The Significance of Bodh Gaya for Buddhists
Bodh Gaya is very sacred to Buddhists as it is the place where the Buddha gained enlightenment after years of penance. Bodh Gaya lies 13 km. south of Gaya beside the river Phalgu.
At the centre of the Bodh Gaya stands the elegant Mahabodhi Temple, rising to the lofty height of 55 metres. Inside the temple a single chamber holds a large glided image of the Buddha.
At the rear of the temple to the west lies the large Bodhi tree beneath which the Buddha gained nirvana.
The lagend relates that the Bodhi tree was destroyed by the emperor Ashoka before his conversion to the faith his daughter Sanghamitra took a sapling to Sri Lanka, and planted it at Anuradhpura, where its offshoots were nurtured, and a sapling was brought back and replanted here.
Pilgrims tie coloured thread to its far-reaching branches, decorated by prayer flags, and Tibetans accompany their rituals with long lines of butter lamps. A sandstone slab with carved sides next to the tree is believed to be the Vajrasana or “thunder seat” upon which Buddha sat facing east.
To the right of the compound entrance stands the Animeshlochana Temple that marks the spot where the Buddha stood and gazed upon the Bodhi Tree in gratitude.
The long raised platform known as the Chankramana along the northern wall marks the spot where the Buddha paced in meditation.
