Maha Bodhi Society of India is an organization that aims to revive and promote Buddhism in India—the religion’s birthplace—and in other countries. It also does humanitarian work and engages in educational and welfare activities. The society has its headquarters in Kolkata, as well as centers in several other Indian cities and in other parts of the world. It has helped to promote Buddhism in the Western world through its activities and its English-language journal, The Maha Bodhi, established in 1892.
Anagarika Dharmapala, a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka, founded the society in 1891. One of its original purposes was to restore the neglected pilgrimage site at the town of Bodhgaya, in the Indian state of Bihar. According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment while sitting under the sacred bodhi tree at this spot. In 1949, the state government of Bihar passed the Bodhgaya Temple Act, which entrusted the site’s management to a committee made up of Buddhist and Hindu members. The Mahabodhi Temple, which also occupies the area, was added to the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List in 2002. The list is an international registry of places that have great natural or cultural value.
