Buddhist monasteries closed for third day in Bodh Gaya

The Bihar State Electricity Board disconnected power supply to eight foreign Buddhist monasteries over two days March 8-9, citing unpaid bills totalling around Rs.65 lakh.

After the board took the step, the International Buddhist Council of India, the Bodh Gaya chapter, decided to close all its 34 monasteries, temples and other institutions in Bodh Gaya in Gaya district of Bihar.

"The council will hold an emergency meeting in a day or two to decide the future course of action," a council official Nawang Lama said.

The council said the electricity board should restore the power supply. "Officials of the board, different monasteries and the council held a meeting Friday to resolve the issue but failed as the board was adamant to restore power supply only if the dues were paid," Lama said.

Kiryen Lama, a spokesperson for the council, said they had decided to close all their monasteries to protest board high-handedness. He said the board had not given them any prior notice.

"After the power supply was disconnected in all our monasteries, foreign tourists and pilgrims were staying in the dark," he said.

Council officials said the monasteries and guest houses were being assessed as commercial establishments by the board even though the temples and monasteries are run on charity and donations.

"We are ready to pay if the board gives us a relaxation," a monastery official said.

However, the electricity board maintains the monasteries made money from the guest houses run for tourists and pilgrims.

A power board official said a whopping Rs.65 lakh was yet to be paid by the Buddhist centres, including Tibetan Dharamshala, Taiwan Temple and Dijokiu Japanese Temple.

Bodh Gaya is Buddhism's holiest town, being the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment over 2,550 years ago, and is visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year from India and abroad.

Comment

comments...