Bodhgaya India

[Aryan Mathur]

Bodhgaya, an international place of pilgrimage is one of the important Buddhist centres. Known world wide for the Mahabodhi temple and Bodhi tree, it is believed to be the place where Gautam Buddha attained self-enlightenment. Visitors can see here many monasteries and temples made by the Buddhist of different countries such as Srilanka, Thailand, Burma, Bhutan, Tibet etc which must not be missed. One must also see the archaelogical musuem in Bodhgaya which has on display ruins of old temple, sculptures and other excavations from the site.

Gaya City tour package plays a vital role in witnessing the charm of this religious city.

Getting There

By Air: The Airport is located in Gaya and has directs flights to Bangkok and Kolkata.

By Road: Gaya is 13km from Bodhgaya and is connected by road to all major cities and town.

By Rail: The closest railway station is at Gaya and is well connected to all the major cities of India. Annual Buddha Parikrama train, a new start in the pilgrimage tourism can be used to visit all the major places associated with Lord Buddha.

Related Accommodations
You can find a great option of accommodations like guest houses, budgeted hotels, and monasteries which provide cheap accommodation.

Budget Hotels
• The Royal Residency
• Hotel Siddhartha International
• Hotel Lotus Nikko

Did You Know?
• Historically Bodh Gaya was called as Bodhimanda.
• Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya is a UNESCO World

Heritage Site.
• The huge Mahabodhi Temple is believed to be one of the earliest temples constructions existing in the Indian sub-continent.

• The Mahabodhi Temple was restored by Sir Alexander Cunningham.

Attractions

Mahabodhi Temple

This World Heritage Site is believed to be built in the 2nd century A.D. Known for the brilliant architecture and scupltures, it is 170 feet high. Inside the temple, visitors can see the huge statue of Buddha in the pose of the touching the earth which is said to be 1700years old. Exquistive
carvings on the railings of the temple are just superb.

Gaya

It is very near to Bodhgaya and is an important holy place for the Hindus. The Vishnupad temple is the prime attraction here and is said to be built on the foot prints of Lord Vishnu. Final rites after the death are performed here by the Hindus. The famous, Pitrapaksha Mela is organised here annually.

Rajgir

Located 34km away from Bodhgaya, Rajgir is widely known for the rock-cut caves, Buddhist ruins, shell inscriptions and forts. Many Hindu and Jain temples can be seen here. It is believed that Lord Buddha spent major part of his life in Rajgir which was then the capital of the Magadha Empire. Rajgir also witnessed the first Buddhist Council.

Nalanda

It was considered a great centre of learning in the ancient times. Famous for monasteries, it lies 50kms away Bodhgaya. It is believed that Buddhism spread out to China, Tibet and South-East Asia and many other countries from here only.
Location

This Buddhist town is located on the west of Falgu River and is 13km from Gaya and 113 km from Patna.