Officials from India's tourism ministry and the UN Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (Unesco), which declared the Mahaboddhi Temple a world heritage site in June 2002, sponsored the dedication, attended by Buddhist monks from around the world.

The Mahabodhi temple is the holiest of the four sacred sites related to Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, Nepal, and is said to have attained enlightenment in this eastern Indian pilgrimage town.

Experts believe the Mahabodhi temple dates from the fifth or sixth century. It is one of the earliest Buddhist shrines built entirely in brick which has survived the onslaught of Muslim Mughal emperors during their 500 years of rule in India.

It is one of the earliest Buddhist shrines built entirely in brick The officials said the ceremony and efforts by the government to spruce up Bodhgaya would bring its popularity on a par with the most revered sites of the Catholics and Muslims.

"There is a plan to elevate Bodhgaya as a holy place like the Vatican and Mecca for the millions of Buddhists in over 20 countries," said Bodhgaya administrator Brajesh Mehrotra.

He said the state government of Bihar, where Bodhgaya is located, has invested 3-billion rupees (about R400-million) to revamp Mahabodhi temple and clean up Bodhgaya.

Unesco will also plough in funds to promote the site following the dedication ceremony, which comes after a three-day international Buddhist conclave at New Delhi, to popularize spiritual tourism in India.

Hundreds of candles were lit around the temple and towering gates and decorated arches sprung up to welcome some 400 delegates from 25 countries who arrived here Thursday from New Delhi.

Tour operators were unimpressed Indian tour operators together with the government have come up with a tour package of 360 dollars to visit eight Buddhist tourist circuit cities where Buddha taught and lived, a state tourism official said.

"Bodhgaya is already a central international pilgrimage and has monasteries built by Buddhist devotees from 36 countries," he said.

Tour operators were unimpressed.

"What we need is good connectivity because religious tourism attracts the elderly, but travel in Bihar is difficult which makes it very difficult for us to sell Bodhgaya," said Indian Tour Operators' Association President Jyoti Kapoor.

Ven Tich Quang Ba, a Buddhist scholar who represented Australia and New Zealand at the New Delhi meet, has said that Bodhgaya was one of the deadliest places in lawless Bihar, where hold-ups of religious tourists are common.

"Bodhgaya is like a woman in tattered clothes with a painted face. What is important is good roads, nice places to stay, which Bodhgaya lacks, and security, which Bodhgaya never will have unless the government shows some commitment," said operator Ashwin Bharadwaj.

An international airport was built a year ago at Gaya, 25km from Bodhgaya, but flights from Buddhist destinations of Thailand and Sri Lanka come only once a week.

Over 150 international Buddhist forums are offering charity to improve the town's shoddy infrastructure, state government officials said.

The other prominent sites in Bihar are Vaishali, near the state capital Patna, where Buddha gave his last sermons, Rajgir, another prominent place of his teachings and Kushinagar, where he died.

Sarnath in the adjacent state of Uttar Pradesh is also one of the holiest Buddhist sites as Buddha preached his first Sermon there in 590 BC.