Lord Gautam Buddha, when tried unsuccessfully all major means to dip deep in the reality of life, reached Bodh Gaya, denounced asceticism and attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. After His mahaparinirvana, all the major sites related to the Buddha's life including Bodh Gaya became pilgrimages for the Buddhists around the world.

The Maha Bodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India is one of those four foremost sites venerated by the Buddhists as it still reveres the Buddha's enlightenment. It was here that Siddhartha realised the 'Middle Way', which subsequently became the centre of His teachings.

The Maha Bodhi temple is administered by the Hindus and the Buddhist council jointly as the Hindus also consider the Buddha as a reincarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu. Therefore, the combined contribution of both the sects presents the core of the vivid Indian culture in form of unity.

The Temples Architecture
The Maha Bodhi temple, which dates back from the 3rd century BCE till the modern times, is one of the few early monumental brick structures to have survived in the north-eastern India. Marked by a 52 meter tall dome and a large gilded Buddha's statue next to the Bodhi Tree, the temple presents a unique architectural style.

The Maha Bodhi temple is believed to have been built by the great Indian emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE in honour of the Buddha. The walls inside the temple are decorated with friezes depicting the Buddha's life. There is a raised walkway, known as the Chankramana Chaitya or the Jewel Path (where the Buddha meditated and walked), which is situated alongside the northern wall of the temple. Besides, there is a lotus pond along the temple, which is believed to be the place where Lord Buddha performed his ablutions.

The temple has a 52 meter dome or central tower, which was renovated in the 19th century CE. The dome consists of several horizontal bands of mouldings and arch motifs, which further extend upward to an 'amalaka' with its top in umbrella-shaped forms, very much similar to those found in the early Buddhist stupas. Further, there are four similar smaller towers around the central tower, which were added to the main structure in the 19th century CE. Towards the west of the temple lies the Bodhi tree, under which the Siddhartha Gautama had achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha.

The Maha Bodhi temple was renovated and extensively built in the 19th century CE, but still it did not lose its originality and remained in the same format as it was built, facing towards the east.

Today, the Maha Bodhi temple is a site sacred for every Buddhist, particularly of the Theravadins, who have copied the original structure while constructing the temples in Nepal, Thailand and Myanmar.

Location and Accessibility
The Maha Bodhi temple is situated at Bodh Gaya, in the southern Bihar, India. Bodh Gaya is at a distance of 100 Kilometers from Patna, the capital of Bihar. By airways, it is connected directly to Colombo and Bangkok. Bodh Gaya can be reached by rail, road or air conveniently. Gaya has an important railway station with services from many parts of India. Gaya and Bodh Gaya, both are well connected by roadways to other major cities such as Patna, the state capital of Bihar and Ranchi, the state capital of Jharkhand. Bodh Gaya is connected to Gaya by regular and frequent transport services and can easily be reached within half an hour or so, as it is just 12 kilometers away. Gaya, 12 kilometers away from Bodh Gaya, is the main access station to reach Bodh Gaya.

Best Time To Visit
Bodh Gaya can be visited throughout the year. But the best deal is paying a visit in the months between October and March due to the pleasant weather. The Maha Bodhi temple remains open for the visitors everyday between 6 am to 12 noon and from 2 pm to 6.30 pm.

Maha Bodhi Tree, Bihar

The Bodhi tree, the fifth generation plant of the original ficus tree under which Lord Budhha attained enlightenment in 528 BCE after nine years of ascetic life, is one of the most revered sacred places for the Buddhists. The history tells that Sanghamitra, daughter of the Indian emperor, Ashoka, carried a sapling of the original Bodhi tree to Anuradhapuram, Sri Lanka, whose sapling was again brought to Bodh Gaya and planted after the original tree died. Situated behind the MahaBodhi temple, the Bodhi tree(80 feet high) is more than 116 years old and a centre of pilgrim for the Buddhsits all over the world.

Location and Accessibility
The Bodhi tree, situated in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, can easily be reached. Bodh Gaya is at a distance of 100 Kilometers from Patna, the state capital of Bihar. One can reach the place by rail, road or air conveniently. Gaya, 12 kilometers away from Bodgh Gaya, is the main access station to reach Bodh Gaya. By airways, it is connected directly to other Buddhist countries like Colombo and Bangkok. Gaya has an important rail head with services from other parts of India. Gaya and BodhGaya, both are well connected by a proper road network to other major cities of India and Nepal such as Patna and Ranchi(the state capital of Jharkhand). BodhGaya is connected to Gaya by regular and frequent transport services and can easily be reached within half an hour by covering a minimal distance of 12 kilometers.

Best Time To Visit
The sacred Bodhi tree can be seen throughout the year. But due to the pleasant whether from October to March, its the best time to visit the place.

Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh

The Sanchi stupa, built in and around 283 BCE by Ashoka, the famous Indian emperor who converted to Buddhism, is better known for its scriptures. The second largest stupa in India after that of Amravati, the Sanchi stupa is surrounded by a railing with four carved gateways facing towards all four directions. The entire stupa comprises symbolic representation of the gifts of nature as if explaining the Buddhist doctrine by reflecting the people's love for the nature. The use of lotus in stupa symbolises the rise of people from the mud of materialism to the reality and spirituality of life. Similarly, the female tree spirits depicted in the gateways are symbols of fertility.

Location and Accessibility
Sanchi is located in Madhya Pradesh, Central India. To view the Sanchi stupa, one should reach Bhopal, the state capital of Madhya Pradesh, which is easily accessible by air, rail and road. The Bhopal airport is connected to all major cities of India with a good network of flights. From Bhopal, either rail or road route can be taken to reach the destination. 46 kilometers away. The nearest railhead of Sanchi is at Vidisha, 10 kilometers away. A good and well maintained rail network connects Sanchi to Bhopal, which is further connected to other major cities of India.

Best Time To Visit
The best months to visit Sanchi are from November to February.

Amravati Stupa, Andhra Pradesh

The Amravati stupa, which is also known as Mahachaitya Stupa, has the privilege of being the largest stupa(95 feet high) in India - the birthplace of Buddhism. Built during the 2nd century BCE, the stupa was discovered by a British archaeologist, Colonel Colin Mackenzie in 1797. The stupa was earlier a simple structure with limestone crossbars and simple carvings, but when renovated by the Satavahana rulers, became a highly marked architectural monument.

Amravati
The capital of later Satvahana rulers in South India in the pre medieval era, Amravati is situated on the right bank of the river Krishna in Andhra Pradesh. Amravati, which was also known as Amaresvaram, is a home to best known 2000 years old Buddhist relics, which make the place an important pilgrimage for the Buddhists. The place is also identified as Dhanyakataka by several scholars, who connects Amravati with the origin of many Tantric teachings especially, Kalchakra.

Location and Accessibility
Amravati can be reached by roadways as taxis and buses are available from Guntur(32 km away) and other places of the state to Amravati. The nearest railheads are at Guntur and Vijayawada. Both the railway stations are well connected with all the parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. If opting for airways, the nearest airport is at Vijayawada (82 km).

Best Time To Visit
October to February. It is advisable to avoid the summers due to extensive heat.
A visit to Amravati in January 2006 can be a dream come true for many as His Holiness the Dalai Lama has consented to bestow 13 day Kalchakra gathering in Amravati.

Buddhist Temples in India

Maha Bodhi Temple, Bihar | Maha Bodhi Tree, Bihar | Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh Amravati Stupa, Andhra Pradesh | Barhut Stupa, Madhya Pradesh Kushan Sites : Taxila, Harwan | Rock- Cut Carvings, Bhagalpur region Pithalkhora, Maharashtra | Sirpur Temple, Chattisgarh Hirapur Temple, Orissa | Langudi Temple, Orissa | Itanagar Buddhist Temple Animeshlocan Chaiyata Temple, Bihar | Ratnagar Temple, Bihar Archaeological Nalanda Museum, Bihar | Dhamek Stupa, Uttar Pradesh Dharmarajika Stupa, Uttar Pradesh | Archaeological Museum of Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh Shanti Stupa, Jammu & Kashmir