Bodh Gaya

The intention in founding Buddhism was to lead living beings to permanent liberation from suffering & a temporary liberation from suffering and difficulties is not enough. Motivated by love and compassion, the aim was to help living beings find lasting peace or nirvana. Grasping these intention and aim is Bodhgaya, one of the most important pilgrimage site for Buddhists. In his early years Lord Buddha lived as a prince in his royal palace but at the age of 29 he transcended to the forests and followed a spiritual life. It was not before six years that he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya, India.

Bodh Gaya is located in Bihar-15 kms from Gaya City- where Prince Siddhartha, attained enlightenment under Bodhi tree & became Buddha "the enlightened one". Bodh Gaya is one of the most sacred, if not the most sacred, of many treasured locations for Buddhists of every school and sect. Today, it is the site of the famous Mahabodhi Temple, which is a pilgrimage destination for Buddhists from all over the world.

Mahabodhi Temple
As one approaches the temple, there stands an ancient arch that resembles a gate. It was reportedly placed there (along with many other things) by the great emperor and Buddhist missionary, Ashoka, in the third century BCE. To the left is one of several sets of footprints of the Buddha on the temple grounds, which many believers regard as authentic impressions left by the sage, rather than as mere symbols. To the right stands one of many stupas (symbolic reliquaries) that surround the temple.

On either side of the main entrance are images of the Buddha, with his hands in different positions (mudras) in each. The one of the left suggests reassurance, while the one on the right points to the earth as a witness to his enlightenment. Inside the temple, the focal point is an eighteen-foot golden image of Siddhartha Gautama. During seasons of pilgrimage (during the winter), the small chamber that houses it will be jammed with devotees.

Bodhi Tree
At the rear of the temple and behind a concrete enclosure stand the famous Bo (or Bodhi) Tree, under which Siddhartha sat and attained enlightenment. Though the original tree, a pipal or ficus religiosus, died long ago, it has been replaced several times by saplings of tree that themselves had been grown from offshoots of the original and sent to other locations.

The base of the tree is wrapped with large plastic ribbons. On the right, between the tree and the temple, and beneath a colorful awning, is a golden platform supposedly built by Emperor (Maharajah) Ashoka to mark the very spot where the Buddha sat in his pursuit of enlightenment.

Bodhi Sarovar
Before going in for meditation, Buddha took bath in this pond. This pond is situated towards the west of Bodhi temple. The pond is situated in a very attractive place and is worth visiting.

Chankamana
Towards North of the Bodhi Temple, is a platform with foot impressions of Buddha. Apart from these ponds and platforms, there are many temples built by the people of various nations like the Tibet temple, the Japanese, the Thai, the Lankan and the Bhutan temple. These temples are also a major attraction for the tourists and devotees, who visit Bodh Gaya.