Bodh Gaya, the sacred site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, continues to fight for its own heritage. For decades, the Buddhist community has been struggling to reclaim its rightful authority over this historic place. Emperor Ashoka established the Mahavihara here, enshrining it as a grand legacy of Buddhism. Yet today, non-Buddhists hold complete control over this entire complex.

Every stone and tree here tells Buddha's story—each landmark symbolizes Buddhism's glorious tradition. Yet, astonishingly, the Buddhist community still has no significant role in managing these sacred sites.

The legend of Sujata and her offering of kheer (rice pudding) to Siddhartha still resonates deeply in people's hearts. This is where a simple village woman's humble meal gifted the world a great spiritual teacher—the Buddha. Even today, the ancient banyan tree and Sujata Stupa stand as reminders of that transformative moment in history.

It is believed that Sujata, a wealthy woman from Senani village in Uruvela (modern-day Bodh Gaya), prayed to the deity of a banyan tree by the Niranjana River for a son. When her wish was granted, she vowed to offer kheer to the tree god. That day, when her maid went to the tree, she found not an ordinary man but Prince Siddhartha, who had been enduring six years of extreme asceticism. Sujata herself fed him the kheer she had prepared, restoring his strength. Soon after, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and became the Buddha.

Recently, Supreme Court advocate Anand Jondhale, who is representing the Buddhist side in the Bodh Gaya Temple Act case, visited the Mahabodhi complex and shared photographs of Sujata Garh and the sacred banyan tree with The Mooknayak.

In Bodh Gaya's Bakraur village stands the Sujata Stupa, built on the very site where Sujata's home once stood. The Archaeological Survey of India's excavations in 1973-74 and 2001-06 revealed a massive stupa, believed to have been constructed in phases from the Gupta to the Pala periods. The sculptures, coins, and other artifacts found here underscore the site's historical significance.

Assistant Professors Chandasiri and Alok Kumar Verma from Samrat Ashok Subharti School of Buddhist Studies, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, have conducted important research on Sujata. According to their March 2022 research paper "The Life of Sujātā: A Woman from Sena Village, Praised by the Buddha" published in the International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, the stupa's circular, two-tiered, and terraced structure rises 11 meters high on a square platform aligned east-west and north-south.

The stupa shows evidence of three phases of construction and expansion from the Gupta to Pala eras. The first phase featured a narrow, clockwise path made of fired bricks, enclosed by a brick wall. Notably, traces suggest the existence of a wooden railing along the ground-level path. Later expansions widened this path to 5 meters and coated it with thick lime plaster.

In the third phase, a lime-plastered brick wall was added with railings on all four sides and an open gateway in each direction. A simple lime-plastered clockwise path was created between the wall and gateways. A brick platform in front of one gateway likely served as an assembly area, while the purpose of two brick structures inside the gate remains unclear. The stupa reached its peak size during the final expansion, with a maximum diameter of 65.5 meters.

Though the exact timeline of each construction phase is uncertain, the residential site's initial phase is estimated to date back to the 2nd–1st century BCE, based on dark gray polished pottery shards found in a temple ruin northeast of the stupa. Terracotta seals and plaques indicate the final expansion occurred between the 8th and 10th centuries.

Given the Pala dynasty's patronage of Buddhism, scholars believe the perimeter walls, railings, and gateways were added during their rule. An excavated inscription dates to the 8th–9th century. Remains from the era of King Devapala (r. 810–850 CE)—including a gold earring fragment, terracotta brooch, punch-marked coins, a stone Buddha head and torso, ornaments, and terracotta seals—confirm the stupa was built in Sujata's memory.