Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

• Lack of co-ordinated and integrated management system;
• Loss of character of the cultural landscape directly associated with the property and its outstanding universal value;
• Lack of protection under national legislation.

On 29 January 2014, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report; a summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1056/documents. Progress on a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in those reports, as follows:

• Management Plan: Substantial progress has been made with the comprehensive Management Plan, developed since June 2013. It includes thorough documentation, analysis of the state of conservation, an elaborate vision for the site ensuring protection of the vulnerable setting and the wider landscape, visitor management and community development. It has been developed with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders. The final adopted Management Plan is expected to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre during 2014.
• Buffer zone: The buffer zone has been designated and is in the final stage of being legalised after which it will be formally submitted.
• Serial extension: Extension of the property to include other elements related the life of the Lord Buddha are being considered within the overall approach to World Heritage nomination in the State Party, for which revision to the Tentative List has been initiated.
• Comprehensive visitor/pilgrim management strategy: A comprehensive visitor/pilgrim survey has been carried out and a comprehensive pilgrim management strategy will be elaborated within the Management Plan. The pilgrim management strategy is one of the key aspects of the property as around 90% of the visitors are pilgrims and daily arrivals vary from 5000 to 10,000.
• Capacity building: According to the State Party report, the management planning processes has been an opportunity to build capacity amongst different stakeholders.
• Other issues: The State Party has also reported that a bomb attack occurred within the premises of the Mahabodhi Temple on 7 July 2013. In response to this unfortunate incident, comprehensive measures have been taken to protect the visitors and safeguard the property. These include the reorganisation of security aspects, appointment of a high ranking police officer and installation of CCTV cameras at the property.

The Committee may wish to commend the State Party for the comprehensive arrangements and measures taken by the authorities, to ensure the safety of visitors and the protection of the property.

The State Party has taken steps to develop the comprehensive Management Plan, including a comprehensive pilgrim management strategy, as recommended by the February 2011 reactive monitoring mission.  The issues raised by the Committee and the reactive monitoring mission have been addressed through the management planning process. 

While the buffer zone has been demarcated, no information has been provided concerning the regulatory measures that need to be adopted to protect the wider setting. Although a number of issues have been addressed, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to expedite the completion of the Management Plan, the formal adoption of the buffer zone together with regulatory measures and the submission of a minor boundary modification of the property with a view to formalising its buffer zone.