Particularly attached to the attainment of Enlightenment, The Maha bodhi Temple is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha. Dating back to 5-6th century BC, it is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing in India. Though many changes have occurred, it has still maintained the charm and accent of the time of Huen Tsang.
According to the Jataka tale, when Buddha first came here, the Pipala, or Indian fig (Bodhi) was a massive tree. It is said that Lord Buddha attained his enlightenment under this tree.
After he left, he never looked back, and never visited again. But he did recommend it as one of the four memorable places worth visiting for inspiration. Buddhists believe this as the navel of the universe, the Vajra-seat, where past and future Buddhas achieve the ultimate state.
Ria Johnson, a traveller from Canada, said “ I was truly enticed by the Mahabodi temple. It holded a star value on my buddhist pilgrimage tour.”
One of the earliest temple constructions existing in the Indian sub-continent, the grand 50m high temple is one of the few representations of the architectural genius of the Indian people in constructing fully developed brick temples in that era.
The year 2006-2007 is being celebrated as the 2550th Mahaparinibbana of Lord Buddha. The Mahabodhi Mahavihara, Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee jointly with the Government of Bihar is organizing a 3-day Buddha Mahotsava (Festival) with fervour at the Kalachakra Grounds in Buddhagaya on the 27th, 28th and 29th December, 2006 .
One of the few surviving examples of early brick structures in India, the temple provides exceptional records for the events associated with the life of Buddha and had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries. It is believed that Emperor Asoka had built the first temple, the balustrades, and the memorial column.
The present Temple is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick from the late Gupta period. The sculpted stone balustrades are an outstanding early example of sculptural reliefs in stone. Buddha image housed inside the Mahabodhi temple is particularly important in the context of Bodh Gaya sculptures. Its height of more than 2-m has made it the largest surviving seated Buddha image from Bodh Gaya. Its great size may indicate that it once served as the central image of the Mahabodhi Temple. The hub of the entire spectrum of activities that take place here, the temple is the most important place in Bodh Gaya ( Bodh Gaya).
Being the place where He attained the supreme and perfect insight, the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya has direct association with the life of the Lord Buddha, and thus is cosidered among the most pristine pilgrimages in Buddhism. Lord Buddha himself had put this place in his high esteem and recommended his followers to visit the place for gaining knowledge.
Being registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, better conservation, restoration and upgradation of the images and statues are expected.
“ The story by far was to know more about the site, but after glimpsing its architectural value I was completely baffled for the simple reason that I loved the place.” added Ria.
A visit to Mahabodi tree: You just cannot miss to visit Mahabodi tree. This is the tree where Lord Buddha have attained enlightment.
If you want to explore good heritage, Mahabodi temple is the one for you. You would surely love to explore it.
“ Mahabodi Temple is peculiar and I loved every moment I spent there. I snapped many images of Mahabodi tree, they were truly awesome” ended Ria
Getting There
By Air : You would find the nearest airport in Gaya, which is about 5 kms from Bodhgaya. The city is well connected by Delhi,
Ranchi, Lucknow, Calcutta, Chennai, Mumbai.
By Road : Delhi- Kolkata is the major highway and is well connected. Mahabodi form the major bus station. There are private buses and taxis which connects each destination.
By Rail : Gaya forms the nearest railway station with several trains linked up.
Many thanks to Ria Johnson ( Canada) , who shared his experience with
