Bodhgaya is one of the sacred places for the Buddhists as well as for the Hindus. Here under the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, the 'Enlighten One'.

Lord Buddha the gentle colossus who founded the first universal religion of the world, worked and lived much of his life in Bihar though he was born in Kapilavastu, now in Nepal. Most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon happened in Bihar. The state's name originated from 'Vihara' meaning Buddhist and Jain monasteries, which abounded in Bihar.

Several centuries after Buddha's passing away, the Maurya emperor Ashoka (234-198 BC) contributed tremendously towards the revival, consolidation and spread of the original religion. It is the monasteries Ashoka built for the Buddhist monks and the pillars erected to commemorate innumerable historical sites associated with the Buddha's life, mostly intact to this day that helped scholars and pilgrims alike to trace the life events and preaching of a truly extraordinary man.

The Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya, under the Bodhi tree, 10 km from Gaya, the ancient Hindu pilgrimage center. The tree from the original sapling still stands in the temple premises. The magnificent Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries' cultures and many heritages that came to pay their homage here. The temple definitely has architecture of the Gupta and later ages, inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China between 7th and 10th century AD. It is perhaps still the same temple Hiuen Tsang visited in 7th century.

How to get there

Air
Nearest airport is Gaya 12 km. However convienent airport is Patna. Patna is connected to Bombay,Calcutta,Delhi,Ranchi & Lucknow Rail The nearest railhead is at Gaya, 12 km.

Road
Bodh Gaya is connected by road to Gaya 12 km, Nalanda 62 km, Rajgir 46 km, Patna 152 km, Varanasi 215 km, Calcutta 482 km.

In and around

Mahabodhi Temple
Is an architectural amalgamation of many cultures. The temple bears the stamp of the architecture of the Gupta dynasty and subsequent ages. On the walls of the temple, one sees Buddha carved in different aspects, and in the sanctum sanctorum, a colossal Buddha, is seen touching the ground which has mythological significance in the Buddhist lores.

Shaivite Monastery
That has a cluster of four temples. Surrounded by enchanting greenery and marked by architectural marvels, these temples have several Samadhis (commemorative stones) in their vicinity.

Jagannath temple
Which is dedicated to Lord shiva and has the statue of the deity carved in glistening black stone.

Archaeological Museum
One into the age of Buddha's centred art forms. The Buddhist sculpture collection from 1st century BC to 11th century AD is housed here at one place. Reflected through several art forms, it is more like a treasure house of artistic expression