Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya
Bihar
Photos
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A man sat down under a tree here around 2,500 years ago and decided not to get up until he understood something. A descendant of that tree is still growing.
What you're looking at
The temple complex marking the place of the Buddha's enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. The present brick tower is largely 5th or 6th century with much later restoration, standing on foundations laid by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. Behind it grows the Bodhi tree, and between them sits the Vajrasana, the diamond throne.
Why it matters
Of the four great Buddhist pilgrimage places named by the Buddha himself, this is the one where it happened. It is the centre of the Buddhist world, and one of the earliest brick temples in India to survive. Pilgrims come from every Buddhist tradition on earth, which makes the courtyard one of the most quietly extraordinary places in the country.
Look for these
01
The Vajrasana
A polished sandstone slab between the tree and the temple, placed by Ashoka to mark the exact spot of the enlightenment. It is the oldest thing in the complex.
02
Everyone is praying differently
Tibetans doing full-body prostrations, Theravada monks in ochre chanting in Pali, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Sri Lankan groups each in their own form. Nowhere else are so many Buddhist traditions in one courtyard.
03
The seven weeks marked out
The Buddha is said to have spent seven weeks in the area after his enlightenment. Each spot is marked — the walking meditation path with its stone lotuses is the most striking.
04
Ashoka's railing fragments
Sections of the original stone railing survive around the temple; the rest are copies. The old ones are visibly softer and finer.
05
Leaves are gathered, not picked
Fallen Bodhi leaves are collected and given out. Taking one from the tree is not acceptable, however much you want to.
Before you go
- Go before dawn once. The complex opens very early, and the hour before sunrise is the best of the visit.
- Phones and cameras are restricted at times; there are deposit counters.
- Sit down. This is not a place to walk round in forty minutes.
- October to March. Bihar summers are severe and the courtyard is stone.
- The monasteries built by Thailand, Bhutan, Japan, Myanmar and Tibet ring the town and welcome visitors.
Visitor guide to Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya.
Visiting
Entry fee and daily timings weren't available from an official source — please confirm on site.
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