Volume : 7, Issue : 4, April - 2018

Catering to the ‘Consciousness of the Sacred‘ in Bodhgaya, Bihar

Ar. Anushkriti

Abstract :

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:200%"><span lang="EN-IN" style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;mso-bidi-font-style:&#10;italic">Bodhgaya, the <b>birthplace</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> of Buddhism,</span> is <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">a revered axis mundi </span>for all Buddhist denominations; offering<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:&#10;bold"> a lot in terms of its &lsquo;Living Religious Heritage&rsquo;. </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp;</span>In the last few decades, the influx of pilgrims and tourists has multiplied manifold, giving the town a <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">religiously, historically and culturally significant status. However, it is evident that the designation of a UNESCO World Heritage site to this place has transformed the overall <b>sacred landscape</b> into a fractured <b>commercialized touristscape</b>. </span>It is currently being consumed <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">by millions of &lsquo;spiritual&rsquo; tourists</span>, who, either remain <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:&#10;bold">unaware of the immense heritage </span>of the land or miss out on <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">experiencing the sacred</span> in its true essence. The study, hence, investigates the present scenario, identifies challenges and opportunities and proposes <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:&#10;bold">interventions</span>. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="mso-bidi-font-size:&#10;12.0pt;line-height:200%;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Theultimate goal is to mellow down not just visitors, but natives by helping them to understand the essence of &lsquo;impermanence and change‘ and reinstating the ‘<b>consciousness</b> of the sacred‘. <o:p></o:p></span></p>