(The following is the text from a small book compiled by Rai Ram Anugrah Narayan Singh Bahadur (Deputy Magistrate & Deputy Collector) under the orders of G. A. Grierson (Magistrate-Collector, Gaya) in 1892. The book traces the history of the monastery (math) at Bodh Gaya.)
The Bodh Gaya Math is an ancient Monastery of the Hindu Sannyasis, styled Girs, who belong to one of the ten orders of Sankara Acharya’s Sivite school. It traces its origin back to the middle of the sixteenth century of the Christian era. It is said that as early as Magh of the Fasli year 997 (corresponding with 1590 A.D.), one Gosain Ghamandi Gir, a holy devotee of this order, while on a pilgrimage tour, became so very fond of the sylvan solitude of the neighbourhood of the place where the Math now stands, that he selected it as the place of his religious devotion, and subsequently built a small monastery there for the accommodation of the itinerant members of his order. He was the first mahanth, and the founder of the monastery. He was succeeded by his disciple, Chaitanya Gir, in 1022 Fasli (corresponding with 1615 A.D.). Mahanth Chaitanya Gir was much renowned for his learning and austere piety, and spent his time in worship and religious devotion. He died in 1059 Fasli, and his remains were interred in the enclosures of the great Buddhist temple, and a small temple was built thereon. Mahanth Chaitanya Gir was succeeded by his disciple, Mahanth Mahadeva Gir, who led a very pious and austere life. He worshipped Anna Purna Devi for several years, and his dhuni (place of worship) and samadhi (tomb) of pucka masonry work stands in front of the Mahabodhi temple, where also a temple was built by him in honour of his Ishta, (tutelary) goddess Anna Purna. The tradition is that the goddess Anna Purna Devi was so much gratified that she presented him a katora (cup) for distribution of grain, with the ashirbad (blessing) that if the mahanths of the Asthan would continue freely distributing sadabarat (alms) out of this katora, they would never be in want. It is said to hold exactly enough to satisfy the appetite of whoever receives its contents, be he man or woman, child or adult.
This talismanic cup is still in the monastery, and grain is doled out daily with it. It was under the auspices of this goddess, the presenter of the inexhaustible cup, that he was enabled to build the large monastic building, the present Math of Bodh Gaya, which is situated on the bank of Lilajan river (another name for the sacred Phalgu), in the midst of a garden extending over an area of about 52 bighas, and surrounded by a high masonry wall. He also founded an alms house, which has been much extended by the later mahanths, where rice and pulse are daily distributed to three to five hundred persons up to the present time.
He died in 1089 Fasli (corresponding with 1682 A.D.), and was succeeded by his disciple, Lal Gir.
Mahanth Lal Gir is said to have been much favoured by the Emperor of Delhi, and the villages of Mastipur and Taradih, in which the Buddhist Mahabodhi temple is situated, were made over to him by a Royal firman. A jagir of six villages was presented to the Math by Wazirul-Mumalik Qamaruddin Khan. He was followed by his disciple, Keshava Gir, who was so well known for his piety and devotion that before he ascended the Mahanthi Gaddi of Bodh Gaya, and in the lifetime of his guru, he got a present of Antarin and other villages from Emperor Farukh Siyar of Delhi, and in the Royal firman he was styled as Faqir Kamil wa Haq Parast (a monk who had reached the highest degree of talismanic powers and of the merit of holy orders). He was succeeded by Mahanth Raghava Gir in 1155 Fasli (corresponding with 1748 A.D.), who was followed by Mahanth Ramhit Gir in 1176 Fasli (corresponding with 1769 A.D.). Mahanth Ramhit Gir contributed greatly to increase the wealth and prosperity of the Math. He obtained lakhiraj lands and villages from the Maharajas of Tikari and Ichak. He died in the holy city of Benares, and his dharam samadhi (tomb) was built by his successor in the Bodh Gaya samadhi (family burial-ground). He was followed by his disciple, Mahanth Balak Gir, in 1213 Fasli (corresponding wit with 1800), who obtained a few villages from Maharaja Ramsingh oof Jaspur, and was succeeded by his disciple, Shiva Gir, in 1227 Fasli (corresponding with 1820). Mahanth Shiva Gir, who was equally noted for his personal beauty, generous heart, and religious devotion, and who made no less than 1,400 chelas (disciples), brought the condition of the Math and its properties to a most flourishing condition.
It is said that in his time some of the Math properties were resumed under Regulation II of 1819 and Regulation III of 1828, and that they were all released after due enquiry being held. The Mahanth, it is said, was thus also acknowledged as Mahanth of Bodh Gaya by the British Government. After his death in 1253 Fasli (corresponding with 1846 A.D.), his disciples, following the custom which had been prevalent in the Math since the very beginning, selected Bhaipat Gir, one of their own boys, as the Mahanth of Bodh Gaya. Mahanth Bhaipat Gir was at the helm of affairs for 21 years. He is said to have distinguished himself for his conspicuous loyalty by helping the English Government in the dark days of the Indian Sepoy Mutiny. He died in 1274 Fasli (corresponding with 1867 A.D.), and after him his disciple, Hem Narayan Gir, succeeded to the Mahanthi Gadi of Bodh Gayá.
Mahanth Hem Narayan Gir was a great Sanskrit scholar, and collected a large library of original Sanskrit manuscripts. He built a large house at Benares at a cost of about fifty thousand rupees for the benefit of those gosains of his order who wished to pass the last last days of their life in the holy city of Kashi (Benares). He also built many temples in his zamindaries, and established a dharamsala and excavated a tank at Zindapur on the Hazaribagh road. This Mahanth rendered valuable assistance to the Government during the famine of 1873-74, and in recognition of his services he was presented with a Certificate of Honour in the name of the Queen-Empress of India on the 1st January 1877, the day of the proclamation of the title of Empress of India. He was known to be one of the most influential and respectable zamindars of the district, and was held in great reverence by the entire native community. The Government of India, as a mark of personal distinction, exempted him from his attendance in the civil courts under Government orders, dated the 22nd February 1876.
He was very religiously inclined, and spent a great portion of his time in worship and religious devotion. In 1882 he went out on a (tirath jatra) pilgrimage, with the intention of passing the remainder of his days in mere austerity. He therefore executed a registered deed of gift (hibba) on the 25th of August 1882, in favour of his disciple (chela) Krishna Dayal more familiarly called Brahmacharji on account of his pious habits. He stated in this deed that as, in consequence of his old age, he wished to retire from the worldly life, he desired to abdicate his mahanthship in favour of any of his disciples who would be the most eligible, and as a panchayat consisting of five of the most respectable gosains of the Math had unanimously selected Krishna Dayal Gir as the fittest amongst the disciples, he, agreeing with the panches, appointed him as his successor, and made an absolute and free gift of all his properties in favour of the said Krishna Dayal Gir. Krishna Dayal Gir thus obtained possession of all the properties pertaining to the Math, and reigned as mahanth de facto for nearly four months. During this short period he showed good capacity for work, and ruled over the Math in a very liberal spirit. He also contributed Rs. 2,500 towards the expenses of repairs of the Mahabodhi temple. However, Mahanth Hem Narayan Gir, who had set out on pilgrimage, returned again to Bodh Gaya and, at the most earnest solicitation of his disciples and other gosains, consented to take up the onerous and responsible duties of the mahanthi of the Math once again. A registered deed of relinquishment (bazidawa) was therefore executed by Krishna Dayal Gir on the 22nd December, 1882, who most gladly and cheerfully gave up and abandoned all the right and title he had derived under the above described deed of gift (hibba) in favour of his guru and donor. During his lifetime Mahanth Hem Narayan Gir thus once more assumed the management of the estate, and managed it with great prudence. Mahanth Hem Narayan Gir died at Benares on the 12th Paus, corresponding with the 27th December, 1891. His dharma samadhi (temple) is built in the Bodh Gaya samadhi (the family burial-ground).
The Mahanth, as well as his disciples (chelas) are pledged to a lifelong celibacy, and, according to the time-honoured custom of the Math and the rule of their order, when a disciple of the Math dies his properties, moveable or immoveable, revert to the monastery.
Succession to the mahanthship of Bodh Gaya is governed according to custom. When a mahanth dies, all his disciples nominate five gosains of their own Math as panches or arbitrators to select a worthy and fit successor to the gaddi out of their own body; and all the disciples abide by the decision of the panchayat so constituted. Accordingly, a panchnámah was executed on the 13th of Magh 1299 Fasli, corresponding with 1802 A.D., by all the disciples of the late mahanth, by which they empowered gosains Bishun Dhari Gir, Raghubar Sahay Gir, Ramkaran Gir, Mohan Gir, and Jai Ram Gir, to elect a mahanth for the Bodh Gaya gaddi out of their own body, and all these five gosains gave their written and unanimous verdict in favour of the same Krishna Dayal Gir, in whose favour the late mahanth had made a gift. Mahanth Krishna Dayal Gir was considered most eligible, being the most learned, the most pious, the most religious, and the most capable of all his fellow disciples.
(Views expressed are personal)
