The land of Bodh Gaya is as pious as the Ganges because it was here that Gautam Buddha ( Prince Siddharath) attained supreme enlightenment. The sacred Asvatta tree ( Bodhi Tree ) is the witness of the unending mediation hours and great devotion of Gautam Buddha which finally fulfilled the quest of Buddha. Thus, Buddism was born here under the peepal tree. Bodh Gaya, being one of the four most holy pilgrimage places for the Buddhists draws many westerners who learn about Buddhism or mediation.

It was Gautam Buddha who founded the first universal religion of the world. Most of the major events of Buddha's life , like enlightenment and last sermon happened in Bihar. The tree from the original sapling still stands in the temple premises.

See & Do

Bodhi Tree - The Bodhi Tree is said to be a descendent of the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. A sapling of the original Bodhi Tree was carried by Emperor Ashoka's daughter to Sri Lanka. A cutting from the tree was planted in Bodh Gaya when the original tree died away. Under this tree is a red sand- stone slab that is said to be the Vajrasana, the diamond throne, where Buddha sat and attained Nirvana. The Bodhi Tree is about 80 feet high and about 115 years old.

Mahabodhi Temple - The temple is a towering structure and is located to the east of the Bodhi Tree. It houses a large, glided black stone image of the Buddha in the Bhumisparshamudra ( earth touching posture). The carved sculpted stone railing around the temple is believed to have been built around the 1st century BC. There have been several other temples on this site. The Mahabodhi Temple is very sacred for the Hindus because Lord Buddha is the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Monasteries - Countries having large Buddhist population- including Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Mynamar, Vietnam, Korea and Taiwan have built temples and monasteries in Bodh Gaya with their distinctive architectural styles and forms of worship. For the travellers, these monasteries provide interesting insights into the nuances of various schools of Buddhism.

Sujata Temple -About 2 km to the west of Bodh Gaya, flows the Phalgu River. There lies a small shrine dedicated to Sujata, the tribal woman who offered kheer to the starving Siddharatha.

Muchhalinda Pond - The Buddha spent the sixth week after enlightenment at this pond on the southern side of the temple.

Bodh Gaya Museum - Run by the Archaeological Survey of India, this is located near the Mahabodhi temple. It houses antiquities excavated in and around Bodh Gaya. It has a large collection of Buddhist and Hindu relics, terracotta seals, scriptures and railings/pillars from the Sunga period (1 BC to 1 AD). It is open from 9 am to 4.30 pm, closed on Fridays, and there is an entry fee of Rs 2.

Shopper's Junction

Bodh Gaya attains new life from October to March when the place is flooded with tourists from all over the world. But the peak season is December - January when Dalai Lama presides over the Kalachakra Festival. Most of the shopping areas is filled with +roadside stalls selling thangkas, Buddhist icons and trinkets. The seasonal Tibetan Refugee Market is extremely good for purchasing woollens. Throughout the year , the government - authorised handicraft stores sell thangkas, dried peepul leaves, peepul-bead rosaries for meditation and lotus- bead malas from Mongolia.

Stomach Teasers

What is life without good food? Well, the unanimous answer would be- a Hell. And why not, for the smooth functioning of our body proper food is the prime requisite for all. The congregation of pilgrims from all across the globe has an interesting culinary consequence. In peak season, the town comes alive with roadside restaurants that offer every kind of food from Chinese to Japanese to Korean to Tibetan to Italian to the ultimate symbol of America, the apple pie. Most hotel- restaurants provide mishmash by way of a menu.

However there are certain nameless, makeshift tents that come up near the temple complex from December to February ( the peak season) and serve great food. The food offered stimulates our appetite and one gets compelled to eat more than the usual appetite.

There are certain established restaurants in Bodh Gaya-
Om Restaurant- Located opposite the Jayprakash Narayan Park entrance, the restaurant is popular for its breakfast menu. It also serves Kheer ( which Sujata offered to Siddharath ), now extolled as ' Sujata rice pudding'.

Fujia Green - Located near the Tibetan refugee market, the restaurant is quiet famous for its great Tibetan and Chinese food.

Shiva Hotel - The hotel lies near the Mahabodhi Temple entrance and serves Indian, Chinese and Continental.

High- end hotels pander to foreign palates- the Japanese okaiyo, a bland breakfast broth; the Thai masala omelette; the Korean Kimchi salad; and the satvik no-onion, no-garlic Taiwan dishes. The famous Lotus Nikko Hotel in Bodh Gaya also bring a fine range of dishes for the tourists visiting the hotel.

Climate Wonder

Bodh Gaya experiences Tropical climate. The summers ( April-June) are generally very hot and winters ( October - February ) are very cold. Temperatures in summer can rise up to 47 degree C and can drop to 4 degree C.