This multilayered historical ethnography of Bodh Gaya -- the place of
Buddha's enlightenment in the north Indian state of Bihar -- explores
the spatial politics surrounding the transformation of the Mahabodhi
Temple Complex into a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002. The rapid
change from a small town based on an agricultural economy to an
international destination that attracts hundreds of thousands of
Buddhist pilgrims and visitors each year has given rise to a series of
conflicts that foreground the politics of space and meaning among Bodh
Gaya's diverse constituencies.
David Geary examines the modern revival of Buddhism in India, the
colonial and postcolonial dynamics surrounding archaeological heritage
and sacred space, and the role of tourism and urban development in
India.