BodhGaya is in the eastern state of Bihar, India. Considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, it’s dominated by the ancient brick Mahabodhi Temple Complex, built to mark the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. A direct descendant of the tree sits within the complex today, along with six other sacred sites, including a lotus pond. For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha,[4] the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath.
In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as per history, Buddha was born in 563 BC] on the auspicious Baisakhi purnima. As Siddhartha, he renounced his family at the age of 29 in 534 BC and travelled and meditated in search of truth. After practicing self-mortification for six years at Urubela (Buddhagaya) in Gaya, he gave up that practice because it did not give him Vimukthi. Then he discovered Noble Eight- fold path without help from anyone and practiced it, then he attained Buddhatva or enlightenment.
Enlightenment is a state of being completely free from lust (raga), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha). By gaining enlightenment, you enter Nirvana, in which the final stage is Parinirvana. The history of Bodh Gaya is documented by many inscriptions and pilgrimage accounts. Foremost among these are the accounts of the Chinese pilgrims Faxian in the 5th century and Xuanzang in the 7th century. The area was at the heart of a Buddhist civilization for centuries, until it was conquered by Turkic armies in the 13th century. The place-name, Bodh Gaya, did not come into use until the 18th century CE.
The main attraction is Mahabodhi Temple with the Vajrasana or “diamond throne” and the holy Bodhi tree. This tree was originally a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, itself grown from a what is claimed to be a sapling of the original Bodhi tree. Other temples another attraction is The Great Buddha Statue also known as 80 feet statue is in Bodhgaya. The unveiling and consecration of the Great Buddha Statue took place on 18 November 1989.
The consecration ceremony was attended by the XIVth Dalai Lama, who blessed the 25-meter statue, the first great Buddha ever built in the history of India. The Statue is now a symbol of the holy place Bodhgaya, next to Mahabohdi Temple which is a World Heritage site, and enjoys constant visits of pilgrims from all over the world. Among local people, it is nicknamed “the 80-foot (25-meter) Buddha Statue. Well connected road, rai and air with other major cities Bodh Gaya dotted with temples and monasteries including Tibetan, Bhutanese, and other monastery that attract tourist from across the world.
The city ebbs and flows with devotees throughout the year, yet it remains suspended in time, as monks in saffron and maroon robes walk around the monuments and temples. Also worth visiting is the archaeological museum. There are numerous places to stay and eat in and around Bodh gaya from luxurious to mid range and budget sta./ Restaurants provide everything sumptuous Bihari meals to Tibetan, Sikkimise, Chinese and Continental as well as Indian cuisine. tourism is not limited to Bodh gaya, pilgrims can visit, Rajgir sarnath and Nalanda also.
