On
the shores of the Phalgu river lies the holy place of Gaya about 100 km
distance between the hills of Pretshila and the Ranshila. Gaya, a place of
pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhist is believed to be the place where
the footsteps of Lord Vishnu were found and the temple of Vishnupad built by
the Queen of Indore, Ahalyabai.
Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment in this particular place after he was
disturbed and disillusioned by the miseries of the poor. Lying south of the
city of Patna, the place of Gaya houses the sacred Mahabodhi temple and the
sacred sampling of the Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddha attained eternal
wisdom. Gaya lies in the state of Bihar, an ancient place of historic
importance in terms of knowledge and learning.
Climate
Temperature hovers from 19.6oC to 43oC in the summers while it is at a low
of 5°C in the colder seasons. The best time to visit the place is
during the month of November to April.
Major attractions
» Maha Bodhi Temple - The 170 ft high Maha Bodhi
Temple is placed 13 km from Gaya and is an important place of worship for
the Buddhist as it was here that Buddha attained his enlightenment. The
Bodhi temple is believed to be situated above a shrine erected by Emperor
Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. The Maha Bodhi temple is covered by a high
pyramidal spire inside which is a gilded image of the Buddha.
A red sand stone diamond throne named as the vajrasan on which the Lord sat
for meditation under the Bodhi tree is found there. Toward the northward
direction of the temple there are foot prints found of Buddha. The
Animeshlocha Stupa located nearby to the temple premises is believed to be
the place where Buddha spent one week looking towards the great Maha Bodhi
Tree out of sheer gratitude, without blinking his eyes for a single moment.
»
Bodhi Tree - The Bodhi tree found here is a direct descendent of the
tree under which Lord Buddha sat in meditation to attain enlightenment. The
sampling of the pipal tree or Ficus religosa was brought from Sri Lanka
where the original sampling was taken by Sangamitra, the daughter of emperor
Ashoka when he preached Buddhism in that part of the world. A stupa by the
name of Animeschalochana is situated in the north ward direction The tree is
situated behind the temple surrounded by stone railings constructed from
course granite.
» Shaivite Monastery - Adjacent to the Bodhi
temple lies the Shiavite Monastery which is a cluster of four temples
surrounded by enchanting greenery and architectural greatness. Several
samadhis or commemorative stones are laid in their vicinity
» Bodhgaya Archaeological Museum - The
Archaeological museum is a real pleasure for the religious art lover as it
takes one in to the ages of Buddha's art forms. The Buddhist sculpture and
collection are displayed there from 1st Century B.C to 11th Century A.D. The
museum preserves the symbol of Ashoka's four lions, which has been adopted
as the emblem of modern India. The lion signifies bravery, the elephant
symbolizes the dream Buddha's mother had before his birth, and the horse
recalls Buddha leaving his home on horseback in search of enlightenment.
» Muchalinda lake -
Near
to the village of Muchiram, lies the lake which is guarded by the dangerous
multi hooded snake.
Legends are of the opinion that Muchalinda protected Buddha against the
heavy winds, storm and thundering rains sent by the asuras and demons to
disturb his meditation.
» Root Institute - The root institute offers
various courses on Buddhism and meditation. Alongside, it provides free
medical treatments to the local communities living nearby. The courses cover
a wide range of Buddhist topics from philosophy to his moral teachings. The
courses are taken by both new and experienced students coming from all over
the world. These courses are designed to provide knowledge and experience of
Buddhist principles and different meditation practice.
North
India States
