Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India, is the Buddhist site traditionally identified as the place where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment. The complex is an important pilgrimage destination and a UNESCO World Heritage cultural site.

The site has been a focus of pilgrimage since ancient times; an early shrine was established here by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE) and later rebuilt and expanded in the early medieval period, with the present principal temple dating largely from the Gupta and later medieval periods. Ongoing restoration and conservation have maintained the complex as a living religious site.

The complex is in the town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar state, India, on the Gangetic plain; Bodh Gaya lies to the southwest of the city of Gaya and is the principal pilgrimage town associated with the site.

• Pilgrimage customs: Pilgrims customarily remove footwear and maintain quiet within the inner temple precinct; approaching the Bodhi Tree at dawn is a common devotional practice.
• Temple height and visibility: The main temple tower rises to roughly 50 metres and dominates the flat surrounding plain, making it visible from across Bodh Gaya town.

What to See #

• Mahabodhi Temple (main temple): The central temple complex featuring the pyramidal brick-and-stone temple tower that marks the place of the Buddha's enlightenment and houses key relics and images.
• Bodhi Tree: A sacred fig tree grown from the original clonal lineage of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment; it stands in the temple precinct and is a focus of worship.
• Vajrasana (diamond seat): An ancient stone seat believed to mark the precise spot of enlightenment, traditionally called the Vajrasana, within the temple platform.