Every casual observer will label Bodh Gaya as a setting smeared with religious aura and spirituality. Temples, monks, and trees dot the site which is the most important of the four main pilgrimage sites concerning Buddhist sage Gautama Buddha’s life. Countless tourists from all over the world visit Bodh Gaya every year in an attempt to reconnect with the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha.
The site is located at a distance of some 15 km from Gaya in Bihar. While Gaya is a congested city with cars and wayfarers bustling about, Bodh Gaya is quite the opposite. The calm and quiet at Bodh Gaya is somewhat omnipresent. Yes, several devotees and tourists do swarm the place, but that does little to disturb the peace laced in the air.
Bodh Gaya experiences mainly tropical climatic conditions and can be visited throughout the year. However, summers tend to be too hot with day temperature settling in the mid-forties. Monsoon brings plentiful rains for the region and the beauty of the place only magnifies during this time. October onward, the weather turns more welcoming, and hence a major chunk of tourists visit the region during this time.
There are several attractions at Bodh Gaya but the Mahabodhi Temple is the most popular one. The towering temple was built by King Ashoka around 260 BC and can be viewed from a distance of 11 km today. It is interesting to note that with the decline of Buddhism in India, the temple was abandoned and ignored for decades. However, revival efforts started late in the 19th century and today the temple has been restored to its former glory.
Another important tourist attraction is the Bodhi Tree which is of great religious as well as historical significance. The actual Bodhi Tree under which Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment withered away with time. However, the descendants of the original tree have made their way to different parts of the world like Sri Lanka and even Hawaii.
Apart from all this, other tourist attractions in Bodh Gaya include the Shaivite Monastery, the Tibetan Monastery, and the Bodh Gaya Archaeological Museum. Above everything else, tourists prefer to find a spot and settle down for meditation and reading. One can take a stroll around the site and visit the many temples built by various international Buddhist foundations. An 80-feet tall Buddha statue happens to be a major attraction signifying the vastness of Buddha and his teachings. Quite frankly, Bodh Gaya is not a ‘happening’ place, but there’s a lot happening here amidst the deafening silence.
(Featured Image Credit: Paavani, Flickr)
(Top Image Credit: blog.tripmos.com)