Prayers continue at Mahabodhi temple, visitors barred for now

Mahabodhi temple, the target of serial blasts, has been closed for general public but the prayers will continue to be held as usual, Bihar police chief Abhayanand said today.
The DGP said no harm has come to the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Buddhist temple, but some peripheral damage has occurred.
He said security has been stepped up at the Mahabodhi temple, which is visited by lakhs of people each year, and adjoining areas following review meeting between the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) members and police brass after the serial blasts at the shrine and surrounding areas.
The DGP said that he has also acceded to the BTMC's request for allowing evening prayers at the temple. He said prayers by the monks will be held as usual, but the temple premises will not be opened to common people for the time being.

It has been decided not to let in common people to protect material evidence related to the serial blasts which will be investigated by the NIA and the NSG teams from New Delhi, he said.
Abhayanand said some exhibits have been taken away by the forensic and anti-sabotage squads from the temple for probing the serial blasts, Abhayanand said.

Replying to questions, he said the serial blasts started at about 05:45 A.M. As detected by the CCTV and all the explosions took place within half an-hour.
Asked why the blasts could not be averted even after an alert by Intelligence Bureau, the state's top cop said security was increased after the inputs were received but added "every incident is a learning experience".

On the nature of explosives, the DGP refused to go in details but said the explosives were of medium intensity even as the police report to the Union Home Ministry suggested that they could have been crude bombs.
Asked whether terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) could have been behind the blasts in Bodh Gaya, he said he would not like to comment at this stage.