28 years on, lack of fixed calendar affects Bodh Mahotsav’s outreach: Experts

Gaya: Bodh Mahotsav, the annual event to promote spiritual tourism and develop Bodh Gaya as a global centre of spirituality, was launched with much fanfare in 1998. The first mahotsav was inaugurated by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Uma Bharti was the culture minister in the Vajpayee govt.As per available inputs, the mahotsav’s objective was a mix of spirituality, philosophy and economy and commerce. The objectives included promotion of Buddhist heritage, creation of global awareness about Buddhist philosophy and way of life, including non-violence and the middle path, boost tourism, creation of infrastructure and give impetus to the local economy.However, 28 years later, the event jointly organised by the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), district administration and the state’s tourism department, is yet to get a permanent calendar and is generally held on different dates in Dec and Jan.According to Bodh Gaya watchers, in the absence of a permanent calendar, the hospitality sector operators are not in a position to market the event effectively in the international tourist circuit.Asked about the achievement of the event, Kusum Kumari, former HoD (philosophy) Magadh University, who for long has been associated with the organisation of spiritual and philosophical part of the event, said off the cuff assessment was simply not possible and it is time to engage a professional agency for assessment purposes and do the course correction in view of its findings.On the achievements of the economic objectives of the event, Suresh Singh, convener of the Bodh Gaya Nagar Vikas Manch, said on account of “too much bureaucratisation” and “vision deficit”, the event’s achievements leave much to be desired. “It has just become an annual ritual with little scope for innovation and as such the tourist footfall for this very purpose has not shown any remarkable improvement,” he said, adding it is all officially managed with little participation of the local stakeholders.Absence of a permanent calendar has also hit its prospects. “A more professional and focussed approach was required and it should be synchronised with the overall development plan of Bodh Gaya and not just treated as a once in a year event,” he said.Conceding that there was always scope for improvisation, Mahashweta Maharathi, secretary of the BTMC, said new suggestions were always welcome but criticism should be constructive.“If people have novel ideas, they should come forward in a participative manner,” said Maharathi. She claimed that perceptions may differ but the event has a reasonably successful track record. She hoped that in the days to come Bodh Mahotsav would achieve bigger heights. “It has become fashionable to blame the bureaucracy. There is a need to distinguish between bureaucratic involvement and bureaucratic overreach,” she added.