Gaya, Feb. 4: The proposed arrival of a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka on the premises of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya has sparked off a controversy.

The sapling, to be brought here by Sri Lankan prime minister D.M. Jayaratne, belongs to the same generation as the holy Bodhi tree present on the campus of the world heritage site at Mahabodhi Mahavihara, under which prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment. Former member secretary of Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee Kalicharan Singh Yadav has said that plantation of another sapling of the Bodhi tree on the Mahabodhi Mahavihara campus would amount to tampering with the present status of the site. The committee is responsible for the upkeep and management of the Mahabodihi Mahavihara. Yadav said: “When a Bodhi tree is available for veneration on the Mahavihara campus, what is the necessity of planting another sapling? This would create further doubts in the mind of devotees. The sacred Bodhi tree on Mahavihara campus is more than 100 years old and is in good health. It is a source of inspiration to millions of devotees from all over the world.”

He added that the proposal to bring the sapling could be an attempt of Sri Lankan monks to get easy entry to the Mahabodhi Mahavihara premises.

“The state and the central government should keep tabs on them. If the Mahabodhi Society of India is keen to plant the Bodhi tree sapling, it can do so at other centres in the country,” Yadav said.

The Mahobodhi Society of India is organising a year-long function to celebrate the completion of 2,600 years of Buddha’s enlightenment.

“As per the programme, prime minister Jayaratne, accompanied by a 150-member delegation, would arrive at Bodhgaya with the sapling on a special aircraft on February 16 morning,” said Mahabodhi Society of India Bodhgaya branch monk in-charge Bhante H. Vimaldhamma Ther. Jayaratne would arrive on a two-day visit to Bodhgaya on February 16 and 17. During his visit, he would lay the foundation stone of monument pagoda on the campus of Mahobodhi Society of India Bodhgaya branch and also attend a conference on “Role of Buddhism in Environment Conservation”, at the examination hall of Magadh University.

The sapling that Jayaratne would bring to Bodhgaya is from the same tree the sapling of which was sent by emperor Ashoka to Sri Lanka with son Mahindra and daughter Sanghmitra to spread Buddhism.