Officials reinforced a plastic ban at the Mahābodhi Mahāvihāra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India earlier this month.
This policy was first introduced in 2018 by the Patna High Court, per Buddhistdoor Global.
The court showed concern for Muchalinda Lake, the body of water near the temple. Plastic bags used to contain food products purchased from nearby vendors eventually made their way into the lake, threatening local wildlife.
The Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee announced in 2023 that Mahāvihāra would be a "waste-free and plastic-free zone," and The Times of India reported that the site would upcycle flowers into charcoal-free incense sticks.
A notification from the committee secretary earlier this month stated, "BTMC has decided to reinforce the earlier decision to strictly ban the entry and use of … all plastic items inside the premises of Mahāvihāra with immediate effect."
While the BTMC is doing something incredible for the environment, other temples have struggled with adjusting to plastic bans while meeting their devotees' needs.
The Bangalore Mirror reported in 2016 that some temples, including Vinayaka in Yelahanka New Town, Karnataka, found it difficult to offer affordable poojas to devotees. This was mostly because they had to switch to aluminum foil instead of using plastic cups to contain prasadam.
"Devotees believe their pooja is never complete without prasadam," Satyanarayana Sharma, a temple priest, told the Mirror. "With no plastic available, we requested devotees to bring their own boxes. However, many of them wouldn't do so. … To avoid unnecessary problems, we have discontinued several pooja services."
An official for another temple, Mutturayaswamy, said they were looking into using cloth bags to contain prasadam for devotees.
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No way 🙅 As for Mahāvihāra, the BTMC secretary said, per the Times, "As an alternative, all are requested to use environmentally friendly paper and cloth bags, bamboo baskets, terracotta bowls and handmade snacks for offerings."
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While it is unclear if Mahāvihāra will adjust the containers it may offer, the BTMC is looking to install solar panels both at Mahāvihāra and its office as it continues to introduce green practices to the temple.
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