It’s the city of enlightenment – BODH GAYA

Just before the full moon day of the month of Vesakha in about the year 528 BCE, a young ascetic of noble birth, worn out by years of self denial, arrived on the outskirts of the small village of Uruvela nestled on the banks of the sandy Neranjara River. Many years later he described the scene that unfolded before him. "There I saw a beautiful stretch of countryside, a beautiful grove, a clear flowing river, a lovely ford and a village nearby for support. And I thought to myself; 'Indeed, this is a good place for a young man set on striving' ". He settled himself under the spreading branches of the a nearby tree and prepared to begin his meditation. Just then a young woman named Sujata happened to be passing and noticing how thin he was, ran quickly home and brought him a bowel of milk rice and sweet honey. Strengthened by this nutritious meal the ascetic began his meditation. All night he sat there as the leaves of the tree quivered in the gentle breeze and the moon shone bright in the velvety black sky. Eventually the clouds of ignorance dissolved and he saw the Truth in all its glory and splendour. He was no longer Prince Siddhartha or the ascetic Gotama. He had become the Awakened One, the Compassionate One, the Light of the World, the Buddha Supreme.

Photo of It’s the city of enlightenment – BODH GAYA 1/9 by Sumit Singh

Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have obtained Enlightenment (pali: bodhi) under what became known as the Bodhi Tree.

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For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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I had been there twice before but still this place somehow managed to leave such a deep impression that I was unable to stop myself for visiting this land of enlightenment. The environment in this city is truly majestic. The city houses several holy temples, monasteries and museums.

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In Mahabodhi Mahabihara temple or Mahabodhi temple, you can easily spot devotees from all across the world inside the campus doing meditation. This is the place where “The Bodhi Tree” is located, right behind main temple. This is the most important of all the places for a devout Buddhist. The Bodhi Tree is an object of veneration as the Budha himself sanctioned it and also regarded as a symbolic representation of Buddha.

Photo of It’s the city of enlightenment – BODH GAYA 5/9 by Sumit Singh

Photo of It’s the city of enlightenment – BODH GAYA 6/9 by Sumit Singh

There are several monasteries which are situated in the city of enlightenment. some well knowns are Tibetan monastery, Chinese monastery, Thai monastery, Indosan Nipponji monastery, Royal Bhutan monastery and Japanese monastery.

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Here you can find a dedicated meditation park for all those devotees who wants to meditate in the search of enlightenment or salvation at this holy place.