Hundreds of Tibetan monks protest at Bodh Gaya

Hundreds of exiled Tibetans monks gathered in Bihar's Bodh Gaya, the birthplace of Buddhism, on Wednesday to protest the ongoing Chinese operations in Tibet.

They staged a silent demonstration to express their solidarity with the Tibetan agitators and protested China's iron-fisted rule over Tibet in the wake of the recent turmoil in Lhasa.

Large numbers of Tibetans, including monks, have been living in Bodh Gaya, considered sacred by millions the world over.

"We silently protested and condemned the Chinese actions in Tibet," Lama Tenzing, chief of the Tibetan monastery at Bodh Gaya, who led the protest march, told rediff.com. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has a close association with the Tibetan monastery at Bodh Gaya.

A special prayer was organised for the victims of Chinese aggression in Tibet. "We offered prayers for peace and to the soul of the victims," he said.

Tibetan monks ended their protest march at the Mahabodhi temple, where Buddha attained enlightenment about 2,550 years ago.