The Enlightened Land
"Buddham Sharanam Gachchhami
Sangham Sharanam Gachchhami
Dhamman Sharanam Gachchami".
"I Bow to the feet of the Master
I bow to the Sannyasins of the Master
I Bow to the Ultimate Truth of the Master"
Located in the state of Bihar, Bodh Gaya is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimages in India. It is the blessed place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana under a Bodhi tree in the 6th century. Tourists from far and wide throng to this sacred place in search of peace and absolute happiness. The land of Bodh Gaya has numerous Buddhist monuments, temples and monasteries, which are really beautiful.
Mahabodhi Temple
Dating back to the 3rd century, the Mahabodhi Temple is a beautiful shrine built at the spot where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. The foundation of this temple was laid by the Great king Ashoka who was a great believer of the Lord. Later subsequent rulers also made contributions to the architecture of the temple. The sanctum sanctorum houses a huge image of Lord Buddha in a sitting posture touching the earth with his right hand. It is believed that the Lord attained enlightenment in this posture.
The Great Buddha Statue
Towering to a height of eighty feet, the Great Buddha statue was built with the help of the Daijokyo Sect of Japan. The statue is in a meditating posture on an inverted lotus. Carved out of red granite and sandstone, the statue was completed within a period of seven years by 12000 masons.
Dungeshwari Caves
The wonderful caves of Dungeshwari are situated at a distance of about 12 km from Bodh Gaya. One of the caves has a statue of Lord Buddha depicting him when he was leading a simple life. The caves are adorned with beautiful statues, stone carvings, paintings and graphics of Lord Buddha, depicting the incidences from the life of the lord.
The Bodhi Tree
This is the sacred tree under which Lord Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment. The sapling of this tree was taken to Srilanka and the Bodhi tree which grew from this sapling is known as the Mahabodi tree.
Bodhi Sarovar
It is the holy pond where Lord Buddha took a bath before sitting in deep meditation. This pond is held in high regard by the devotees. It is located near the MahaBodhi temple.
Chankaramana
After attaining enlightenment Lord Buddha was unsure whether it was the right time to reveal the eternal truth to the world, and he started walking. It is believed that wherever the Lord's feet landed, lotus flowers emerged from the ground there. Chankaramana is the spot where the flowers emerged. It is located near the Mahabodhi temple.