Growing up in Bodh Gaya: narratives of a native

MANISH SINHA

IN the early 1970s, when I was a little boy, Gaya (a twin town of Bodh Gaya) was known more as a place for conducting the Pinda-dana (a Hindu funerary and postmortemritual) by Hindus. The ordinary residents of Gaya were aware but not acutely conscious of the important event that had occurred in this region within a gap of around five hundred years that had a transforming effect on the society in those times and also on the history of not only the region but of the entire nation now known as Bharat. The first of such events was the conversion of Siddhartha to Buddha Shakyamuni possibly during the reign of Bimbisara, the Magadha King in the fifth century BC. Buddha was revered in the region and the fact that he lived in Gaya and roamed the region before attaining enlightenment, singularly the most important event of his life, gave a feeling of ownership of the God to the people in this region where Buddhism was not readily accepted as a separate religion. He was worshipped and accepted into the Hindu pantheon, as an avatar of Vishnu (a Hindu God who descended to the earth several times) in this largely a Vaishnav region. It was known as a Vaishnava place in 1970s but historically this happened well back in the medieval period. It was obvious that the people of Gaya understood of Buddha in a very different way from that of a Buddhist follower from a Buddhist country would look at Shakyamuni (another name of Buddha).

However, it is difficult to fathom how Buddhism disappeared from this land where it was a popular religion for more than a thousand years. Several kings of Magadha Empire and also later kings of the region were followers of Buddhism. As late as the rule of the Pala kings in Bengal between 8th to 12th century AD, Buddhism continued to be at least a popular religion in the area. In Gaya, though, there were little traces left of the religion except the Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi tree, both remarkable symbols of the enlightenment of Buddha as well as subjects of great reverence to the Buddhists all around the world. In some ways, it was also a cause of despair for the residents of Gaya in the 70s as we failed to understand why the place drew such a small number of tourists while the reverence for Buddha and the awareness for Buddhism continued to grow around the world. One dramatic change was when the revered Dalai Lama came to India in 1969 with his entourage and Tibetans started visiting Bodh Gaya every year with more in number since 1980s. Besides making an impression of more foreign tourists in Gaya, they also brought in a Tibetan market of foreign goodies. The citizens were enamoured by the winter market every year and it became a regular place of visit for not only the residents of Gaya but also for the people of the area around Gaya.

The road from Gaya town in the 60s-70s followed the path of the Falgu/Nilanjana river on the eastern side of the Gaya or Bodh Gaya town. Later a wider, better road came up on the western side crossing the military cantonment up to Dobhi on the G.T. road. This led to connectivity with Sarnath and other sites of the Buddhist Circuit. As the Airport on this road started servicing the foreign pilgrims since the year 2004, this road became more popular for travel to Bodh Gaya. The eastern side road led directly to the Mahabodhi temple and the Bodhi tree whereas the western side road led in to the town/market?. While usually travelling through the west side road, the first structure I visited was the modern Thai temple, a quiet place humming with the sound of Buddhist chant. That was followed by a JP garden, the Tibetan temple on the left, and finally led to the Mahabodhi temple after crossing a Tibetan street market. It was a quiet place, sparsely populated with very few buildings. I remember cycling to the Temple on warm summer evenings when the Mahabodhi tree was easily accessible and sitting on its branches with friends, chatting away unconcerned. Only in the 80s, when the new Japanese temple came up some distance behind the Thai temple, with a tall statue of Buddha some distance away, the place began to show more life in terms of the inflow of tourists. The Japanese began to engage with a local organisation to run an annual eye camp in the 80s, which showed their social engagement with the place. This probably contributed to their popularity in the region. Another example of the impact of the Japanese was evident in the attempts of local residents to copy their architectural design. Several residents tried to build similar front porches in their houses, majority of which failed miserably and ended up with ugly caricatures. This caused unending mirth and amusement amongst the locals. However, this example illustrates the beginning of the international influence on the local culture. The years towards the end of the current millennium saw a great hope that the Buddhist shrine could help in the development of the region. The rumours about rich Buddhist nations helping built ultra-modern roads from the capital and a new tall statue at an area around Gaya leading to a spurt in tourist visits continued to the rounds but did not materialise. The recognition of the Temple as a UN Heritage site brought out a change that could eventually meet the aspirations of the native. A new International Airport at the western road across the military cantonment, gave a new access to Bodh Gaya, encouraging the tourists in the various Buddhist countries. The temple town now has more than hundred viharas, several hotels for the comfortable stay for tourists. The Mahabodhi temple and all structures within it are now a place of reverence for all the visiting pilgrims. The area around the tree is guarded and allows a formal engagement to the visitors and the worshippers. These developments have helped the economy of the area but still not integrated the areas around Gaya and the people of the area with the developments of Bodh Gaya. This rich heritage was rediscovered due to the efforts of the British archaeologists in the 18th and 19th century. However, the connect with the local populace is missing as the town does not yet have a heritage centre, a library or a museum, that could educate the people living in this area to the beliefs of their forefathers, even it was a millennium ago. The Vaishnav villages around Gaya, often have Buddha’s figurine in the local temples. In villages around Nalanda, villagers continue to discover Buddha’s figures, and these are mostly placed in the village temples. In the folklore, the people are aware of the connect that this had with their forefathers and it is a part of the local narrative in the region. Buddha was absorbed into the Hindu pantheon of gods as the tenth avatar of Vishnu, the most important Hindu deity of the region. The Vishnu temple at Gaya also claims equal importance or more in the heritage amongst the natives of the region. So, it is of significance that that the Buddha was absorbed in the pantheon as an avatar of the dominant deity of the region. It may be because of the dominating attachment that the people of this region felt to Buddhism and the influence it had over them. It is common to see local people make obeisance at the Mahabodhi Temple if they want something or wish to make a prayer.

The people need to be more aware of this aspect by encouraging study of the society and polity of the Buddhist era in the local curriculum and helping to understand the historical influences in the region. It is a challenge for the caste driven society of the present day that thrives on the caste privileges, in and around Gaya, to accept the precepts of a religion that preaches the complete equality of the individual in the society and compassion, lack of violence as the leading principles of life. The district has seen a lot of violence in the last three decades arising mostly from societal conflicts and the lack of economic development. In the common conversations, it is often heard of references to the Non-violence preached by the Buddha who attained enlightenment in this land.

Gaya natives are also aware of another Great ruler who ruled from the Magadh region and was closely connected to the spread of Buddhism throughout the world. The discovery of the evidence of the persona of king Ashok has led to increasing curiosity in the region, maybe not as much as it excited the historians as well the political leaders of the national freedom movement. Amongst the first rulers to have extended his empire to all regions that comprise the India of today and much further in the North-west, references to Ashoka are common in all countries of South-east Asia and even in various parts of the Silk route in China and mid Asiatic countries. In China, it was the Cultural Revolution that subdued the reverence towards Buddhism but in India, it has never been clear why the heritage associated with a great emperor like Ashoka lost significance to such a great extent. It is possible that the association of the king to Buddhism may have been the reason and for the same reason, he is remembered as a great king in Buddhist countries, finding place in their historical texts as also in popular memory. After the discovery of his edicts by the British archaeologists and studies by eminent historians, the historicity of Ashoka became clearer and his eminence in the string of rulers in India became starkly clearer.

Charles Allen in his work on Ashoka describes that despite the tales about him in Buddhist texts “ the man himself still remains intangible, more myth than real personage, little known and little valued, a subject seemingly fit only for academics and not the wider world’. However, he does acknowledge the influence of the Ashoka’s Dhamma on leaders of the national movement and the adoption of the non-violent struggle for independence. The respect for the great king was reflected in the adoption of the Dhamma Chakra in the national flag and the capital of four-lion at Sarnath as the national symbol of free India. This did not translate into attention and respect for the development of the area that the king ruled or the symbols like the Mahabodhi tree that he revered and used to shape the culture in various parts of Asia. In Gaya, his glory was seen more in his ability to bring together and rule over the entire country.

A frequent reference was to his principle of non-violence that he used to unite the whole country, which was seen as a unique among rulers of any dynasty and region in Indian history. None of his edicts or pillars have been found in and around Gaya but his visits to the Mahabodhi tree are documented in many Buddhist texts. He continues to remain an enigma for the local population who are unable to find any historical symbol to relate to the great king, in the region which formed the core of his empire. In the caste divided society, it became even more difficult to identify a hero who could not be ascribed any specific caste that he belonged to. Buddhism having all but disappeared from this area, it is not easy for the native to comprehend any possible conflict with Hinduism and relate it to any reasonable explanation for the lack of any memory or folklore related to Emperor Ashoka. Even earlier kings like Ajatshatru of the Haryanka dynasty, a contemporary of Buddha, does not register with many people in Gaya and the Barabar caves, forty miles from Gaya remain neglected till date. The history of the Magadh Empire has not inspired many in Gaya, though its rulers have influenced history and culture in large parts of Asia and probably the whole of Asia before the advent of Islam. In an interregnum of about five hundred years, two eminent personalities lived and influenced the culture and polity of this region in a manner that changed the history of India and more than fourteen other countries of Asia. They were inspirations for many leaders of the world and are counted upon as amongst the most influential thinkers that walked the planet.

The recognition of the Mahabodhi temple site as a UNESCO heritage site and the transfer of the management of the area to a special Management Committee has significantly altered the manner of administration of the area immediately around the site. This has improved the experience of the tourists and pilgrims who come to visit Bodh Gaya. It is likely that with the inflow of larger resources, the town will develop into an exclusive conclave with premium facilities catering to affluent visitors from countries in South East Asia. This may highlight the exclusivity of the site and its special significance to the Buddhists around the globe but the disparity with the development of the area will only become more glaring. It may be worthwhile for the government as well as the Buddhist stakeholders to consider engaging the local population to ensure sustainable development of the area. This could be done by setting up an educational centre at Bodh Gaya focussed on studies of Buddha and his principles, a museum that is able to reflect the history of the Magadh region from ancient times to the present and also a Heritage Centre at Bodh Gaya that helps the visitors and locals to understand the significance of the events that happened at this site and the impact it had on the society and polity of the times. It can be a store house of information on the different perspective the visitors have of the Magadha rulers as well as the Buddhist regions in India. This perspective could be very diverse across a number of countries and an understanding may help to establish partnerships between the related sites in the different nations of India. It will also help in fulfilling the dreams of the natives of Bodh Gaya who have always wanted to connect with the Buddhist societies across the world and gain from the inclusive experience.