Dainik Jagran reports that he police have arrested the five robbers involved in the vile case of robbery in Bodhgaya. more...

"Robbery in Bodhgaya due to police inaction"
Gaya, 13th April. The Dainik Jagran reports that Party leaders have declared that the robberies which took place in three houses in a single night... more...

NGO Group works to Clear up Bodhgaya
Bodhgaya, 9 April. The Times of India reports that an NGO group called the Samvedansheel Nagrik Manch ("Sensative Citizens Platform") led by Sister Mary and Kabir Saxena has held a two day drive to clean up Bodhgaya ... The Dainik Jagran Story. Times of India Story

Mobile Inspector loots several vehicles, Case Registered against Inspector
Sherghati (Gaya), 5 April. Today the Sherghati, Dobhi and Barachatti police at eleven o'clock cleared a night long traffic jam ... full story...

Minorities Commission Members Tour Bodhgaya
Gaya, 4th April. The National President and several Officials of the Minorities Commission today came to Bodhgaya ...more...

Jagannath Temple in Bodhgaya losing its historical Importance Bodhgaya, 2 April. Opposite the ancient historic monument of the Mahabodhi temple the historical importance of the Jagannath Temple is being lost. more...

Atmosphere not right for Private Capital Investment in Bihar: Fernandes
Gaya, 2 April. The Defence Minister George Fernandes has said that the atmosphere is not right for development in Bihar more...

Two Different Invitations issued in one day for Foundation Stone Ceremony at Airport
Gaya, 1 April. The Indian Airports Authority has issued two different invitations in the space of 24 hours... more...

Archaeology Department finds several historic locations at the Sujata mound
Bodhgaya, 1st April. Since the 7th of January six archaeologists from the Patna department of the Archaeological Survey of India have been slowly excavating more...

March 2002 Stories

[13 Stories]

Peaceful Celebrations of Holi Bodh Gaya, 30 March. According to sources Holi, the festival of love and harmony was joyfully and peacefully celebrated in Bodhgaya. more...

Two arrested with ancient Statues Bodhgaya, 30 March. Police arrested two people with ancient statues near the Bodhgaya temple compound. more...

Seven Killed and Several Injured during Holi in Gaya Gaya, 30 March. Altogether seven people have been killed in district during the last two days in the district during Holi. more...

Scattered incidents in the Naxalite affected areas during Holi. Imamganj, 30 March. In view of the activities of the banned Naxalite movement the MCC amidst special security arrangements. more...

Ambedkar's son's wife to visit Bodhgaya
26 March 2002. The Dainik Jagaran reports that Ambedkar's son's wife Meeta Tai is to visit the conference of the All India Bikhshu Sangha more...

MLA Dhammaviryo announces 33 lakhs for the construction of a Dharmsala in Bodhgaya.
26 March 2002. The 32nd annual meeting of the All India Bikshu Sangha has been taking place for the last two days more ...

Foundation Stone for Passenger Terminal at Gaya Airport.
26 March 2002. Another step in the extensive reconstruction work at Gaya airport was taken today more...

Buddhist Monks form Human Chain around Mahabodhi Temple
24 March 2002. Gaya. In connection with changing the 1949 Temple Governance Act of the Mahabodhi Temple this evening approximately 200 monks... more...

General Conference of Buddhist Council Begins with Call to Do or Die
23 March 2002. .... more...

Hundreds of Hindus convert to Buddhism by taking the five refuges
Gaya, 17 March. .... more...

Bell sent from America to Hang in Mahabodhi Temple
Bodhgaya, 9 March. .... more...

Buddhist Council presents 22 point petition to DM.
6 March 2002. .... more... Article from the Hindu

Statue Project "not to be moved to Kushinagar"
28 January 2002. It appears that during January when His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in Bodh Gaya he was asked about the Maitreya Statue project by Marcel Bertel, and he said in response that Kushinagar was a good place. more...