ABSTRACT
The Great Case was predominantly a battle between two different religions’ doctrines for the legal possession of the piece of land at Bodhgaya, and it was fought in a civil law context with different roots. The British colonizers were undoubtedly not suitably qualified to comment on Indian religious matters and were very careful not to hurt the religious feelings of any sects as that might induce communal violence. Throughout the legal proceedings of the Great Case, the evidence produced by both parties and the adjudicators’ knowledge of the workings of Hinduism and Buddhism, mainly relied on religious texts, articles, books, and research done by Western scholars. A significant issue that was raised by Dharmapala during the Great Case was the desecration of the holy image inside the sanctum of the temple by draping the great statue and applying tilaka of one mark that was specific to Saivite followers on its forehead by Hindus.
