Current Status and Management
Mahabodhi Temple is claimed as property of state government of Bihar, part of India. Under the terms of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, the state government makes itself responsible for the protection, management, and monitoring of temple and its properties. The Act also has provisions for a Temple Management Committee, and an advisory board.
The Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee is the executive body for management of the Mahabodhi Temple and certain adjoining areas. The TMC functions under the supervision, direction, and control of the state government of Bihar. By law, the Committee must consist of four Buddhist and four Hindu representatives, including the head of Sankaracharya Math monastery as an ex-officio Hindu member. The Committee is chaired by the Gaya district magistrate, but if the Gaya district magistrate is not Hindu, the Act requires the government to appoint a Hindu chairman. The Committee serves for a term of three years. The Advisory Board consists of the governor of Bihar and twenty to twenty-five other members, half of them from foreign Buddhist countries.
In June 2002, the Mahabodhi Temple became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, specifically nominated for the international World heritage program. All finds of religious artifacts in the area are legally protected under the Treasure Trove Act of 1878. The temple's head monk, as of September as of 2004, was Bhikkhu Bodhipala. Bodhipala resigned in 2007 after he was charged with the allegation of cutting the branches of Holy Bodhi Tree on regular basis and sale them to foreigners for hefty sum of money. A criminal case is pending in the court of Law against Bodhi Pala. If charge is proved Bodhi Pala will have to serve rigorous imprisonment for at least 10 years.Although it was certified by the scientists appointed by the government that live branches of the Holy Bodhi Tree were cut without any approval from concerned authorities during the period when Bodhpala was Monk-in-charge. Kalicharan Singh Yadav served as secretary until 2007. As of 2008, district magistrate Jitendra Srivastava was the Committee's chairman. According to the Temple Management Committee's website, the current chief priest is Bhikkhu Chalinda.
Following the expiration of the Committee's term in September 2007, the government of Bihar delayed the appointment of a new Committee. The district magistrate has served as administrator for the temple pending the appointment of a new Committee. Eventually, on May 16, 2008 the government announced the appointment of a new Temple Management Committee.
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