Gaya/New Delhi, Jul 7 (IANS): Two Buddhist monks were injured Sunday in a string of bombings at Bihar's 1,500-year old Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya where the Buddha attained enlightenment, police said.
The first bomb went off at about 5.15 a.m. and it was followed by a series of blasts, triggering panic. The bombings lasted about half an hour.
"Eight blasts took place early Sunday, including two near the Bodhi tree inside the temple compound," Additional Director General of Police S.K. Bhardwaj told IANS over telephone.
He said that two live bombs were found including one near a 80-feet statue of Buddha and another near Karmapa temple, hardly a few metres from the Mahabodhi temple. Both bombs were later defused by a team of experts.
Bhardwaj said that two Buddhist monks were injured -- one a Tibetan and the other Myanmarese.
"Injured Tibetan is identified as Tenzing Dorjee, 50, and the injured Myanmarese is Vilas Ga, 30," Bhardwaj said.
The blasts did not cause any damage to the temple and the Bodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment, a police officer told IANS over telephone from Bodh Gaya in Gaya district, located about 110 km from here.
"The route to the temple and its neighbouring areas including monasteries of different countries were totally sealed-off and security forces were deployed," N.H. Khan, a police officer said.
The temple at Bodh Gaya was built at the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2002.
The Mahabodhi temple is one of the few surviving examples of early brick structures in India and has had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries.
Unesco describes it as one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely from brick in the late Gupta period. The sculpted stone balustrades are an outstanding early example of sculptural reliefs in stone.
The temple complex has direct associations with the life of the Lord Buddha (566-486 BC) as the place where in 531 BC he attained the supreme and perfect insight while seated under the Bodhi tree, said the Unesco website.
The Bihar government has sounded a high alert in Bodh Gaya and other sensitive places across the state.
"Police are on high alert after the serial blasts," Additional Director General of Police Ravinder Kumar said.
"Additional security forces have been deployed at Mahabodhi temple and police have launched an investigation," Kumar added.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with top officials rushed to Bodh Gaya.
Intelligence agencies had last month warned the district authorities about a security threat to the temple.
Last year, the security of the Mahabodhi temple was handed over to the Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar Police.
Mahabodhi temple blast cowardly attack: Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said the serial blasts in Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya district in Bihar is a "cowardly attack".
"Cowardly attack on Mahabodhi temple is a matter of great sadness for the people of India and the Buddhist community around the world," Modi tweeted.
At least two Buddhist monks were injured early Sunday in multiple blasts at Bihar's 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya district, police said.
The blasts did not cause any casualty or damage to the temple and the Bodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment, a police officer said.
The temple at Bodh Gaya was built at the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2002.
Two hurt in Bodh Gaya blasts; Won't be tolerated, says PM
Two monks were injured Sunday in a terror attack at the Mahabodhi temple in Bihar's Bodh Gaya town where the Buddha attained enlightenment, prompting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to vow that "such attacks on religious places will never be tolerated".
Eight blasts took place early in the morning in quick succession at the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi temple, annually visited by millions of pilgrims from all over the world. The deafening explosions triggered panic, but caused no major damage.
The temple complex, which is a Unesco Heritage site, has direct associations with the life of the Buddha (566-486 BC) as the place where in 531 BC he attained enlightenment while seated under the Bodhi tree.
"It is a terror attack...two people are injured," union Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh told reporters in New Delhi after the bombings.
A local who resides near Mahabodhi temple said the blasts made the hotels, where a number of tourists were staying, shake.
"The blasts made the buildings shake and all the people of the hotels, comprising foreigners and tourists, came out wondering what had happened," said the local resident.
There were conflicting reports about the timing of the bombings. A Bihar Police official said the first bomb went off around 5.15 a.m. and it was followed by the series of blasts. The bombings lasted about half an hour.
The union home ministry, however, said that the successive blasts took place between 5.30 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the temple complex and near the Bodhi tree.
Bodh Gaya is located about 110 km from Bihar capital Patna.
"Eight blasts took place early Sunday, including two near the Bodhi tree inside the temple compound," Additional Director General of Police S.K. Bhardwaj told IANS.
He said two live bombs were found, including one near an 80-foot statue of the Buddha and the other near Karmapa temple, hardly a few metres from the Mahabodhi temple. Both bombs were later defused by a team of experts.
Bhardwaj said that two Buddhist monks were injured -- one a Tibetan and the other a Myanmarese national.
"Injured Tibetan is identified as Tenzing Dorjee, 50, and the injured Myanmarese is Vilas Ga, 30," Bhardwaj said.
The Mahabodhi temple complex structure has not suffered any damage, union Home Secretary Anil Goswami told reporters in New Delhi.
"The temple complex structure has not suffered any damage. The monastery and the statue of Lord Buddha are safe," he said.
Director General of Bihar Police Abhayanand reported that "four blasts have taken place inside the temple complex, three blasts (took place) inside the monastery complex, and one blast was...adjacent to the statue of Lord Buddha", Goswami added.
"A team of NSG (National Security Guard) will carry out the post-bomb analysis, and a team of NIA (National Investigative Agency) will investigate the matter and has been sent from here," he said.
The Mahabodhi temple is one of the few surviving examples of early brick structures in India and has had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries.
Unesco describes it as one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely from brick in the late Gupta period.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday "strongly condemned" the serial blasts and said India's "composite culture and traditions teach us respect for all religions and such attacks on religious places will never be tolerated".
The Bihar government has sounded a high alert in Bodh Gaya and other sensitive places across the state.
Additional Director General of Police Ravinder Kumar said the police are on high alert after the serial blasts.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with top officials visited Bodh Gaya.
Intelligence agencies had last month warned the district authorities about a security threat to the temple. Last year, the security of the Mahabodhi temple was handed over to the Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar Police.
'Delhi Police had warned about attack on Mahabodhi temple'
A team of Delhi Police is likely to visit Bihar's Bodh Gaya town to share information provided by the Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists who had earlier planned an attack on the temple, police said Sunday.
"We will be sending a team to Bodh Gaya to share the information provided by the arrested IM operatives who had planned to carry out serial blasts in the temple," a senior Delhi Police officer told IANS here.
The officer added that they had alerted intelligence agencies and Bihar Police about a possible terror attack in the state.
"We had shared the inputs with intelligence agencies and Bihar Police about a possible terror attack," the police officer said.
According to police, the IM operatives had informed them that they had spent 15 days in Bihar doing a recce of the temple.
In 2012, Delhi Police had busted a group of IM terrorists which carried out serial blasts in Pune. They had planned similar attacks in Delhi and Bodh Gaya too.
The arrested IM terrorists in the Pune blast case were identified as Syed Makbul, Irfan, Imran and Asad.
Mahabodhi temple blasts 'senseless violence': President
President Pranab Mukherjee Sunday termed the serial blasts at Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya town of Bihar a "senseless act of violence", and called upon the people to maintain peace and calm, and cooperate with the authorities.
In a message, the president said: "The blasts are a senseless act of violence targeting innocent pilgrims and monks who had gathered to worship at this temple dedicated to the great apostle of peace - Gautama Buddha."
Expressing anguish and deep concern over the eight serial blasts that occurred between 5.30 a.m. and 6.00 a.m. within the temple precincts, leaving two monks injured, the president conveyed his prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured.
He also called upon people to maintain calm and restraint, as well as to cooperate with the authorities in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Police said two Buddhist monks were injured early Sunday in the multiple blasts. The Mahabodhi temple is believed to have been built by Emperor Ashoka around 250 BC at the site where Buddha attained enlightenment.
It was re-discovered by Alexander Cunningham in the 19th century.
According to the home ministry, the blasts did not cause any casualty or damage to the temple, and the Bodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment.
The over two-millennia-old temple was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2002.