The city of Gaya is situated 105 km from Patna in the state of Bihar. Bodhgaya is 7 miles south of Gaya.
Considered to be extremely sacred this is the site where Lord Buddha gained enlightenment.
The Bodhi tree under which Buddha reached the enlightened state is the most revered tree in the world. Another attraction of Bodhgaya is the ancient Mahabodhi Temple. The original shrine is said to have been constructed by the great Emperor Ashoka.
The temple contains a magnificent gilded image of Buddha as well as a 150 feet high tower and the walls of the temple are covered with scenes from Buddha's life. Take some time out to visit the museum near the temple, which has some more images of Buddha in gold, bronze and stone. People believe that the platform below the Bodhi tree where Buddha meditated is the center of the universe. The platform is called Vajrasana.
To get the full experience of Bodhgaya a trip to the Tibetan, Japanese and Burmese monasteries is a must. The Tibetan monastery houses the massive Dharma Chakra (the wheel of law) and is a popular destination for Buddhist from all over the world.
The legend behind Bodhgaya - It is believed that Gautama took some Kusha grass and sat on it and sat under a pipal tree, facing towards the east. He was determined not to rise till he attained enlightenment. During his meditations he was distracted many times by Mara, the Lord of Illusion. But Gautama stood firm by touching the earth and asking it to bear witness to his many lifetimes of virtue that finally led him to this place of enlightenment. The earth shook confirming the truth of his words. Mara tried many more times but Gautama's mind remained calm. He thus attained enlightenment under the Mahabodhi tree.
Accommodation - Apart from private hotels, the Indian Tourism Development Corporation runs the Hotel Bodhgaya Ashok and the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation runs Hotel Sidhartha Vihar and Hotal Buddha Vihar.
Accessibility - Air: The closest airport is Patna airport (112 km from Bodhgaya). Rail: The nearest Railway station is Gaya (16 km from Bodhgaya). Road: Bodhgaya is connected by road to Gaya, which is connected, to the Delhi-Calcutta Highway junction (on Grand Trunk Road). Gaya is also connected to Dobhi (22 km) and Patna (105 km).
