Bodhgaya: Beware of the fake orphanage scam

Just after our visit to the Mahabodhi temple, we entered the alley just opposite. Here are a few small souvenir shops and a little further away what looks like a temple… Curious as usual, we enter a little more while a group of Indian tourists leave.

Indeed, there is an abandoned Hindu temple there. We come across some kids, a foreign monk (European type) surrounded by some Indians, sheltered from the heat, then 2 young people who start to chat to us.

Well-oiled scam?

Suspicious, because waiting for the moment when they will ask us for money to offer their services as a guide or something else, I more or less ignore them.
The typical approach is to say that they want to practice and improve their English (which is pretty good compared to the average). But as they talk to us they just offer to take us to an orphanage.

Jitima seems ok, I trust his instinct and so we start to follow them. We pass in front of the Mahabodhi temple again before heading further towards alleys.

It's a chance to see parts of Bodhgaya that probably not many people go to. The streets are just dirt, the houses are colorful, many people are smiling, it's pretty cool.

We spent a lot of time taking pictures for me, drawing for my wife, the young people accompanying us being in no hurry and waiting for us kindly.

Scene from “normal” life.

Guess who is behind all these people 😉

Shortly before arriving, seeing this pile of rubbish; right on the street like that, I can't help but ask if it bothers. The young man then answers me that yes, of course, but the rubbish is removed every week (although I have a hard time imagining that this pile represents only one week's worth of rubbish), but every time it comes back...

And indeed, 1 hour after our departure from the Mahabodhi temple, we arrive in a courtyard with children who quickly gather around us. There, a man welcomes us, he is the one who manages the orphanage, called "Elizabeth Orphanage". He is a Catholic priest, Indian. He welcomes dozens of children, some of whom have for example been found in garbage cans... That's what we are told.

The 2 young people who accompanied us had briefed us, basically they show us the place and we can chat, maybe teach the kids a little English. I then try to explain by drawing a map on the board where we come from. Meanwhile, Jitima draws a portrait of all the children, asking for one (which is to say many).

We feel that the man who welcomes us is a little "desperate", lacking means, he says... He tells us, for example, that he is going to have to move, because the rent is too expensive (7000 Rupees, which seems excessive to us but above all abnormal...).

Jitima in the middle of a drawing session for the orphans.

Of course, after a while when we want to continue our day, he asks us if we can sign a kind of guestbook, no problem, they show us photos of other people who have come here and of course the moment comes when he asks if we can make a donation... In principle, we feel a bit trapped, because we feel that we don't have much choice.

It so happened that that day, I had very little cash with me and when I handed over a few "unfortunate" 2000 Rs the man not only looked disappointed, but even dared to ask if we didn't have more. I didn't like this attitude too much, because a donation is a donation and we do according to our means, it was at that precise moment that I thought to myself that this place is not very clean (although I was suspicious from the beginning).

We leave after a few "goodbyes" with the children who were very happy to receive a visit. When talking about this place with one of the local volunteers and the people in charge of the Thai temple, they tell us that they have not heard of this orphanage...

In front of the so-called orphanage...

So beware, it's clearly a well-oiled machine, not sure if the man in question is really taking advantage of the distress of these children or if the families in the surrounding area are simply "lending" their children, but in any case, it's particularly dubious...

This is apparently the kind of scam that is common in Bodh Gaya, given that Bihar is the poorest province in India.

The poorest region in India

The man from Wat Thai, who would be our driver the next day, painted a particularly unflattering picture of his fellow men, "lazy, content to beg professionally to take advantage of the naivety of tourists", somewhat harsh remarks that certainly had some truth in them, particularly the reason that giving a little money to a beggar is useless since we don't know what the money will be used for, especially since it is derisory...

It is better to give to serious charities, but at the time it touches a sensitive point, in general, we want to help, to show ourselves good by helping our neighbor, sometimes selfishly because we feel "privileged" but in the end, it is therefore particularly vicious to do business by taking advantage of this "weakness".

From what I have read, many beggars in Bodhgaya are indeed "pros", have bank accounts and for some a rather enviable situation... have really made it their "job".

It must be admitted that after this episode, we will hardly give anything more, even if it means being seen as heartless...