Great Buddha (Bodh Gaya)

Mahabodhi Temple

Buddhists have been coming to this spot for over two thousand years. It marks where the Buddha is said to have reached enlightenment, and it remains the most revered pilgrimage site in the Buddhist world; the tree here is held to descend from the original Bodhi Tree. Most of what stands is 6th-century CE work, brick under stucco, heavily restored since the 19th century. The carved stone railing is replica and the finest early sculpture has moved to the museum beside the temple, so do that too. The Vajrasana inside dates to the 3rd century BCE.