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Location
About
The construction and renovation
| | Location | | 100 Kms. south of Patna. | | | About | | Situated about 13 kms from Gaya, it is one of the important places of worship for the Buddhists and is also a significant archaeological site. It is 15 metres square and rises to a height of 52 metres. There is a big statue of Lord Buddha inside with his hands touching the earth.
The focal point of Bodhgaya is the Mahabodhi Temple. A high pyramidal spire crowns the Mahabodhi temple, inside which, is a large gilded image of the Buddha. The temple is believed to be standing on the site of a shrine, erected by Ashoka in the 3rd century B.C. Legend has it that the Bodhi tree growing here is the direct descendant of the original tree under which the Buddha sat, mediated and attained enlightenment. A sapling from the original tree was taken to Sri Lanka by Sanghamitra (Emperor Ashoka's daughter), when Ashoka took Buddhism to the island. A cutting of this tree was brought back to Bodhgaya, when the original tree here died. A red sand stone under the tree is said to be the Vajrasan, or diamond throne, on which the Buddha sat.
The architecture of this temple is unparalleled in North India. It is believed that in the 3rd century B.C Emperor Ashoka built this temple.
Chankamana- Towards North of the Bodhi Temple is a platform with foot impressions of Buddha. Apart from the ponds and platforms, there are many temples built by various nations like the Tibet temple, the Japanese, the Thai, the Lankan and the Bhutan temple.
These temples are a major attraction for the tourists and devotees who visit Bodh Gaya.
The 170 feet high Mahabodhi Temple stands east to the Bodhi Tree with Chatras on its top.
It has been learnt that UNESCO has declared Maha Bodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya (Bihar) as a world heritage site.
Animeshlocha Stupa is believed to be the place where Buddha spent one week looking towards the great Mahabodhi Tree out of gratitude, without blinking his eyes.
| | | The construction and renovation | | The temple's architecture is superb but its history is shrouded in obscurity. It was constructed with the main intention of making it a monument and not a receptacle for the relics of the Buddha. Several shrines were constructed with enshrined images for use as places of worship.
The Mahabodhi Temple constructed in the 7th century A. D. has had repairs and renovations from time to time. Kings and commoners, both from home and abroad, were always vying with each other to donate in cash and kind to the Mahabodhi Temple which always survived on donations from the time it was first built. The Mahabodhi temple must have required constant minor repairs and occasional major renovations.
The temple received its last and massive restoration and conservation work after it was excavated. The restoration work was started by Burma on the request of King Mindon Min (1853-1878) to the Government of India asking for permission to renovate this temple, which the Burmese received. The work started in right earnest for their faith and determination of the Burmese may have been great, but their understanding of the importance of preserving the temple’s original character was lost and inadvertently they caused enormous damage. When the authorities noticed this situation, the expertised hands of the Archaeological Survey of India were sought under the guidance of the Director General of the Archaeological Survey, Sir Alexander Cunningham. The work was completed and the entire structure got back to its old glory, which remains present to this day.
The meditation- park is a new addition in the temple complex inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. But it requires to be developed further.
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