Bodhgaya,Bihar india

A township on the banks of the river Niranjana (also called the Falgu), Bodhgaya is revered by Buddhists across the world as the place where the Buddha preached, meditated and attained enlightenment. The religious centre of Bodhgaya- and the axis mundi for Buddhism- is the Bodhi

Tree, a fig tree descended from the original tree under which Lord Sakyamuni meditated and finally attained enlightenment, becoming the Buddha. Below the tree is a platform on which the footprints of the Buddha have been carved in stone; near it is a slab of red sandstone, called the Vajrasan, which marks the spot where he sat in meditation.

Bodhgaya- famous for being the place of Buddha’s attainment of Enlightenment!

Sights

The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, marked by a 52 mt tall spire and home to a large gilded statue of the Buddha, stands next to the Bodhi Tree. The temple is believed to have been built by the Emperor Ashok, and is decorated with friezes depicting the life of the Buddha. Along the northern

wall of the Mahabodhi temple is a raised walkway known as the Chankramana Chaitya- the `Jewel Path’- where the Buddha meditated as he walked. Adjacent to the temple is a lotus pond believed to have been the place where the Buddha performed his ablutions. Other than the Bodhi tree and the Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya is known for its beautiful Buddhist monasteries. The Indosan Nipponji Japanese Temple houses a spectacular Buddha statue, while the Thai temple has gleaming gilded roofs and elegantly curved lines. In addition to these, there are at least three Tibetan monasteries, and a number of houses of worship maintained by Sri Lankan, Bhutanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Nepalese monks. Each monastery is built in a distinctively ethnic architectural style- retaining national identities yet united in faith. Also a part of the complex is the Bodhgaya Archaeological Museum which contains a large collection of Buddha statues, in terracotta and stone. Other artifacts, including stone carvings, also figure in the museum’s display.

How to get there by Rail Bodhgaya is 100 km from Patna, the state capital of Bihar, and about 15 km from Gaya. Gaya has its own rail station, with train connections to a number of destinations across India.

How to get there by Bus You can get a bus from Varanasi (in UP), from Patna, Gaya or any of the larger cities in Bihar. Patna is the nearest airport and has flights coming in from most major airports in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Ranchi and Kolkata.

Hotels in Bihar Bodhgaya offers a fairly extensive range of accommodation facilities which includes three star hotels, budget hotels, and a number of guesthouses and tourist bungalows. In addition to the regular accommodation offered by commercial establishments, rooms (or beds) are offered by some monasteries in Bodhgaya. These come minus the frills, but are usually comfortable and clean enough, besides being fairly cheap. Do note, however, that monasteries usually offer first preference to pilgrims of their own country.