Mahabodhi Temple Complex!

What Is the Mahabodhi Temple Complex?

This is the central temple of Buddhism, built on the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment!

What Makes It Historical?

The dates of enlightenment are hard to pinpoint, but tradition states that Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Buddha, spent seven weeks meditating in the woods here, determined not to leave until he was enlightened! During this time, it’s said he encountered a giant snake king named Mucalinda, who protected him from a storm, fended off the temptations of the demon, Mara, and finally broke an unnecessary fast thanks to the kheir rice pudding from a local girl named Sujata! Between a pipal tree (Bodhi Tree) and a Rajayatana tree, the Buddha developed what he called the Middle Way, a path between luxury and asceticism!

All we know for certain is that around 250 BCE, Emperor Aśoka the Great, having converted to Buddhism, ordered a temple built here in honor of the Buddha and 84,000 stupas and monasteries to be set up across India! That original temple no longer exists, but the Diamond Throne at the base of the Bodhi Tree is still around! The Gupta Empire rebuilt the temple over its original foundations in the 5th or 6th Century CE, making this one of India’s oldest brick buildings!

Today, after centuries of Islamic and Hindu conquests, the temple is still standing, largely thanks to restoration work by the rulers of nearby Burma, and much later, the campaigning of Sir Edwin Arnold from the British Raj! It wasn’t until 1949 that the newly independent nation of India passed the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, putting ownership of the temple in the hands of the state government of Bihar and allowing Buddhists to return! It wasn’t until 2013, though, that a Buddhist was allowed to lead the committee that oversaw the temple!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
Volunteer with the World Heritage Volunteers!
Donate to the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!