India, Jan. 23 -- The Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BMTC) banned the use of plastic on the premises of the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar from January 23, 2026.

The step has been taken to ensure plastic-free premises of the site, where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under a peepal tree over 2,500 years ago.

The Mahabodhi temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It attracts lakhs of foreign tourists and devotees every year, including the Dalai Lama, who visits annually.

BMTC's secretary Maheshweta Maharathi has appealed to devotees visiting the Mahabodhi temple to carry materials for prayers and offerings in environment-friendly cloth or paper bags in place of plastic. "We expect devotees and tour...