New Delhi, June 6 -- Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya near Patna is of great significance to followers of Buddhism as Lord Gautam Buddha attained nirvana here. This temple has been controlled by the Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949 and BTMC (Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee) manages it. As per this the controlling board of the temple has an equal number of Buddhists and Hindus. From this February many monks are protesting against this Act of 1949 and want only Buddhists to be part of the board which controls the temple affairs.

The protests have a long history as due to the mixed nature of the controlling body there has been a gradual Brahiminization of this temple. One Akash Lama sitting on the protest aptly put it, "This is not just about a...