A Buddhist temple in Rajgir, Bihar, is facing neglect due to the apathy of the state government.
A handful of tourists, who visited the temple, urged the concerned authorities to improve the infrastructure so that the historic temple attracts more tourists.
"This place is not properly cleaned up. The concerned authority and the government should make sure that tourists get to visit a clean site and feel safe and comfortable," said Mohammad Naseem, a tourist.
Buddhist priests do not travel during the monsoon season and instead sit in one place to meditate, which is known as "varsavash" or the three month-long period when monks remain in their monasteries and elders of the community fast and observe abstinence.
According to local folklore, Lord Buddha visited this temple in Rajgir and spent his Varsavash there.
"Lord Buddha liked this place a lot. He gave the plot to King Bimbisara. Lord Buddha used to give advice to his disciples on the Griddhakuta Mountain. This is a significant site for Buddhists," said Suchit Paswan, a guard at the temple.
Tourists also said they felt unsafe while visiting the temple, as not many visitors come here.
