India Guide
Bihar and Jharkhand
Bodhgaya
The world's most important Buddhist pilgrimage site, BODHGAYA, 13km south of the flyblown town of Gaya, is a wonderfully relaxed town, with an array of monasteries, temples and retreats. Its focal point is the Mahabodhi Temple, home to the world's most sacred tree, under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.
The temple dates back to the seventh century AD and flourished up to the sixteenth century, when it fell into the hands of Hindu priests, who professed to be baffled by its origins. It was only after British archeologists arrived in the early nineteenth century that the site's significance was rediscovered. Since then Bodhgaya has been rejuvenated by overseas Buddhists, who have built an array of monasteries, temples and shrines.
From November to February, Bodhgaya is home to an animated community of exiled Tibetans, often including the Dalai Lama, as well as a stream of international Tibetophiles. Meditation courses attract others, while large monasteries from places like Darjeeling bring their followers to attend ceremonies and lectures under the Bodhi Tree. From mid-March to mid-October, the region becomes oppressively hot and Bodhgaya returns to its quiet ways.
The town is not free from problems, however. The Mahabodhi Temple is also sacred to Hindus – the Buddha is seen as a reincarnation of Vishnu – who dominate its management committee, despite strong protests from the Buddhist world. The dispute is exacerbated by the contrasting forms of worship – while Buddhists have a solitary inward approach, Hindus prefer spectacle and noisy ceremony.
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