Bodhgaya, India Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bodh_Gaya#mediaviewer/File:004_Pasting_Gold_Leaf_(9222373698).jpg Author: Photo Dharma
Bodhgaya, also written Bodh Gaya, is a city in the state of Bihar in northeastern India. It is famous for being the site where Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment.
Bodhgaya has been known under many different names in its long history, including Bodhimanda (which means "ground around the Bodhi tree"), Uruvela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana and Mahabodhi. It only came to be known as Bodhgaya in the 18th century.
The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Exterior_views_of_the_Mahabodhi_Temple#mediaviewer/File:Bodhgaya_3639641115_9b90cb3e49_t.jpg Author: Ken Wieland
Bodhgaya is one of the four major pilgrimage sites of Buddhists, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini and Sarnath.
The main sight at Bodhgaya is the Mahabodhi Temple, which is inscribed as a World Heritage Site. There are also other Buddhist temples in the vicinity that you can visit when there.
Vajrasana, meaning "Diamond Throne", the very spot where Buddha Sakyamuni is believed to have attained Enlightenment in Bodhgaya Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Vajrasana,_Bodh_Gaya#mediaviewer/File:Vajrasana_Bodhgaya.jpg Author: Christopher J. Fynn
Planning your trip to Bodhgaya
You can fly to Bodhgaya from a number of destinations, arriving at the Gaya Airport. Thai Airways flies there from Bangkok daily. Druk Air also flies there from Bangkok once a week. Indian Airlines flies to Gaya from Kolkata on Fridays with the return trip on Mondays.
You can also take a train to Gaya Railway Station, located 16 km from Bodhgaya. From there, take an auto rickshaw to Bodhgaya.
Devotees from Sri Lanka at the Mahabodhi Temple Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mahabodhi_Temple#mediaviewer/File:026_Sri_Lankans_preparing_for_Puja_(9219364261).jpg Author: Photo Dharma
Planning your travel within Bodhgaya
The main form of transport is the auto rickshaw. If you get a good driver, consider hiring him for the whole day.
Places of Interest in Bodhgaya
Bodhi Tree This tree is believed to be the direct descendent of the one under which Buddha attained Enlightenment.
Burmese Temple Temple built by Burmese Buddhist in the style of a Bagan stupa.
Chinese Temple Temple built by Chinese Buddhists featuring a 200-year-old Buddha statue from China.
Japanese Temple Temple built by Japanese Buddhists in Bodhgaya featuring a 25-meter (82-feet) seated Buddha statue.
Mahabodhi Temple Main temple in Bodhgaya, located on the site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment.
Thai Monastery Monastery built by Thai Buddhists, in the style of a traditional Thai wat.
Tibetan Monastery Tibetan style Buddhist monastery with prayer wheels and red-robed monks.
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Disclaimer
Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.
Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.