THE
REBIRTH OF BODH GAYA:
Buddhism
and the Making of a World Heritage Site
DAVID GEARY
David Geary in his book,
ÔBuddhism and the Making of a World Heritage SiteÕ takes us on the journey of
the transformation of Bodhgaya from a small ordinary town into a world heritage
site made possible by globalized Buddhism. This book has been the product of
his continuing engagement with Bodhgaya, which began with his first pilgrimage
in 2002-2003 winters. (p. 7) The designation of Bodh Gaya as a World Heritage site
in 2003 was a defining moment in this transformation and by 2009; Bodhgaya had
eclipsed Goa as a popular tourist destination. It is a historical
ethnographical study focusing mainly on the rebirth and rapid progress of
Bodhgaya within the last few decades while situating it within the broader
historical, economic and political transformations of modern South Asia. (p.
16)
In his book he discusses
the revitalization and rediscovery of Bodhgaya as the holiest of Buddhist
pilgrimage sites and the processes which have enabled
it. This has also resulted in the inherent contradictions and tensions amongst
the various stake holders at various levels, which
have been observed in microcosmic details by the author. According to Geary,
this is a study of heritage and place: heritage as a spatial practice and a
contested social field that lends meaning to the place. (p. 13) The revival of
Bodhgaya and other pilgrim sites in India along with the reinvention of
Buddhism in the late 19th and the 20th centuries has reinforced theinter Asian Buddhist connections which first began under
King AsokaÕs patronage of Buddhist missionary activities (15). The revival of
the Buddhist pilgrim sites in India have acted as a platform for heritage
diplomacy which has further contributed to the strengthening of the connections
amongst the Asian countries across the cultural, economic and political
spheres.
The first chapter
opens with a detailed account of the visit of the Burmese mission to Bodhgaya which generated a lot of interest. It was after
this visit that the colonial government started exercising greater control over
the restoration and archeological jurisdiction of Bodhgaya. (p. 32) It was
during this period that question of conflicting claims over the religious
ownership of Bodhgaya also came into prominence. The author discusses the role
of Sir Edwin Arnold who through his book, ÔThe Light of AsiaÕ highlighted
Bodhgaya as the holiest place of the Buddhists akin to Jerusalem for the
Christians and Mecca for the Muslims. (p. 41) Sir Arnold also undertook a
campaign in England for the handing over the temple to the Buddhists through
his writings and pleaded with the Secretary for India, Lord Cross. Then the
reader is told about Angarika Dharampala,
who influenced by Sir Edwin Arnold and the theosophists, decided to take up a
life of renunciation for the cause of the revival of Buddhism and the
reclamation of the holy land and subsequently founded the Mahabodhi
Society of India in 1891. (p. 44) It was Angarika who
initiated the legal proceedings for the Buddhist claim over the temple, which
he used to refer as the ÔGreat CaseÕ which ultimately
culminated in the Bodhgaya temple act of 1949.
As soon as one
arrives at Bodhgaya from Gaya the local landscape is suddenly transformed into
international. The second chapter discusses how Bodhgaya has become a global
religious site, which becomes evident when one sees the representations of
architectural and religious traditions of the different countries of the
Buddhist world in the form of monasteries, pilgrim rest houses, and temples.
(p. 63) How the Burmese, Thai and the Tibetans in exile have contributed to the
internationalization of BodhgayaÕs sacred space has been analyzed here. For the
Tibetan community in exile Bodhgaya is the holiest place for the performance of
their rituals, the first Kalchakara Pooja having been conducted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
in 1974. The Kalchakara Pooja
held in 2011-2012 was a mega international event attracting more than three
lakh devotees from all over the world to Bodhgaya. To the Tibetans, apart from
spirituality it provided them with a unique opportunity for cultural and social
mobilization and the espousal of their nationalist cause (Sinha,
2019, p. 123).1
The worship of the Buddhist holy sites in India by the Tibetans in exile has
contributed both to the revitalization of the Buddhist sites in India as well
as the Internationalization of Tibetan Buddhism. (p. 79) The third chapter
focuses on the establishment of numerous monasteries and temples at Bodhgaya by
Asian and western Buddhist networks. However this has also led to tensions at
the local level. The hotelierÕs grievance that the monasteries harm their
business interests, land malpractice and involvement of the land mafia and
legal and bureaucratic hurdles and complications are examples of the conflict
of interest at various levels. The downfall of the Bodhgaya Math from its past
majestic grandeur to its present state of decay is contrasted with the
prosperity of the Bodhgaya Temple complex and the foreign monasteries, so much
so that Geary speculates that its redemption may lie in its conversion to a
heritage hotel. (p. 152)
The fourth chapter
discusses how religious tourism has transformed Bodhgaya into a Global Bazaar.
The author examines Bodhgaya from the perspective of a Bazaar, where cultural
and commercial transactional encounters at the local and global level are
shaping peopleÕs lives.This
transformation, to a great extent has been possible due to Bodhgaya becoming a
meeting ground for the cultural and religious revitalization of the Tibetan
community in exile. They take up temporary residence at Bodhgaya during the
winters following their religious masters and engage in economic activities for
sustaining livelihood (p.159).The affluent Japanese
tourists who have been visiting Bodhgaya in large numbers since the 1990s have
contributed much to the business and economy of Bodhgaya. A number of
matrimonial relations between local youth and Japanese girls have further
strengthened the economic networks between Bodhgaya and Japan. The fifth
chapter analyzes how the designation of Bodhgaya has brought pressure in form
of new set of demands like that of conformity to a master plan. This has also
entailed added responsibility for the state government in the form of
expectation for the enlightened guardianship of the sacred site.
In the conclusion
Geary is against any singular representation of Bodhgaya, considering its
dynamic social and spatial environment. He questions the world heritage model
and calls for alternative interpretations of Bodhgaya which
has the capacity to accommodate its diverse identities and traditions.
According to him ÔRegardless of world heritage, for the Buddhist pilgrims
before the Bodhi tree the Mahabodhi Vihara can be anything but a Buddhist temple and should it
preclude the possibility of other forms of religious and recreational
politicsÕ? (p. 250)
Head of P.G
Department of History, Magadh University, Bodhgaya
Email:
manishsinha864@gmail.com
1. Manish Sinha,
(2019).Nationalism and Spiritualism: Tibetan
Nationalism in Exile in India.In Mansour, Dina
and Milne, Andrew (Ed.) Negotiating Boundaries in Multicultural Societies
(2nd ed.,pp.123-135) Retrieved from https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/9781848882720/BP000007.xml