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Blasts at Indian Buddhist shrines of Bodh Gaya in Bihar | |
(about 20 hours later) | |
A series of blasts has shaken India's holiest Buddhist shrine, where the Buddha himself is said to have gained enlightenment, police have said. | A series of blasts has shaken India's holiest Buddhist shrine, where the Buddha himself is said to have gained enlightenment, police have said. |
Two people were injured in nine explosions in the Bodh Gaya temple complex, in northern Bihar state. | |
Police described the bombs as low-intensity timed devices. Windows and one door in the complex were damaged. | Police described the bombs as low-intensity timed devices. Windows and one door in the complex were damaged. |
The Indian government said the blasts were a terror attack. No group has said it was responsible. | The Indian government said the blasts were a terror attack. No group has said it was responsible. |
Witnesses said some of the bombs exploded close to the Bodhi tree, thought to be a descendant of the one that the Buddha sat under when he achieved enlightenment, according to tradition. | Witnesses said some of the bombs exploded close to the Bodhi tree, thought to be a descendant of the one that the Buddha sat under when he achieved enlightenment, according to tradition. |
Police said there was no damage to the tree. | Police said there was no damage to the tree. |
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly condemned the blasts, saying: "Such attacks on religious places will be never be tolerated." | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly condemned the blasts, saying: "Such attacks on religious places will be never be tolerated." |
The Bodh Gaya complex is one of the oldest Buddhist sites in India. It was listed as a world heritage site by the UN cultural organisation Unesco in 2002. | |
Correspondents say attacks on Buddhists are rare in India, but there have been recent Muslim-Buddhist tensions in nearby Burma (also called Myanmar), Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. | |
The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, went on a quest for enlightenment some time in the 5th or 6th Century BC. He is said to have achieved it while sitting under the Bodhi tree (tree of awakening). | |
There are currently some 376 million followers of Buddhism worldwide. Buddhists can worship both at home and at a temple | There are currently some 376 million followers of Buddhism worldwide. Buddhists can worship both at home and at a temple |